Children and Families Behavioral Health Clinical Manager

The State of Connecticut, Department of Children and Families (DCF) is seeking a highly skilled and qualified Children and Families Behavioral Health Clinical Manager in the Clinical and Community Consultation Division. This position is responsible for the oversight of a greater than $30 million-dollar service array continuum that provides substance use and intimate partner violence services to families.  

Are you passionate about serving the children and families of CT in need?  Are you ready to lead a team of professionals in achieving the Agency's mission? Read on! We want to hear from you!  

Our mission is partnering with communities and empowering families to raise resilient children who thrive; sharpening the safety focus through prevention across the child welfare system.  The Children and Families Behavioral Health Clinical Manager is the Principal Investigator for all grants related to substance use/intimate partner violence to deliver services, evaluate, and provide workforce development.

Demonstrating compliance with CT Project SAFE legislation, this position requires coordination between DCF and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS).  Further responsibilities include:

• Principal Investigator for the SAMHSA ASSERT treatment grant, which brings in $800,000 annually to Connecticut to deliver an enhanced evidence-based practice model that provides substance use services for youth with opioid use disorder and their families. 
• Oversight of the State Opioid Response (SOR) dollars that DMHAS provides to DCF for Opioid Response to youth and families. 
• Implementation of Plans of Safe Care for infants born substance exposed. 
• Implementation of the federal CAPTA and CARA legislations requiring that the state child welfare agency ensure that there is a notification process in place for all infants born substance exposed and ensuring that these infants and their families all have plans of safe care. 
• Delivery of all the evidence-based community services for youth with substance misuse; and compliance with the state mandate of meeting the behavioral health needs of all of CT's youth.  

The Children and Families Behavioral Health Clinical Manager position is a full-time, 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday position. Assigned to our Central Office, it is located at 505 Hudson Street, Hartford, CT, with expectations of statewide travel (post pandemic).  

The ideal candidate for this position will have strong organizational skills and outstanding verbal and written communication skills.  Additionally, the candidate will have:

• Ability to adapt to changing work priorities and compressed deadlines;
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to work independently;
• Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills.  

State of Connecticut employees participate in a competitive benefits plan that includes healthcare coverage, a retirement plan as well as paid time off.

Please ensure that your application is complete, and it includes how your experience meets the qualifications as listed in this posting.   (Please include your resume within the "Resume Tab" of your application.) You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application into the JobAps system.  

At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which supports their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include performance reviews, attendance, supervisory references, college transcripts, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency. You do not have to attach these documents to your application submission.

This posting MAY require completion of additional referral questions (RQ’s) which will be sent to you via email after the closing date.  The email notification will include an expiration date by which you must submit (Finish) your responses.  Please regularly check your email for notifications.  Please check your SPAM and or Junk folders, as emails could end up there in error.  

Statewide travel is required (post pandemic).

Should you have questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Julie Barker, at Julie.Barker@ct.gov.

In the Department of Children and Families Bureau of Behavioral Health this class is accountable for overseeing multiple statewide clinical behavioral health services programs and services.

Plans, coordinates, and manages multiple functions for an array of statewide programs and services; collaborates with administrative officials in development and implementation of policies and procedures; accountable for agency compliance with standards established by outside monitoring agencies; develops, implements and evaluates goals and objectives; monitors and evaluates work performed by subordinates; responsible for recruitment, selection and retention of department or discipline staff; interprets and administers pertinent laws; acts as liaison within and outside facility with individuals and groups who impact on program activities; assures compliance with quality assurance findings and recommendations; promotes cultural diversity in workplace and assures client rights; identifies, plans, implements and evaluates training and development of staff in response to identified needs; independently analyzes complex problem situations and takes appropriate action; initiates workforce planning and monitors staff utilization to meet identified goals; investigates and responds to critical incidents; prepares or oversees preparation of reports; may represent facility in grievances and/or other hearings; may oversee grant, budget or contract preparation; performs related duties as required.

Considerable knowledge of and ability to apply management principles and techniques; considerable knowledge of and ability to develop strategic plans; considerable knowledge of behavioral health policies and systems; considerable knowledge of principles, practices and issues of behavioral health care; considerable knowledge of recent developments in designated field and ability to translate knowledge into practice; considerable knowledge of the behavioral challenges facing children, adolescents and families; considerable knowledge of principles and practices of public and/or health care administration; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; considerable analytic skills; considerable ability to negotiate, mediate and resolve conflicts; considerable ability to collaborate within agency, department, state, community and constituents; ability to interpret and apply relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations; ability to plan for collection, analysis and integration of data; ability to interpret standards of monitoring agencies and contracts; ability to lead and direct a multi-service and program operations.

Three (3) years of the General Experience must have been at a managerial level directing clinical operations or the delivery of behavioral health care services for children/adolescents and families.

NOTE: Managerial experience is defined as formulating program goals and objectives, developing and implementing program procedures, initiating program policies and developing and/or monitoring a budget.

Preference will be given to candidates who possess:  

• Extensive clinical experience in substance misuse and intimate partner violence;
• Knowledge of how Randomized Control Trials are conducted when evaluating Evidence-based Programs for vulnerable populations (e.g. substance misuse, in-home parenting programs, mental health services, intimate partner violence, at-risk youth);
• Extensive understanding and knowledge of children's treatment interventions and evidence-based programs available, specifically in Connecticut;
• Knowledge in coordinating, implementing and evaluating grants;
• Have a demonstrated knowledge of the DCF organizational structure and relationship between child welfare and the Department's contracted provider network;
• Experience developing, implementing and evaluating division/program policies, goals and objectives serving at-risk populations;
• Experience with program and/or fiscal evaluation of contracted human service programs;
• Prior experience working in a social or human services agency;
• Possess extensive supervisory skills.

1. Incumbents in this class must possess and maintain the appropriate current license for clinical social work, marital and family therapist, professional counselor, or clinical or consulting psychologist.
   
2. Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.