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 approach 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 Office is seeking a Senior Director, Mental Health Access and Crisis Response who will develop and oversee a dynamic portfolio of innovative initiatives and policy solutions across City agencies designed and developed to improve access to the most appropriate services and supports in the NYC mental health system. Priority initiatives in the Senior Director’s portfolio include, working with city agencies to remove barriers to accessing care and improving access to mental health crisis response supports. The Senior Director will report to the Deputy Executive Director, Mental Health Access.

The Senior Director, Mental Health Access and Crisis Response will:
- Work with the Deputy Executive Director to identify, develop and implement initiatives and policies that strengthen access to the mental health system
- Monitor emerging best practices and provide thought leadership and expertise in the development of innovative and practice-informed strategies and initiatives that promotes coordination
and accessibility of mental healthcare
- Collaborate with OCMH executive leadership team and City agency teams to ensure that mental health initiatives and policy solutions are integrated across City agencies
- Analyze data to evaluate the impact of initiatives and policy solutions, identify areas for improvement, and make recommendations for future action
- Review and provide input on public-facing material out of OCMH related to crisis, access and other initiatives under the mental health system access portfolio
- Weigh-in and identify opportunities for policy advocacy related to the mental health system at the federal, state and local mental health
- Serve as a subject expert on supports and services for people experiencing mental health crisis
- Supervise up to two staff

1. A master’s degree from an accredited college in emergency management,
public health, disaster management, emergency preparedness / administration,
public administration, health administration, business administration,
education or a related field and three (3) years of satisfactory full-time
professional experience in one or a combination of the following area(s):
emergency preparedness planning / management, emergency medical services,
fire safety, law enforcement, military service, homeland security, public health,
project management, program evaluation, emergency preparedness training
and exercises or a related specialized area; including eighteen (18) months of
experience in a managerial, consultative, administrative or supervisory
capacity. Supervision must include supervising professional staff in one of the
areas described above; or

2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four (4) years of
satisfactory full-time professional experience in one of the areas described in
“1” above, including eighteen (18) months of experience in a managerial,
consultative, administrative or supervisory capacity. Supervision must include
supervising professional staff in one of the areas described in “1” above; or

3. A satisfactory equivalent combination of education and experience as described
in “1” or “2” above. However, all candidates must have a baccalaureate degree
and eighteen (18) months of experience in a managerial, consultative,
administrative or supervisory capacity. Supervision must include supervising
professional staff in one of the areas described in “1” above.

- 8+ years of relevant professional experience including leadership and supervisory responsibilities. - Significant experience coordinating cross-team initiatives - Experience working in and/or with city government agencies - Strong knowledge of the NYC mental health system including crisis response system and mental health policy (e.g., as related to Medicaid, treatment services, workforce, funding in general, children services, etc.) - Advanced degree from an accredited college or university in public administration, public health, mental health, human services, policy or a relevant discipline - Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work as part of a highly collaborative team within the organization and build positive rapport with key stakeholders. - Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, operations, and program evaluation, and/or the use of management information systems, administrative datasets. - Excellent organizational and analytical skills, and comfort with data-driven analysis and strategic planning - Ability to think critically and strategically, consider multiple perspective, build consensus, manage change, articulate priorities, and execute plans to achieve OCMH’s strategic priorities. - Strong operational thinking and skills – demonstrated ability to keep multiple “trains” running on time simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and quality execution - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical information into clear and compelling presentations for an array of audiences, including City Hall, elected officials and most senior staff at partnering agencies - 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 and with disproportionate access to mental health care. - Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel

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.