Review Vacancy
AgencyMental Health, Office of
TitleLicensed Master Social Worker (NY HELPS) - Legal Affairs Coordinator (LAC), New York State Psychiatric Institute, P27642
Occupational CategoryHealth Care, Human/Social Services
Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)
Salary RangeFrom $74193 to $94121 Annually
Duties Description NYSPI is hiring a Licensed Master Social Worker to act as the Legal Affairs Coordinator (LAC).
The LAC will oversee the establishment and maintenance of a mandatory, standardized system for tracking patient legal statuses. The LAC will consult with OMH Counsel regarding patient legal status, court proceedings, and other legal matters, including coordination with local courts and the Office of the Attorney General.
The Legal Affairs Coordinator will report directly to the Director of Quality and have the following qualifications:
• Experience coordinating multiple deadlines and maintaining complex tracking systems or databases.
• Strong organizational, analytical, written, and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with physicians, OMH Counsel, MHLS, the Attorney General's Office, court personnel, and hospital leadership
• Experience with OMH legal status requirements, MHARS, MHLS and electronic medical record systems.
• Experience in quality management, regulatory compliance, accreditation, or risk management.
• Knowledge of Joint Commission, OMH, CMS, and other applicable regulatory standards.
• Experience developing policies, procedures, and performance monitoring systems.
The responsibilities of the Legal Affairs Coordinator include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Maintain the Master Legal Status Tracking Spreadsheet and ensure that all information is accurate, complete, and current.
b. Coordinate and ensure the timely preparation of legal documents, including retention applications and treatment-over-objection applications.
c. File, or arrange for the filing of, all legal documents with the appropriate court.
d. Serve as the facility liaison with court clerks for the scheduling and coordination of court hearings.
e. Communicate and coordinate directly with OMH Counsel and the Office of the Attorney General regarding patient legal status and court-related matters.
f. Ensure that legal documents are distributed to all appropriate parties, including Mental Hygiene Legal Service (MHLS), Operations, the Office of the Attorney General, the Clinical Director, the treating
medical provider, and the Health Information Management (HIM) Department, as applicable.
g. Notify the treating medical provider and unit administration of scheduled court dates and any related deadlines.
h. Attend court hearings, as appropriate, and promptly communicate court outcomes and required follow-up actions to the facility.
i. Obtain all court orders and other court-issued documents and:
i. Record the documents and relevant outcomes in the Master Legal Status Tracking Spreadsheet.
ii. Distribute copies to facility central administration, unit administration, the treating physician, the HIM Department, and other appropriate parties.
iii. Meet with the HIM Director at least weekly to verify that all patient legal statuses and expiration dates, including voluntary statuses, have been accurately updated.
iv. Update the Master Legal Status Tracking Spreadsheet to reflect patient admissions, discharges, changes in legal status, court determinations, and upcoming expiration dates.
j. Monitor approaching legal status expiration dates and court-related deadlines and provide timely notification to responsible clinical and administrative staff.
k. Identify discrepancies, missing documentation, or delays in legal-status processes and promptly escalate concerns to the Director of Quality and other appropriate leadership.
l. Develop and maintain standardized procedures, tools, and reporting mechanisms related to legal-status tracking and court coordination.
m. Prepare periodic reports regarding legal-status compliance, upcoming deadlines, identified risks, and outstanding action items.
n. Provide education and guidance to clinical and administrative staff regarding legal-status tracking procedures and documentation requirements.
o. Participate in quality-management, performance-improvement, risk-management, and regulatory-compliance activities as assigned by the Director of Quality.
Minimum Qualifications Candidates from outside or within State Service can be considered for hire under the Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement – Statewide (NY HELPS) program if they are licensed and currently registered by New York State as a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW).
OR
Candidates within State Service can be considered transfer to a competitive class position if they have one year of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service in a title eligible for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law.
Additional Comments All OMH employees receive a generous benefits package including:
• NYS medical, dental, & vision insurance
• Access to tuition assistance programs
• Excellent opportunities for advancement & professional growth
• Paid time off – 13 paid vacation days in the first year, 5 paid personal days, 13 paid holidays, & paid sick leave
• NYS Retirement programs
Background checks will be required.
This position is eligible for the Downstate Adjustment of $4,000.
Notes:
1. If you fail to maintain your license and/or registration once you are appointed, action will be taken to remove you from the position.
2. In order to be eligible for appointment and to maintain employment, you cannot be listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of the Federal and/or State Medicaid and Medicare exclusion lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program). If you are appointed and subsequently listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of these lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program), you may be terminated from your employment.
3. If appointed you may be required to become an enrolled Medicare provider; obtain and provide to your employer a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number issued by the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES); and otherwise actively participate to the degree necessary to allow for your services to be billed through Medicare and Medicaid. If you are appointed and you lose the ability to bill through Medicare and Medicaid, you may be terminated from your employment.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
Email Address hrnyspi@nyspi.columbia.edu
Address
Street New York State Psychiatric Institute
1051 Riverside Drive
Notes on ApplyingTo be considered for this position, please copy the link below into a new browser window to complete the Office of Mental Health Employment Application, and submit it along with your resume and other application materials via fax or email the Human Resources email address noted above. Please indicate the Title, Vacancy ID #, and Location of the position you are applying for in the subject line of your email or fax.
https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/employment/docs/employment-application.pdf
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.