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Review Vacancy

Date Posted 11/19/25

Applications Due12/04/25

Vacancy ID203054

NY HELPNo

AgencyMental Health, Office of

TitleMental Health Program Specialist 1, Central Office;

Occupational CategoryOther Professional Careers

Salary Grade18

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

Salary RangeFrom $66951 to $85138 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Contingent Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 30%

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 8:30 AM

To 4:30 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? Yes

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

County Erie

Street Address NYS Office of Mental Health, Western Field Office

737 Delaware Avenue

City Buffalo

StateNY

Zip Code14216

Duties Description The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is currently recruiting to fill a Mental Health Program Specialist 1, Grade 18, position in the Western Field Office. The incumbent will serve as the Field Office program specialist related to Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) and related issues in the 19-county OMH Western Region. Specific duties to be performed may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assist the Western Region’s Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Coordinator with AOT responsibilities.
• Support the dissemination of information on procedures and policies and provide guidance and technical implementation assistance to the County Mental Health Directors.
• Respond to inquiries received by the Western New York Field Office regarding concerns or questions with mental health services.
• Assist in evaluating and monitoring State and local providers and programs.
• Input and maintain Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) database and support implementation of existing and new expectations of County AOT Programs.
• Maintain knowledge of New York Codes, Rules and Regulations, as well as Mental Hygiene Law in order to ensure programs are operated according to established laws, policies, and regulations as well as standards of quality care and quality improvement.
• Identify gaps in services and assist in developing corrective action plans for the Western Region.
• Assist in developing creative approaches to solving problems and makes recommendations to supervisor.
• Process complaints related to Office of Mental Health licensed and funded programs and facilitate provider corrective action and response.

Minimum Qualifications Internal Reassignment:
Candidates must be current Office of Mental Health employees with permanent or contingent-permanent service as a Mental Health Program Specialist 1 and interest in reassignment.

Transfer:
Candidates must be eligible to transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law to the Mental Health Program Specialist 1, Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 2 or Mental Health Program Specialist Trainee 1 level by having one year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service in a qualifying title within two salary grades of the target level.

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 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 will also be considered. Please provide a copy of your eligibility letter with your response.

Candidates with the score of 100 or higher on the current PCO eligible list who are interested in this vacancy are encouraged to apply.

Additional Comments 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. 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.

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

Name Kimberly Polanco

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 ApplyingTo 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 #203054 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.

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