Associate Counsel, Central Office;

Duties Description

Under the direction of General Counsel and Deputy Counsel, the Associate Counsel will support the Office of Counsel, Bureau of Policy, Regulation, and Legislation. The Bureau of Policy, Regulation, and Legislation oversees the preparation of the agency’s legislative agenda, regulations, and the OMH Official Policy Manual, and is responsible for filing all new OMH regulations in accordance with the requirements of the State Administrative Procedure Act. The Bureau also supervises agency compliance with agency confidentiality and health privacy rules.

Specific duties to be performed may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Develop legislative and policy initiatives to strengthen and sustain New York’s mental health system and promote access to mental health services and supports.
• Review, edit and draft legislation. Assist in responding to legislative and chamber inquiries relating to behavioral health in collaboration with program offices.
• Draft regulations, ensure compliance with SAPA and participate in the development of guidance in collaboration with program staff. Respond to regulatory questions from internal staff, leadership and external partners including the field and the Behavioral Health Services Advisory Counsel.
• Tracking, researching and analyzing federal, state and local policies and legislation to determine impact on OMH’s work and mission.
• Provide legal counsel to the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program. Duties may include developing and providing training to the field, responding to questions from the field and development of guidance and other materials in collaboration with the program office.
• Review, edit and draft central office or facility policies.
• Coordinate response and draft Justice Center appeals in collaboration with state operated facilities.
• Provide legal counsel for a variety of Youth Matters including appearing on behalf of the Office in Family Court, review documentation, responding to youth related inquiries from staff or generated by the field.
• Act as privacy officer under the Personal Privacy Protection Law (PPPL).
• Assist on other special projects and assignments as needed.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

The Associate Counsel position is in the exempt jurisdictional class; therefore, there are no minimum qualifications. However, in order to be successful, candidates must be admitted to the New York State Bar and have four (4) years of experience in the practice of law subsequent to admission to the Bar.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent analytical and legal writing.
• Prior experience drafting regulations and legislation.
• Experience collaborating across teams, researching complex legal issues and writing memoranda on such issues in a fast-paced environment and handling a wide range of legal matters.
• Ability to work under pressure on a wide variety of projects in a given day.
• Excellent oral communication and presentation skills.
• Excellent analytical and legal writing.
  
  

This is an exempt position; appointees serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority.

The New York State Public Officers Law requires that the appointee to the position be a U.S. citizen and a resident of New York State or establish residency in New York State at the time of appointment and maintain such citizenship and residency throughout your employment in this position. Candidates that cannot meet these requirements at the time of appointment cannot be lawfully appointed to this position, and therefore, will not be considered for appointment.

Additional Comments

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.