The Department of Social Services (DSS) is comprised of the administrative units of the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). DHS’s mission statement is to prevent homelessness, when possible, address street homelessness, provide safe temporary shelter, and connect New Yorkers experiencing homelessness to suitable housing. The New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) is dedicated to fighting poverty and income inequality by providing New Yorkers in need with essential benefits such as Cash, Food and Rental Assistance as well as Medicaid.

The DSS Medical and Health Services Office aims to improve the health and well-being of individuals who are experiencing homelessness and living in NYC and of those receiving HRA benefits, increase their chances of succeeding in permanent housing and independent living, decrease morbidity and mortality; and improve food safety, compliance with NYC Food Standards and the overall nutritional status and nutrition knowledge.

The DSS Medical and Health Services Office is seeking one (1) Assistant Commissioner for Planning and Program Development M-IV to function as a Director of Mental Health Services, who will:

- Develop, advise on, monitor, and participate in evaluating clinical procedures, including standardized assessments, policies, and procedures for identifying and addressing mental health disorders affecting clients. Develop and update related clinical standards for shelters and HRA programs as needed, collaborating closely with HRA and DHS. Develop, oversee and advise on the development and provision of mental health training for DSS staff, particularly DHS facilities staff. Develop standards and advise on implementation of mental health protocols.

- Assist in the development of contract language and relevant procurement(s) related to mental health and advise contract managers on providing oversight on related contracts for services provided by DSS/HRA/DHS and their contractors. Provide technical assistance to DHS mental health shelter staff on standardizing services and clinical staffing based on DHS-developed standards, lead or participate in meetings with shelter leadership, conduct site visits and collaborate with the Health Services Office quality and data team and DHS Shelter Operations for services and outcome monitoring and quality improvement.

- Review and advise on clinical cases and participate in case conferences and complex case review, for cases involving mental health diagnoses. Communicate with hospitals and shelters in individual cases to advocate for admission or services. Coordinate with New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), the NYC Health and Hospitals, private hospitals, and the NYC Health Department for individual client coordination.

- Stay updated on current trends, research and mental health policies, regulatory changes and latest trends in mental health care and keep staff informed of program, policy or procedural changes; participates in leading policy development and negotiations, in collaboration with intergovernmental affairs; and use and develop creative approaches to addressing mental illness in the DSS population.

- Establish and maintain relationships with other health and social service agencies and providers at the local and state levels, including DOHMH, H+H, state OMH; represents the agency and participates in relevant city and state planning groups; coordinate and collaborate with private and city, state, non-profit and related entities.


Hours: M-F, 9:00AM - 5:00PM

ASST COMMISSIONER FOR PLANNING - 95654

Minimum Qualifications

1. A Master’s Degree from an accredited college in Public Administration, Personnel Administration, Business Administration, Human Services, Criminal Justice, Political Science, Psychology or an equivalent/related field, plus five years of satisfactory experience of a nature to qualify for the duties and responsibilities of the position, at least 18 months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial, or executive capacity or supervising personnel performing activities related to the duties of the position; or
2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college with a major in Public Administration, Personnel Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Human Services, Criminal Justice, Political Science, Psychology or an equivalent/related field, plus seven years of satisfactory experience of a nature to qualify for the duties and responsibilities of the position, at least 18 months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial, or executive capacity or supervising personnel performing activities related to the duties of the position.
3. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and eleven years of satisfactory, full-time progressively responsible experience as described in "1" above, 18 months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial, executive or supervisory capacity.

Preferred Skills

- LCSW, psychiatric nurse practitioner, doctorate in clinical psychology, or MD psychiatrist with active NYS license or ability to obtain license in NYS preferred - Strong clinical mental health experience including clinical supervision - Work experience in a high-level managerial position in behavioral health area (mental health, addiction, adult or children mental health) with high impact responsibilities - Experience developing, implementing, managing and monitoring mental health programs, including using data and evidence for decision-making and quality improvement and knowledge of budget management and grant writing experience - Significant knowledge of NYS OMH regulations - Experience using health and programmatic data to develop, monitor and evaluate health interventions, including knowledge and understanding of social determinants of health - Experience collaborating with outside agencies at a high level and representing their agency on committees and with outside entities - Experience in a policy-making position - Excellent writing, interpersonal and communication skills - Leadership skills and experience supervising and mentoring staff of all levels

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.