Review Vacancy

Date Posted: 02/09/24
Applications Due: 02/24/24
Vacancy ID: 150772

Position Information

Agency Mental Health, Office of

Title Mental Health Program Specialist 1/Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee, Central Office;

Occupational Category Other Professional Careers

Salary Grade 18

Bargaining Unit PS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)

Salary Range From $63108 to $80248 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 0%

Schedule

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 8 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

Location

County Albany

Street Address NYS Office of Mental Health

75 New Scotland Avenue

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12208

Job Specifics

Minimum Qualifications NON-COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY:
Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 1: Candidate’s must possess a bachelor's or higher degree in child and family studies, counseling and community psychology, creative arts therapy, criminal justice, health administration, hospital administration, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, nursing, psychoanalysis, psychology, public administration, public health, public policy, recreation therapy, rehabilitation counseling, social work, sociology, or special education.
TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY:
Candidates must be employed by New York State to be eligible. In order to be eligible for transfer, candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55-b/c service as a Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 1, Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 2, or Mental Health Program Specialist 1 and be eligible for lateral transfer; OR be eligible to transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law.
55b/c Opportunity:
Individuals certified eligible for the 55b/c program under the Governor’s Program to Hire Persons/Veterans with Disabilities pursuant to Section 55b/c of the Civil Service Law AND possess a Bachelor’s or degree in one of the fields listed above will also be considered. Please provide a copy of your eligibility letter with your response.
PCO Opportunity:
Individuals with the score of 100 or higher on the current 2022 holding of the PCO eligible list who possess a Bachelor’s or higher degree in one of the fields listed above and are interested in this vacancy, but did not receive a canvass letter, are encouraged to apply. Please note this in your cover letter.
Advanced placement to the Trainee 2 or Journey level may be possible depending on education and experience.

Duties Description The Office of Mental Health (OMH) is recruiting to fill a Mental Health Program Specialist, in the Bureau of Institutional Sex Offender Treatment (BISOT) within the Division of Forensic Services (DFS). DFS is the administrative unit within the New York State Office of Mental Health that is responsible for coordinating the delivery of mental health services to individuals involved with New York State's criminal justice system, including sex offenders civilly managed under MHL Article 10. Section 10.10(a) of the MHL authorizes OMH to accept custody of and confine respondents in secure treatment facilities for the purposes of providing care, treatment, and control. BISOT is responsible for the treatment of individuals civilly confined to OMH secure treatment facilities under the Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act (SOMTA).
Specific duties to be performed may include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Review and coordinate with STARC to ensure compliance with OMH regulations, guidance, and policies.
o Monitor treatment documentation at STARC; coordinate with clinical supervisors to ensure documentation is completed in a timely manner and all needed documentation is available for annual reviews.
• Monitor data submitted from STARC and into the DFS data systems for completeness and to assist in identifying patterns and trends.
• Assist STARC with investigation of resident contacts and/or visitors.
• Respond to questions, complaints, and information requests from individuals in our care, families, and secure facility staff.
• Provide feedback and recommendations regarding STARC development, initiatives, and practices.
• Serve as a liaison between the Bureau of Institutional Sex Offender Treatment, the Strict and Intensive Supervision and Treatment (SIST) team, and the OMH secure treatment facilities to ensure high risk sex offenders being released from confinement to SIST have all necessary discharge services in place and there is a seamless transition from confinement to the community.
• Coordinate, in conjunction with the Chief Psychiatric Examiners (PE), annual review evaluations.
o Review reports regarding annual review evaluations to ensure timely assignment and completion.
o Coordinate with the Chief PE to schedule annual reviews and ensure all evaluations are completed and finalized prior to statutory deadlines.
o Establish and maintain a statewide tracking of annual reviews, court dates, and PE leave schedules.
• Work with the SOMS manager to prepare reports regarding annual reviews; ensure data entry is completed and all steps of the process are done in a timely manner.
• Coordinate with the Office of the Attorney General to ensure OMH has received all court orders.
• Assist the Chief PE with oversight and monitoring of the psychiatric examination process.
• Research best practices in the field of sex offender treatment and assessment.
• Assist in the coordination with other civil confinement states to develop standard curriculum.

Additional Comments This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).
For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title maybe filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply. At this time, agencies may recruit and hire employees by making temporary appointments. In May 2024, if a temporary NY HELPS employee is satisfactorily performing in the position, the appointment will be changed from temporary pending Civil Service Commission Action to permanent non-competitive and the official probationary period will begin.
At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.
The Mission of the New York State Office of Mental Health is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a focus on providing hope and supporting recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. OMH is deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations, and communities. To this end, OMH is focused on implementing activities and initiatives to reduce disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. A critical component of these efforts is ensuring OMH is a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees' unique attributes and skills are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency. OMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
Specific scheduled hours and telecommuting availability for this position will be discussed during the interview process. Please note, employees are required to apply and obtain approval through management to telecommute according to operational needs and Agency Telecommuting Program Guidelines.
The starting salaries for this position are outlined below. Candidates appointed at the trainee level will be required to successfully complete the traineeship to advance to the full performance level title and salary.
• $47,925 (Trainee 1- NS equated to SG-13)
• $50,678 (Trainee 2- NS equated to SG-14)
• $63,108 (Full Performance level SG-18)

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

Contact Information

Name Leslie A. Brownell

Telephone

Fax (518) 486-3897

Email Address OMHHRM@OMH.NY.GOV

Address

Street NYS Office of Mental Health

44 Holland Avenue

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12229

Notes on Applying To be considered for this position, interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume as an attachment in Microsoft Word or PDF format to omhhrm@omh.ny.gov. Please include the title of the position and Vacancy ID #150772 in the subject line of your email when applying.
You are advised that, should you accept a job offer with the Office of Mental Health, you may be required to be fingerprinted and pay a fingerprint fee.