Optometrist (35 Hour)

Calling all licensed optometrists! Come serve the public in this terrific opportunity with the State of Connecticut.

The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction (DOC) is seeking an experienced Optometrist. This exciting, dynamic position is uniquely positioned to have demonstrative, lasting impact on the health care of the incarcerated population in Connecticut.

POSITION DETAILS

The agency is looking to hire for a full-time, 35 hours per week, first shift position. Schedule is Monday-Friday 7:00 am and 2:00 pm.

This position covers the populations for the below facilities:

• Osborn Correctional Institution, Somers CT
• MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution, Suffield CT
• The Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution, Somers CT
• Carl Robinson Correctional Institution, Enfield CT

YOUR ROLE

This position will allow a dedicated, experienced, and creative candidate to provide significant impact to the underserved population that make up many of the vulnerable patients within our system.

As an Optometrist for the State of Connecticut, you can expect to:

• Fulfill public service by providing clinical care to a vulnerable patient population.
• Avoid hassles with insurance companies and billing requirements.
• Work in a safe and collaborative environment with nursing and administrative support.
• Perform charting with a modern electronic health record.
• Have malpractice insurance covered by the State of Connecticut.

More details can be found in the class specification.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

We take part in a competitive benefits plan which includes:

• NEW: Visit our State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• Generous paid time off (vacation, sick and personal);
• Excellent health, dental and supplemental benefits;
• State license reimbursement;
• Eligibility to apply for Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Program.

ABOUT US

The State of Connecticut Department of Correction shall strive to be a global leader in progressive correctional practices and partnered re-entry initiatives to support responsive evidence-based practices aligned to law-abiding and accountable behaviors. Safe and security shall be a priority component of this responsibility as it pertains to staff, victims, citizens and offenders.

• The Osborn Correctional Institution recognizes its stewardship responsibilities to the citizens of Connecticut, as well as to the residents of Somers and Enfield. The facility is a medium security institution that houses one of the largest inmate populations of the correctional facilities in the state.

The facility supports an inpatient medical hospital, a mental health unit, a comprehensive education program, an inpatient Addiction Services unit and one of the largest Correctional Industries Program in the state.

• The MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution is a level 4/5, high/maximum security level multi-mission facility for adult males. Based on its offender population, it is the largest correctional facility in New England. It came into being on May 15, 2001 as the result of the consolidation of the Walker Reception and Special Management Unit and the MacDougall Correctional Institution and sits on a combined 140 acres.

The MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution provides a highly structured environment to manage long-term sentenced offenders, protective custody offenders and high bond unsentenced offenders with programs designed to address the needs of each population.

• The Cybulski Community Reintegration Center was created in April 2015 within an existing facility, the Cybulski portion of the Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution. The center is a new program initiative to the department and compliments the Governor's Second Chance Society concept.

The Cybulski Community Reintegration Center is part of the department's mission to continue preparing offenders, toward release back into the community, by participation in programs and chosen pathways through the center. Pathways offer opportunities in recovery; education/vocational; family reunification; faith-based; community service; positive support network; health wellness; and Veterans. Within the counseling and programming services of this facility, offenders also have an opportunity to address, head on, the causes and issues that brought them into incarceration.

• The Carl Robinson Correctional Institution is a level 3 medium-security facility. It houses sentenced offenders and provides a great emphasis on programming and education.

The Robinson Correctional Institution offers a wide assortment of programming for inmates including intensive in-patient substance abuse treatment and a full menu of educational and vocational programming including culinary arts, machine tooling, small engine repair and community college courses.

Check out this video for an inside look at how medical professionals make a positive impact in a correctional setting: 

This is a non-examined recruitment, open to the public.

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.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THIS RECRUITMENT:

• Please include your Connecticut licensure credential details within your application.
• Be sure to select all locations you are interested and commutable to.

TO APPLY:

• In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on this job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
• The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
• Please select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
• 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.
• 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 ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:

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

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AFTER YOU APPLY:

• 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 questionnaire'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.
• 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.
• 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, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
• Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
• Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.

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. Should you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Samantha.Rivera@CT.Gov

Follow the State of Connecticut on LinkedIn.

In the Department of Correction, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Department of Aging and Disability Services this class is accountable for providing professional optometry services.

• Considerable knowledge of
  • methods and principles of optometry including visual functions, defects of vision or other conditions or diseases of the visual system;
  • current practices of assessment and treatment of visual acuities;
• Knowledge of recent developments in the field of optometry including treatment models and best practices;
• Considerable
  • interpersonal skills;
  • oral and written communication skills;
• Diagnostic, assessment and evaluation skills;
• Ability to analyze and interpret laboratory and other medical reports and findings.

BUREAU OF EDUCATION AND SERVICES FOR THE BLIND:

Incumbents in this class must possess and maintain a license to practice optometry pursuant to Sec. 20-130 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

• Incumbents in this class must possess and maintain eligibility for participation in federal health care programs as defined in 42 U.S. 1320a-7b(f).
• BUREAU OF EDUCATION AND SERVICES FOR THE BLIND: Incumbents in this class must meet additional credentials as a low vision provider as specified by the Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind.

Incumbents in this class may be required to lift and restrain clients and may be exposed to disagreeable conditions, communicable and/or infectious diseases and risk of injury from assaultive and/or abusive clients.

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.