Senior Manager, OBH Special Projects

Summary

The Senior Manager, OBH Special Projects, Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of Behavioral Health (OBH), under the supervision of the Assistant Director of OBH Program Operations, leads and oversees critical initiatives and projects that are non-routine and strategically important to the OBH and DHS.  Incumbent plans, executes, and delivers projects successfully, ensuring they align with DHS goals and drive service outcomes. This multifaceted position requires strong project management skills, strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and effective collaboration with cross-functional teams. Specifically, incumbent coordinates and manages various behavioral health projects, state initiatives and grants for the Bureau of Mental Health Services (BMHS), the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services (BDAS) and when required, across programs in the Department of Human Services. Incumbent advises and assists OBH administration with formulating policies and procedures, budget and contact documents, and serves as a liaison between the OBH Bureaus, Bureau administrators, behavioral health service providers, community organizations, DHS offices and relevant State offices/departments. and behavioral health Incumbent supervises up to 3 staff providing them vision, direction tools, training and evaluation; and develops and delegates components of various special projects for completion and approval.
 
Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Lead the planning, execution, and monitoring of special projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget. Collaborate with senior management to align projects with the organization's strategic objectives, identifying key deliverables and milestones. Coordinate with cross-functional teams, including departments like marketing, operations, IT, and finance, to ensure seamless project execution and alignment with various stakeholders. Proactively identify project risks and develop mitigation strategies. Monitor and report on project progress to stakeholders, addressing issues and making adjustments as needed.
 

• Program Development/Operations
  • Advises Assistant Director, OBH Program Operations on current cross-cutting activities that require the services of the Special Projects unit.
  • Provides coordination of designated projects and day to day operations.  Reports to OBH administration in areas that may include, but are not limited to:
    • Expansion of Value-Based Practice
    • Behavioral Health related grants
    • Data collection for reports and plans, data analyses and review, creating reports and plans
    • Providers’ budget and contract documents (work statements)
  • Attends meetings with the Assistant Director(s), OBH to provide administrative guidance and direction on subject matter and/or problems encountered.
• Administrative
  • Provides input to and assists the Director and Assistant Director(s) in the review of policy to facilitate access to service, improve quality treatment and help maintain consumers of behavioral health services in their natural settings (family) or other residential settings to the greatest extent possible.
  • Interprets policies and procedures and provides analysis and recommendations to management regarding overall policies, program goals and objectives in accordance with the Department and Office Vision and Policies and in keeping with the recovery-oriented model.
  • Obtains and analyzes data from various sources and prepares and presents analysis to management.
  • Coordinates and monitors the assessment of program needs and provides analysis and recommendations to OBH Administration.
  • Reviews and completes OBH funding proposals, including work statements, when applicable.
  • Convenes groups; prepares and conducts presentations, as required, such as the BH Providers’ meetings, BH Executive Director’s meeting, OBH Staff meetings, OBH leadership meetings.
• OBH Planning
  • Plans, analyzes, monitors and coordinates planning tasks for behavioral health services.
  • Provides and coordinates technical assistance to behavioral health program operations and contracted providers with program planning, development, implementation and coordination.
  • Coordinates and monitors assessment of program needs and provides analysis and recommendations.
  • Prepares required studies and reports.
  • Participates as the OBH representative on the preparation of required (annual) plans for behavioral health care system development in keeping with Federal, State and County guidelines (Olmstead, Block Grant).
  • Participates in and assists in development of Regional Service Area Plans.
• Consolidated Community Reporting Initiative (CCRI) and MHX numbers
  • Delegates the function of cross-checking consumers who have an MHX number and may be enrolled for the LIFE program.  Will delegate staff to review in ClientView and make corresponding terminations, if needed.
  • Monitors and/or completes County transfers of consumers within HCSIS as they move in or out of Allegheny County.
    • Assists with cases that need to be reviewed, cleaned and cleared.
  • Provides on-going technical support to OBH and MH providers for full compliance with CCRI and use of HCSIS as common practice.
  • Provides expertise to OBH staff and providers required to enter current cases to HCSIS and with files batched to the State that need continuous review and clearance.
  • Provides on-going assistance to new providers/staff with PROMISe enrollment, CCRI and HCSIS.
  • Supervises OBH Program Support staff on CCRI-related duties, especially the required client data entry and clearance.
  • Represents the OBH staff and behavioral health provider network with development of roll-out strategies, policies and procedures.
  • Assists with information sharing.  Drafts related documents, reports, decision memos and information sheets.

 

• Meetings, Records and Policies, as necessary
  • Functions as a staff liaison to the MH/ID Advisory Board and the Drug and Alcohol Planning Council and related committees.
  • Represents DHS (or designates representation) on task forces, advisory boards and other community agencies including the Allegheny County Recovery Coalition and the Peer Support and Advocacy Network.
  • Participates in meetings with Executive Directors and supervisory staff to resolve operational problems within contract agencies.
  • Participates in meetings with State Western Regional OMHSAS representatives on issues related to regulation enforcement, program and/or project facility approval.
  • Participates in the development of recommendations to agencies regarding operating methods, procedures and the provision of services.
  • Coordinate meetings, as needed, between agency Executive Directors and/or other agency personnel with the Department of Human Services staff to resolve agency/county issues and conflicts.
  • Attends and participates in workshops, in-services and seminars to increase proficiency.
  • Develops and maintains a current knowledge of the latest practices, principles and techniques through use of journals, regulations and guidelines to provide optimum technical assistance and planning to assigned agencies.
  • Prepares written reports and data, as needed.
• Performs general administrative duties or other special projects, as requested by the Assistant Director, Program Operations or Director, OBH.

 
Supervisory Responsibilities

This job has supervisory responsibilities over the performance of duties for the OBH Projects Specialist and the OBH Special Projects Assistant, as well as any assigned Planning I Specialists.

 
Additional Responsibilities

From time to time the employee will be required to perform additional tasks and duties as required by the employer.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Able to sit (2 plus hours), traverse the building and carry up to 20 pounds (files, books, etc.).
• Clearly communicate both orally and in writing with a diverse group of people.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills to coordinate input from different departments.
• Exceptional problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities.
• Have both available and consistent access to reliable transportation.
• Navigate in the community on related work assignments.
• This job is often fast paced, so incumbent must be able to manage time effectively and stay on task.
• Perform advanced computer tasks (ex: extract data from a variety of sources, aggregate data, analyze data, etc.)
• Design and conduct presentations of data to stakeholder groups within an external to OBH.
• Interact in a professional manner with County and provider staff, consumers and the general public.
• Consistently advocate for the mission of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.
• Work at a high level of independence with minimal supervision.
• Function with flexibility and perceive services and needs with a global view.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of behavioral health care program planning and development.
• Have working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PPT, etc.)

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions, consistent with applicable law.

Education/Experience Requirements

Master’s degree in human services or a related field, plus three of more year’s professional level responsibility in human service programs or human development programs, including one year of service in either program planning and development, services monitoring or some combination of these. Two or more years of experience with sophisticated computer-based applications is a plus.
-OR-
Bachelor’s degree in human services or related field, plus five or more years of professional responsibility in human services or human development programs. Two or more years of experience with sophisticated computer-based applications is a plus.
-OR-
Any equivalent combination of education and experience that meets the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

Act 33 and 34 clearances.
-AND-
Valid driver's license and access to a reliable vehicle.

The approved salary range for this position is $74,700 - $83,000 per year.

If hired for a position, candidates would work in the Allegheny County Department of Human Services as an employee of Great Lakes Behavioral Research Institute.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER - M/F/V/D