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Review Vacancy

Date Posted 09/04/18

Applications Due10/04/18

Vacancy ID58565

AgencyPeople With Developmental Disabilities, Office for

TitleChief Psychologist

Occupational CategoryAdministrative or General Management

Salary Grade664

Bargaining UnitM/C - Management / Confidential (Unrepresented)

Salary RangeFrom $1078000 to $136042 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Contingent Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 15%

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 9 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? No

County Albany

Street Address OPWDD - Division of Service Delivery/State Operations & Statewide Services

44 Holland Avenue

City Albany

StateNY

Zip Code12229

Minimum Qualifications MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Candidates must be on the current New York State Civil Service List or have one year permanent service in a title deemed eligible for transfer via 70.1 or 52.6 of Civil Service Law.


All candidates must be licensed and registered to practice psychology in New York State.

Duties Description POSITION DESCRIPTION:

This position has a direct impact on the quality of behavioral and clinical health care services provided to the individuals receiving services from the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). High quality behavioral and clinical health care is essential to insuring that OPWDD can accomplish its Core Mission of helping people with developmental disabilities lead richer lives.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The specific functions of the Chief Psychologist position that are essential to the Agency’s Core Mission, Health and Safety, and Revenue Generation are as follows:
The Chief Psychologist position is pivotal to maintaining clinical competence and regulatory compliance throughout the state, particularly in state-operated campus and community based programs, and is responsible for the support of health and safety conditions and practices related to both psychological and direct support services at both OPWDD and Voluntary Agencies.

The Chief Psychologist monitors and assures the fidelity and quality of OPWDD’s regulatory compliance with State and Federal mandates. These mandates include the protection of individuals’ health and safety, and the provision of meaningful, individualized psychology and behavioral health services in each OPWDD district and programmatic service unit. Specific functions of the Chief Psychologist position not only provide support and supervisory consultation for psychologists and other clinical, medical and health services staff statewide, the regulatory oversight element contributes to the maintenance of revenue that is contingent on successful Federal (Center for Medicaid Services) and State (Department of Health) audit outcomes.



The integration and consistent application of regulatory mandates and health safeguards/protections into the planning and delivery of specialty interventions requires an additional degree of professional development in Psychology, and a significant investment in supervision, training, and oversight activities. This includes but is not limited to:

• Developing, implementing, monitoring, and analyzing medical, clinical and functional outcome measures for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and using the information to drive quality improvement initiatives and strategies.
• Developing and implementing strategies for assessing and improving the quality of and appropriateness of care, review of Quality Outcomes data, and initiation of Performance Improvement Projects.

The Chief Psychologist confers with federal, state and local government officials, provider associations and private groups to plan the most effective and efficient delivery of behavioral health services to persons with developmental disabilities. Specifically:

• Uses available data (such as Medicaid claims data, TABS data, etc.) to identify specific gaps in behavioral health services. Identifies needs and develops programs to meet clinical needs.
• Surveys programs throughout the state to identify best practices in the provision of behavioral health services and shares these practices statewide for implementation.
• Participates on behalf of the agency on interagency work groups and task forces that relate to the provision of behavioral health services, developing cooperative working relationships with governmental and private groups to achieve common objectives, exchange information concerning effective and efficient clinical services and advancing cooperative relationships.
• Meets with the DDSOOs and local community-based agencies and organizations to identify issues and concerns related to the provision of behavioral health services, to explore solutions, to identify and implement work plans to achieve solutions, and to formalize working relationships.
• Meets with individuals, families and other concerned groups to discuss specific issues for improving the quality of care provided to individuals.

The Chief Psychologist participates as a member of the Central Office management team, coordinating the agency activities related to compliance with Federal and State laws, rules, regulations, policies and guidelines that address various aspects of the provision of behavioral health services for persons with developmental disabilities. Specifically:

• Reviews and analyzes resources and funding requests from providers relative to identified clinical needs of clinically complex and difficult to serve individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
• Manages the clinical aspects of multiple projects interfacing with agency preparation and transition to managed care.
• Provides information and training to staff of facilities operated or certified by OPWDD on the requirements of new laws, regulations, rules, policies and guidelines.
• Ensures compliance by facilities operated or certified by OPWDD with Federal standards of care, laws, rules and regulations as well as those of other state agencies.

Provides direction, support and project management to several statewide initiatives including the Coordinated Assessment System (CAS), Higher Needs funding requests, the Residential School Aging-Out/Transition planning initiatives, Transformation Panel recommendations and work plans, and provides clinical input on the resource balancing/acuity workgroup.

Provides technical assistance and advice to Central Office and OPWDD field staff and/or community agencies about clinical policy and standards interpretation and implementation, including responding to telephone calls, e-mail and information line inquiries.

Research, revision, development, and consultative interpretation of laws, policies and regulations that impact on behavioral and clinical services to provide staff and administrators in both state-operated and voluntary agencies with support and guidance to ensure that clinical services are delivered in a manner consistent with the Core mission of the Agency.

Additional Comments Please note:

• Preference will be given to OPWDD employees impacted by closures. If you are being impacted by closure, please indicate this on your resume/cover letter.
• 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.
• OPWDD is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

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

Name Danielle Vezzi

Telephone 518-473-9689

Fax 518-474-9902

Email Address opwdd.sm.COrecruitment@opwdd.ny.gov

Address

Street OPWDD Personnel Office

44 Holland Avenue

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12229

 

Notes on ApplyingSubmit cover letter and résumé by October 4, 2018. Please reference the above EOA #2018-131 in all correspondence.

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