The Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH) coordinates and develops citywide policies and strategies to fill critical gaps in mental healthcare so every New Yorker, in every neighborhood, has the support they need.

OCMH was codified into the City Charter by Executive Order 68 and Local Law 155 by the City Council in December of 2021, becoming the first mayoral office dedicated to addressing the mental health of New Yorkers.

OCMH partners with City agencies to reduce barriers to mental health care for vulnerable communities. Our approach is rooted in equity, racial justice, and cultural responsiveness. OCMH’s approach is strength-based and community-centered that recognizes diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and the resilience of New Yorkers.

OCMH’s priorities are:
- Improving Access to Mental Health Care and Equitable Distribution of Resources
- Partnering with Communities to Elevate Mental Health Promotion and Community Resilience
- Building and Supporting the Mental Health Workforce in NYC
- Developing a Coordinated Mental Health Crisis Response System

Overall, OCMH plays a critical role in advancing mental health services and policies in the community, and its work is instrumental in improving mental health outcomes for all New Yorkers.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health is seeking a Director, Policy to lead the Office’s effort on developing and advancing mental health policy and legislation that increase access to behavioral health services, and to innovate on the City’s mental health systems. The Director, Policy reports to the Senior Advisor/Special Counsel. They will coordinate across city agencies and different levels of government to drive long lasting system-level changes through policy development and implementation.
The ideal candidate will have expertise in providing policy guidance to senior decision makers, as well as excellent strategic and project management skills. The Director, Policy will have the following main responsibilities:

- Identify ways to promote mental health in partnership with other city agencies and initiatives, including supporting the development of new practices or policies on topics that could include inter-agency referrals or guidance on how to embed mental health into existing service delivery
- Serve as the Office’s policy lead to identify and advance policy priorities as related to areas such as Medicaid, behavioral health treatments, mental health workforce, children and youth mental health, funding, etc.
- Conduct policy and literature reviews; developing briefing documents, presentations, and reports for City Hall and agency leadership; and managing partnerships with city and state agencies and external partners.
- Collaborate with agencies and organizations to develop policy initiatives as well as support implementation of mental health strategies that strengthen social determinants of health and mental health outcomes.
- Expand interagency coordination, identify, and eliminate barriers in New York City’s mental healthcare system to ensure federal, state, and local resources and funding opportunities are leveraged to maximize impacts for New Yorkers.
- Work closely with city agencies to provide technical assistance as it pertains to the implementation and understanding of behavior health policy and services.
- Monitor and synthesize relevant emerging best practices and policy innovations to improve mental healthcare by reviewing and summarizing relevant reports and articles with guidance from supervisor.
- Draft proposals to advocate for resources, policy changes, and new initiatives.
- Developing strong relationships between federal, state and city agencies to advance innovative mental health policy programs, services and initiatives; actively monitor federal legislation and funding opportunities which may impact state and city programs, services and initiatives

1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.

NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.

- A master’s degree in public policy, public health, public administration, or related fields, and at least five years of related professional experience. - Experience developing policy and shepherding policy through varying levels of approval. - An understanding of the way city systems interact across multiple agencies or across multiple branches of government. - A strong knowledge of mental health and/or social service systems in New York City - Proven record of managing competing priorities in a high pressure environment - Enthusiasm for working in a fast-paced, collaborative, and dynamic team culture - Ability to interface with executive-level management and deliver senior-level presentations - Ability to think creatively and clearly communicate complicated issues - Ability to complete work independently with broadly defined work objectives - Excellent written and verbal communication skills - Demonstrated cultural proficiency and experience working with communities of color in urban, underserved neighborhoods that bear a disproportionately high burden of illness and premature death. - Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel

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/

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.

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.