STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Behavioral Health Unit Supervisor

On-site

Recruitment #230119-0452FP-001

Introduction

If you are you interested in a career that you are passionate about and receive personal fulfillment while making a difference, the Albert J. Solnit Children’s Center is looking for you to be a part of their team!

The State of Connecticut, Department of Children and Families (DCF) is seeking a full time Behavioral Health Unit Supervisor

As an employee of the State, you would enjoy:
  • Leading Comprehensive Benefit Offerings:
  • Industry leading health benefits, including medical and dental coverage.
  • Comprehensive pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings.
  • Generous paid time off.
  • Professional growth and development opportunities.
  • A healthy work life balance to all employees.
Discover the opportunity to: 
  • Provide direct supervision to licensed clinicians while developing and overseeing the implementation of unit program development. 
  • This requires strategic planning, implementation, and maintaining compliance with Joint Commission and CMS accreditation standards.
The ideal candidate will have:
  • The ability and willingness to contribute to other areas of facility function through, e.g., training and committee participation.
  • Demonstrated strong communication skills, reliability, and strong interpersonal abilities.
Position Details:
  • 1st shift
  • Passaic Unit
  • Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., with one late evening 10:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
  • Located at Albert J. Solnit Children’s Center– South Campus 915 River Road Middletown, CT 06457.
We treat our youth and each other with dignity and respect. It is in this relational, cultural and gender-sensitive surrounding that our therapeutic milieu is based. Interdisciplinary teams develop, implement, and continually assess individualized treatment plans.
  • Our Mission: Caring, healing and teaching -partnering with children, families and communities to build hope and create opportunities.
  • We believe that: Children and adolescents with serious emotional disorders can lead productive and satisfying lives. Children, youth and their families have the right and responsibility to participate in their treatment. No child will be refused treatment based on their ability to pay for services. Our services work best when integrated with community care.
  • Albert J. Solnit Children’s Center– South Campus is a state-administered Psychiatric facility for Connecticut’s children who are under the age of eighteen. The Solnit Center provides comprehensive care to children and adolescents with severe mental illness and related behavioral and emotional problems who cannot be safely assessed or treated in a less restrictive setting. The South Campus consists of four coed hospital units and three female adolescent psychiatric residential treatment facility cottages (PRTF)
We hope you take this opportunity to continue your career with us and make an impact by serving your state!

Selection Plan

  • This position may be subject to Federal requirements for COVID 19 Vaccination Immunization.
  • The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
  • Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process. 
  • In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.  
  • This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam. 
  • Note:  At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position.  These documents may include:  a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.  Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position. 
  • #INDHP
  • Please visit our Applicant Tips on How to Apply page.
  • Should you have questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Liz Weston at elizabeth.weston@ct.gov
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
  • All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period.  It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception.  Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Children and Families in-patient facility, this class is accountable for directing and supervising a multi-shift clinical unit.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Schedules, assigns and oversees the work of a multi-shift unit including direct supervision of all shifts; participates in the development of unit goals and objectives; develops unit procedures and policies; ensures compliance of unit procedures and policies; assists in recruitment, selection, training and development of staff; develops competency-based job descriptions for unit staff; ensures unit staff receive appropriate training; conducts performance appraisals, determines priorities and plans, coordinates and supervises unit activities; ensures cross-shift communication among staff; develops relationships with and acts as liaison to other operating units, agencies and outside officials; participates as a member of an interdisciplinary team to develop, evaluate and monitor programs; coordinates interdisciplinary team meetings; collaborate and direct any necessary alternate treatment; monitors and tracks client care to ensure quality, effectiveness and timeliness of patient care and requisite hours of treatment are met; facilitates bilingual interpretation as needed; identifies barriers and assists in developing strategies and solutions for improving client care; prepares reports; may perform clinical direct care duties; may write client treatment plans; performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

Considerable knowledge of relevant agency policies and procedures; considerable knowledge of behavioral health treatment, principles and values of care; considerable knowledge of psychiatric rehabilitation principles and/or addictions detox rehabilitation; considerable knowledge of entitlement and benefit programs; considerable knowledge of variety of intervention and support strategies; knowledge and ability to apply principles of risk management; knowledge of relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations; knowledge of societal, cultural and gender issues as they impact upon mental illness; knowledge of psychotropic medications; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; considerable facilitation, collaboration and conflict resolution skills; ability to identify and articulate philosophical foundations for specific program models or service approaches; ability to delegate authority; ability to plan and organize effectively; ability to integrate community resources into service delivery planning; ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with community representatives and staff; supervisory ability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Seven (7) years of professional health care experience in a behavioral health setting.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have been at a lead or supervisory level responsible for coordinating the work of a unit or team of professionals in a behavioral health setting.

Note: For State employees, the lead level is interpreted at the level of Clinical Social Work Associate for the social work discipline and Head Nurse for the nursing discipline.  The supervisory level is interpreted at the level of Supervising Addiction Counselor for the substance abuse/addictions discipline. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

  1. College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
  2. A Master's Degree in a health care field related to one of the disciplines in the Special Experience may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience working with adolescents with complex psychiatric profiles and their families.
  • Experience providing clinical supervision to licensed clinical staff, primarily social workers, psychologists, and trainees.
  • Experience with the Joint Commission and CMS hospital standards of care.
  • Experience leading an interdisciplinary team.
  • Experience with community-based services and supporting discharge planning for children and youth with or at risk for mental health or other challenges and their families.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

  1. Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a current license as a Clinical Social Worker or as a Registered Professional Nurse or as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor in the State of Connecticut.
  2. Incumbents in this class may be required to possess certification as a clinical supervisor by the Connecticut Certification Board.
  3. Incumbents in this class may be required to be bilingual or fluent in American Sign Language.
  4. Incumbents in this class maybe required to travel.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Incumbents in this class may be required to lift and restrain clients, may have significant exposure to communicable and/or infectious diseases and risk of injury and may be exposed to strongly disagreeable conditions.

Conclusion

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.