STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Health Program Assistant 2 (40 Hour)

Office/On-site

Recruitment #240215-4405FP-001

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Introduction

Do you want to make a difference while participating in a dynamic and reciprocal health care environment in the public sector? If so, we have an excellent opportunity for you to join our hospital’s team! 

THE POSITION
The State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is seeking a Health Program Assistant 2 to join their team. 

This HPA2 position will oversee and manage the referrals to the community-based affiliate network of programs within DMHAS Region 1. This includes the processing and distribution of referrals seeking to link clients with residential programming or services offered by affiliated providers. This position is critical in assisting with transition planning for clients discharging from DMHAS long-term inpatient hospital beds into community living. 

The HPA2 will also act as a clearing house in linking clients and referring clinicians to the contractual resources in the regional Managed Service System (MSS) of care. The HPA2 will also be responsible for the day-to-day operation, oversight, and management of referrals into the MSS in Region 1. The MSS consists of mental health community-based affiliate providers at the following levels of care: 
  • Mental Health Intensive Programs;
  • Supervised Apartment;
  • Scattered Site Services; 
  • Community Support Programs (CSP);
  • Community Resources (CR);
  • Crisis Services; 
  • Special Projects (SP); and  
  • Transitional Living.
HIGHLIGHTS
  • FACILITY: Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System (SWCMHS)
  • LOCATION: Greater Bridgeport Community Mental Health Center (GBCMHC)
  • UNIT: Housing
  • ADDRESS: 100 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, CT 
  • SCHEDULE: Full-Time, first shift, 40 hours per week, 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday through Friday
  • POSITION NUMBER: 28117
    WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU
    • 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;
    • We offer a competitive benefits plan that includes healthcare coverage, a retirement plan as well as paid time off, including 13 paid holidays per calendar year. 
    • We encourage a strong work/life balance for all state employees. 
    • We offer opportunities for professional and personal growth. 
    • We have limitless areas for you to perform relevant and significant work.
    • 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.
    DISCOVER THE OPPORTUNITY TO
    • Delegate and coordinate work and tasks to staff; 
    • Accompany the Director and/or Manager in on-site visits and evaluations; 
    • Maintain the Housing Tracking database and process referrals for service requests;
    • Act as a resource for internal and external providers and individuals seeking services in the regional MSS programs by providing information on the referral process, length of agency waitlists, and program eligibility criteria; 
    • Assess, and make recommendations for, a referral's need for residential support, specialized services, and/or scattered site wrap-around case management; 
    • Work with other unit personnel to ensure all requests for services are linked to programs at the appropriate level of care; and
    • Report critical and non-critical incidents and changes in clinical status and social supports.  
    ABOUT US 
    DMHAS is a health care agency whose mission is to promote the overall health and wellness of persons with behavioral health needs through an integrated network of holistic, comprehensive, effective, and efficient services and supports that foster dignity, respect, and self-sufficiency in those we serve. 

    SWCMHS strives to provide high quality, compassionate and culturally competent mental health and substance abuse services to adults with behavioral health disorders who are indigent. With three locations throughout Fairfield County, SWCMHS, promotes and administers comprehensive recovery oriented services in the areas of mental health treatment and substance abuse prevention and treatment. These services include inpatient treatment programs and outpatient clinical services, as well as a wide range of additional supportive treatment services. 

    Selection Plan

    FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING: 

    Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!


    Please Note: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.

    TO APPLY
    • In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified. 
    • In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited.  If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting.
    • You must specify your qualifications on your application. You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.
    • In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
    • 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.
    • This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.
    AFTER YOU APPLY 
    • 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. 
    • 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.
    • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
    • Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
    • Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
    CONNECT WITH US 
    • Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.
    • Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Jensine Tran at jensine.tran@ct.gov. 

    PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

    In a state health program or project this class is accountable for compiling and interpreting fiscal and programmatic data and statistics, developing and implementing program plans and monitoring and evaluating a state health program or project for the purposes of quality assurance and compliance with State and Federal laws.

    EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

    As with all jobs in the generic health program series the exact duties vary considerably depending on the nature of the program and the current stage in its life cycle. Typical examples of work performed at this level include:

    • Assists in the preparation of sections of state health plans or special federal or state program plans; 
    • Gathers fiscal, programmatic, census and other kinds of needed data from complex calculations and interpretations; 
    • Reviews program grants requests and monitors fiscal and programmatic performance of grants using agency regulations and guidelines; 
    • Monitors programs using site visits when necessary; 
    • Assists in the preparation of program objectives and evaluation of program results; 
    • Prepares information for public distribution; 
    • May serve as staff to a task force or committee; 
    • May answer general informational questions for the public; 
    • May serve as a liaison between the program or project and specific people or organizations for the purpose of keeping information flowing; 
    • May assist in epidemiological investigations; 
    • Performs related duties as required.

    KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

    • Knowledge of
      • purposes, plans, objectives and programs of public health agencies including the changing patterns of preventive medicine and environmental health; 
      • the changing aspects of socio-medical philosophies; 
      • state and community organizations and programs involved in the field of health; 
    • Considerable
      • interpersonal skills;
      • oral and written communication skills; 
    • Ability to conduct independent research, develop and gather data.

    MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

    Six (6) years of experience in a professional capacity in a health organization.

    MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

    One (1) year of the General Experience must have been in health care program administration, a health systems agency or other health care organization in at least one of the following areas:

    • grant writing or monitoring;
    • formal program planning, development, management or evaluation;
    • program consultation.

    NOTE:

    • For state employees this experience is interpreted at the level of a Health Program Assistant 1.
    • A health care organization is defined as a large multi-dimensional agency with responsibility for developing health programs.

    MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

    • College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (l5) 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 public health, health education, hospital administration, or public administration or other closely related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.
    • For state employees one (1) year as a Health Program Assistant 1 may substitute for the General and Special Experience.

    PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

    • Experience providing office and community-based outpatient services to individuals with severe chronic mental illness, co-occurring disorder, complex medical comorbidities, history of psychological trauma, and legal involvement
    • Experience overseeing and managing referrals to community-based affiliate network of providers
    • Experience with verbal and written communication 
    • Experience providing guidance to employees of lower levels 
    • Experience with electronic health records, such as WITS or a similar system, Microsoft Office Software, and Outlook
    • Experience with crisis intervention

    SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

    Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

    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.




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