Introduction
The State of Connecticut, Department of Social Services (DSS), has a mission that we, along with our partners, provide person-centered programs and services to enhance the well-being of individuals, families and communities.
DSS delivers and funds a wide range of programs and services as Connecticut’s multi-faceted health and human services agency. We serve about 1 million residents of all ages in all 169 Connecticut cities and towns. We support the basic needs of children, families, older and other adults, including persons with disabilities. Services are delivered through 12 field offices, central administration, and online and phone access options.
What we can offer you:
- The opportunity to work for a Forbes top company: 'Forbes' State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule.
- NEW: A Platinum Healthcare Plan, the nation’s best for state employees and dependents, according to a report by Georgetown’s Center on Health Insurance Reform and article by Ellen Andrews, Ph.D., along with comprehensive benefit offerings
- The State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service. Click here for more information.
- Extensive pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings.
- Generous paid time off, including 13 paid holidays per calendar year.
- Professional growth and development opportunities.
- A healthy work/life balance to all employees.
The ideal candidate will be proficient with:
- Regulations and statutes related to behavioral health.
- Developing policies related to behavioral health care and management and substance use disorder treatment services.
- Clinical treatments and methods used to treat behavioral health members.
- Researching and developing rates for behavioral health or substance use disorder or related services.
- Performance-based and outcome – based contract management.
Position details:
- Located at Central Office at 55 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT.
- Full-time, 40 hours per week.
- First shift, 8:00am – 4:30pm.
- Monday through Friday.
- Telework usually offered at the maximum level permitted by state and agency policy.
Selection Plan
- Please visit our 'Applicant Tips on How to Apply' page or view our tutorial.
- The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
- Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
- In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
- This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
- Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position.
- Should you have questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Liz Pinette at elizabeth.pinette@ct.gov.
- This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
- All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
- For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from branch to branch but it does not impact your state service credit.
PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)
In the Departments of Aging and Disability
Services, Developmental Services, Mental Health and Addictions Services, Social
Services, and the Office of Early Childhood this class is accountable for
managing program/policy planning, development, implementation and monitoring
for a major agency program area.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
- Manages staff and/or operations of unit/program;
- Implements social services programs/policies;
- Coordinates, plans and manages unit/program activities;
- Formulates program goals and objectives through the review of agency data;
- Develops or assists in development of related policy;
- Interprets and administers pertinent laws;
- Coordinates research, data analysis and program planning efforts;
- Monitors, analyzes and evaluates programs/policies to determine cost-effectiveness and quality of service;
- Identifies and coordinates training needs;
- Advises leadership of legislative, legal or other program/policy impacts and recommends an appropriate position;
- Monitors all internally and externally initiated program/policy changes;
- Researches, prepares and presents testimony to legislative committees, study committees and courts regarding social services issues;
- Evaluates staff;
- Prepares or assists in budget preparation;
- Maintains contacts with individuals both within and outside of agency who might impact program activities;
- Acts as agency contact with state, federal and community agencies on social services to ensure service delivery;
- Participates in the recruitment and hiring of staff, including outreach, interview and selection;
- Performs related duties as required.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY
- Considerable knowledge of
- and ability to apply management principles and practices;
- relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations;
- social services programs, early childhood programs, deaf and hard of hearing programs, programs for older adults and/or programs for individuals with intellectual disability or behavioral health issues;
- relevant agency policies and procedures;
- Knowledge of community organizations and social services agencies;
- Considerable
- interpersonal skills;
- oral and written communication skills;
- Considerable ability to interpret complex written material including legal narrative and to assess the impact thereof on programmatic goals.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE
Nine (9) years of professional experience in the delivery of social services programs and/or policies.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE
One (1) year of the General Experience must have been in a managerial or consultative capacity with programmatic and administrative responsibility for a regional or statewide social services program.
NOTE: For state employees this experience is interpreted at the level of a Program Manager, Operations Manager, Public Assistance Consultant, Planning Specialist and Associate Accountant.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED
- College training may be
substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester
hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4)
years for a Bachelor's degree.
- A Master's degree in social
work, public administration, accounting, early childhood education or a closely
related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General
Experience.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master’s degree in the behavioral health field or training in psychiatric behavioral health.
- Experience working in a behavioral health or substance disorder treatment environment.
- Experience managing a contract of $5 million annually or a contract that serves more than 10,000 individuals per year.
- Experience with a quality improvement projects.
- Experience managing or supervising clinical and/or non – clinical staff.
- Experience developing and managing budgets for programs.
- Experience in customer service duties and practices.
- Experience with data analytics.
Conclusion
AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut
General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share
general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for
administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be
all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.