What are the responsibilities and job description for the Mental Health Program Specialist 1 position at Mental Health, Office of?
Candidates must be employed by New York State to be eligible to apply for this position.
Candidates must be permanent in the Mental Health Program Specialist 1 title and be eligible for lateral transfer; OR be eligible to transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law into the Mental Health Program Specialist 1 or Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee levels.
To be eligible for appointment, candidates must have 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.
55b/c:
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 degree in one of the fields listed above will also be considered. Please provide a copy of your eligibility letter with your response.
*Commencing on October 12, 2021, all OMH Central Office employees who are not subject to a mandatory vaccination requirement shall be tested for COVID-19 weekly unless they are fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated means that two (2) or more weeks have elapsed since receiving either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination series (e.g., Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or the first and only dose of a single-dose vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson [J&J]/Janssen).*
Specific duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Provides technical support to assist SOS CTI teams of trained mental health practitioners to work with emergency shelters, outreach providers, as well as permanent and supportive housing providers, to transition individuals living on the street into stable housing.
- Gathers and tracks pre and post housing placement data and referral connections for reporting;
- Participate in special projects associated with the Homeless Services Unit’s responsibility in the areas of planning, policy, and review of housing needs.
- Review and comment on the Prior Approval Process (PAR) applications regarding the development of new housing programs.
- Strategize with staff from OMH Central and Field Offices, local government, consumers, family advocates and providers to incorporate flexibility into housing funding, regulations, contracting and budgeting to be more responsive to individual recipient wishes and needs, system goals and to work effectively as a tool in the creation of local systems of care that reduce institutionalization and homelessness.
- Work collaboratively with housing unit staff.
- Gather and analyze information from residential database systems including Child and Adult Integrated Reporting System and Residential Information System. Review management indicators for specific program and work with field office staff to improve programs whose statistics fall outside of acceptable parameters.
- Review grant documents and audit reports for compliance with OMH regulations and standards.
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 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. The Office of Mental Health embraces diversity and promotes a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated, and respected. The New York State Office of Mental Health is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
