Mental Health Coordinator

Mental Health Coordinator

The selected candidate will be offered a salary of $81,144.00. The Administration for Children's Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of New York City's children and families by providing child welfare, juvenile justice, and early care services. In child welfare, ACS contracts with private nonprofit organizations to support and stabilize families at risk of a crisis through family (preventive) services and provides foster care services for children not able to safely remain at home. Each year, the agency's Division of Child Protection responds to more than 50,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. In juvenile justice, ACS manages and funds services including detention and placement, intensive community-based alternatives for youth, and support services for families. ACS is also a key part of NYC's early childhood and education continuum, providing childcare assistance to thousands of child welfare involved and low-income children so they can access safe, affordable, quality care. The Administration for Children's Services (ACS) Office of Child and Family Health (OCFH) delivers direct medical care to children entering foster care, clinical support and guidance to child welfare staff, and ensures that the physical and mental health care provided to children and youth in ACS custody is comprehensive and appropriate. Within OCFH, the Mental Health Coordination Unit (MHCU) is responsible for tracking acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations of children (under 18) in ACS custody and coordinating related case planning activity. The team also provides assistance, guidance, advocacy, and support to case planners and provider agency staff. In addition, MHCU is responsive to the needs of partners in the mental health system, hospitals, and other stakeholders. MHCU works closely with other divisions and offices within ACS including Family Permanency Services, Child Protection, Youth and Family Justice, Family Court Legal Services, and Office of the General Counsel. Reporting to the MHCU Supervisor, the Mental Health Coordinator will provide real-time, informed, and thorough recommendations on behalf of foster children and adolescents admitted in acute inpatient psychiatric hospitals. Weekend and after-hours coverage for all duties is required and will be provided on a rotational basis. Specific duties will include but will not be limited to:

• Serve as a liaison for children/families, case planning entities, providers, and hospitals so that all mental health treatment needs and discharge plans are timely, individualized, appropriate, comprehensive, and realistic.
• Participate in case conferences/meetings/calls with foster care agencies, ACS case planning units and hospital treatment teams as needed in order to provide a combined child welfare and mental health care perspective. Focus on addressing child and family needs and concerns.
• Join team and staff meetings, monthly meetings with foster care agencies, and every other month meetings with New York State Office of Mental Health and hospitals.
• Assist with tracking attendance, note-taking, and cover meetings when the director and supervisor are not available.
• Negotiate/advocate with hospital treatment and management teams, service providers, and state/city agencies in order to help case planning agencies/entities access the most appropriate treatment settings and services for children and their families.
• Obtain and review discharge summaries to help guide child welfare personnel regarding follow-up recommendations and aftercare appointments, with the goal of reducing readmission rates.
• Attend and help organize cross-systems and inter-agency forums/trainings/presentations to enhance practice, responsiveness, collaboration and understanding.
• Use an electronic application system to track and enter data, prepare and submit accurate and timely notes and reports, create/complete/maintain/file physical or electronic case records, and monitor activities associated with case planning/hospital visits/service coordination for children receiving acute inpatient psychiatric care.
• Provide performance-based feedback regarding contracted providers, outreach and training, support/supervision/coverage, and obtain information as needed.
• Complete special projects and other duties as assigned or deemed necessary.

Preferred Skills Candidates with five years of full-time experience in mental health, counseling, or clinical social work in a government agency or community-based organization, and 2-3 years supervisory experience, including the ability to work within a team environment and experience in developing effective professional relationships will be strongly considered. In addition, the preferred candidates should also possess the following: a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree including registration as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW), or a Master's degree in Psychology with a license, or other clinical licensure; knowledge of the mental health and hospital system, and psychiatric practice and terminology; knowledge of the impact of trauma on emotions and behavior; understanding of adolescent development and special mental health issues including: dual diagnoses (mental illness with complex substance abuse and/or developmental disability) and behavior problems (problematic sexual behavior, conduct disorder, violent/aggressive behavior); knowledge of the foster care system, permanency goals, and placement options; experience in program evaluation, data collection and management; willingness to travel to acute psychiatric hospitals throughout NYC's five boroughs and adjacent areas. The preferred candidate should possess excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills. They will be capable of working in a fast-paced, professional environment requiring adherence to deadlines. The position requires the ability to pay careful attention to detail, multi-task, and work under pressure. The ideal candidate should have strong organizational and analytical skills, and familiarity with virtual platforms. Knowledge of Connections, LTS, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Word is essential.

Minimum Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U. S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and four years of satisfactory, full-time community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, at least two years of which must have been in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibility for planning, organizing, coordinating, developing, evaluating and/or administering a large community service program or activity; or

2. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and eight years of satisfactory, full-time experience as described in "1" above, at least two years of which must have been in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibility for planning, organizing, coordinating, developing, evaluating and/or administering a large community service program or activity; or

3. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. Undergraduate education above the high school level may be substituted for the community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, but not for the two years of broad administrative or policy-making experience described in "1" above, at the rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college or university (as described above) for each year of experience, up to a maximum of 4 years. Graduate education beyond the baccalaureate degree may be substituted for the community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, but not for the two years of broad administrative or policy-making experience described in "1" above, on the basis of 30 graduate credits from an accredited college or university (as described above) for each year of experience, up to a maximum of 2 years. However, all candidates must possess a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and two years of full-time experience in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibilities as described in "1" above.

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

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.