ONLY PERMANENT EMPLOYEES IN THE TITLE AND THOSE THAT ARE REACHABLE ON THE CIVIL SERVICE LIST OF TITLE – EXAM NO. 8048 ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.


Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live.

As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises from New York City’s yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic we are a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and programs, and services. We serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy, including programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and racial and social justice work, among others.

Our Agency’s five strategic priorities, building off a recently-completed strategic planning process emerging from the COVID-19 emergency, are:
1) To re-envision how the Health Department prepares for and responds to health emergencies, with a focus on building a “response-ready” organization, with faster decision-making, transparent public communications, and stronger surveillance and bridges to healthcare systems 2) Address and prevent chronic and diet-related disease, including addressing rising rates of childhood obesity and the impact of diabetes, and transforming our food systems to improve nutrition and enhance access to healthy foods
3) Address the second pandemic of mental illness including: reducing overdose deaths, strengthening our youth mental health systems, and supporting people with serious mental illness
4) Reduce black maternal mortality and make New York a model city for women’s health
5) Mobilize against and combat the health impacts of climate change

Our 7,000-plus team members bring extraordinary diversity to the work of public health. True to our value of equity as a foundational element of all of our work, and a critical foundation to achieving population health impact in New York City, the NYC Health Department has been a leader in recognizing and dismantling racism’s impacts on the health of New Yorkers and beyond. In 2021, the NYC Board of Health declared racism as a public health crisis. With commitment to advance anti-racist public health practices that dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable power, opportunity and access, the NYC Health Department continues to work in and with communities and community organizations to increase their access to health services and decrease avoidable health outcomes.

PROGRAM AND JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Bureau of Children, Youth & Families (CYF) is responsible for planning and monitoring much of NYC's comprehensive network of child and adolescent community mental health services. CYF relies on research and surveillance to guide its decisions around service planning, implementation and evaluation and incorporates a health equity lens into its work. CYF oversees a portfolio of over 100 programs and supports a family-driven, individualized and strength-based approach to care. The portfolio includes the NYC Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) Network, consisting of specialized clinics for children birth to five and their families as well as pregnant persons, and a Training and Technical Assistance Center. For the perinatal mental health expansion, CYF is working with two large DOHMH programs: (a) The New Family Home Visits program that offers support, services and referrals to new and expectant parents and (b) the Citywide Doula Initiative (CDI) that aims to reduce inequities in birth outcomes in New York City by providing doula services in neighborhoods that face elevated social and health burdens resulting from structural racism and disinvestment.

The Bureau is seeking to hire a Perinatal Mental Health Program Specialist with a background in program management and child or parental mental health. They will focus on a new expansion of perinatal mental health services and training. They will report to the Director of Early Childhood Mental Health Programs and collaborate closely with the Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health which oversees home visiting programs, and the Bureaus of Neighborhood Health which oversee the Citywide Doula Initiative, Family Wellness Suites, and Healthy Start Brooklyn and maintain numerous community-based relationships

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Program Specialist will have the following responsibilities:
- Develop and implement program strategies: Work closely with the Director of Early Childhood Mental Health Programs to develop and implement strategies for the perinatal mental health expansion, ensuring alignment with the overall goals and objectives of the ECMH Network, the New Family Home Visits Initiative and the Bureaus of Neighborhood Health.
- Support training and capacity building: Support the training and technical assistance center in planning capacity-building activities for providers, including home visiting programs, and other relevant stakeholders to enhance their knowledge and skills in perinatal mental health. This may include reviewing training materials.
- Co-develop and implement evaluation frameworks and methodologies to assess the effectiveness and impact of the perinatal mental health consultation pilot and training provided by the ECMH Network. Manage the collection of data from provider agencies (ECMH, home visiting and doula) contracted within DOHMH.
- Establish collaborative relationships with internal DOHMH programs, including the New Family Home Visits Initiative, Bureaus of Neighborhood Health and external partners, such as community organizations and healthcare providers to enhance the reach and effectiveness of perinatal mental health services. Identify opportunities for partnerships, joint initiatives, and resource sharing to deepen the Department’s impact on perinatal mental health outcomes.
- Convene and facilitate stakeholder meetings; prepare agendas; take comprehensive notes and ensure timely and appropriate follow-up on action items.
- Stay up to date with local, state, and federal policies, regulations, and best practices related to perinatal mental health.
- Advise the Department on the development of policy positions and strategic direction related to perinatal mental health, coordinate inter-division planning and identify opportunities for further expansion of the work.
- Review and approve program budgets, invoices, and other contract-related documents and deliverables. Monitor adherence to scopes, budgets, and relevant regulations through site visits and data collection/analysis.
- Provide consultation and technical assistance to contracted providers to promote quality of care and adherence to contractual, regulatory and policy requirements.
- Write reports and offer presentations to a range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Other duties, as assigned.

- Outstanding program management skills, organizational skills and ability to handle multiple priorities on tight deadlines. - Knowledge of and experience working in the field of perinatal, child or parental mental health services and/or workforce development. - Knowledge of government contracting or grant administration and oversight - Strong computer and data management skills, including proficiency with Word, Excel and PowerPoint. - Expertise in providing technical assistance to providers on data collection and reporting requirements. - Excellent written and oral communication skills. - Strong sense of teamwork, and the ability to function effectively both independently and as part of a multi-stakeholder team. - Experience incorporating racial equity and social justice principles into their work demonstrated commitment to supporting communities who have experienced systemic oppression and bias. - Familiarity with home visiting and/or doula programs preferred.

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

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.