Overview
The Senior Manager, BH Planning role is part of a team dedicated to overseeing and enhancing the county’s publicly funded behavioral health system – the system of care that provides mental health services and drug and alcohol treatment services to the county’s most vulnerable. With over $400MM in annual state funding and through a contracted partnership with a behavioral health managed care organization, Allegheny County DHS manages this system to deliver behavioral health services to approximately 260,000 county residents. Excellent oversight is a key strategy for achieving positive changes in this system – to center how clients experience this system; enhance access to quality care for individuals and families; align planning across behavioral health and other determinants of health; and address racial inequities that persist within systems of care. To this end, while meeting compliance guidelines is a requirement of this team, the Behavioral Health Oversight team is oriented toward doing-what-it-takes to put in place the right policies and programs to permit highest-level impacts on health and well-being of individuals in the County.
The Senior Manager, BH Planning is responsible for managing DHS’ Behavioral Health Oversight team and leading this team in planning and executing a process that builds a culture of rigorous, independent oversight of the county’s publicly funded behavioral health care system, goal setting, and delivering results at the BH system, provider and individual levels.
Job Responsibilities
- Leading a team of analytics, technology, policy, and quality improvement team members in developing:
- Research and evaluation plans to establish the BH system’s performance baseline relative to client-centered indicators including service access, service quality, health outcomes, and health equity
- Strategic plans that align behavioral health system plans with plans for other determinants of health
- Plans or documents required by federal, state, and other entities
- Processes and strategies for improvements/redesign of programs, services, or systems
- Working with DHS leaders in scoping projects and setting team priorities to understand and address community needs
- Leading a team of staff and external stakeholders in identifying and establishing mechanisms and processes for impactful oversight
- Acting as a liaison to other departments, government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector
Supervisory Responsibilities
This job has supervisory responsibilities of over 15 staff.
Additional supervisory responsibilities include:
- Assigning and reviewing work produced for quality and efficiency, and ensuring timely delivery to the ATP Deputy Director, Director, or other leaders at DHS.
- Managing, training, developing, counseling, and evaluating staff performance.
- Participating in the interview and selection of prospective staff.
Education/experience requirements
Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., public policy, business administration, finance, social work, and non-profit management) from an accredited college/university, plus 5+ years of professional level responsibility in human service programs or human development programs, along with experience with strategic planning in government or non-profit organizations.
We will also consider candidates who offer an equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
Please provide a cover letter, customized to this role, that explains your interest in the job and why you are well-suited for it.
If hired for a position, candidates would work for Allegheny County, Department of Human Services and be employed by Great Lakes Behavioral Research Institute.
About Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS)
In Allegheny County, we appreciate people who think big, act boldly, and care about making a difference. You don’t have to be from here to feel at home, or to make your mark. With only 1.3 million people in the County, it is small enough for motivated people to get things done. Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services (DHS) is a perfect place to get things done that directly affect people in need in a positive and lasting way. We help children grow up safer and healthier, older adults remain able to live independently, and neighborhoods to thrive. Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of people in Allegheny County.
DHS is the largest agency in Allegheny County government, with a budget of over $1 billion. DHS serves over 200,000 people a year through services that include: Protecting children and youth from abuse and neglect and preventing future occurrences of maltreatment; improving child wellness through family support, home visiting, early intervention and in-home services; providing treatment for behavioral health issues such as substance use disorders and mental illness; managing the care of adults with intellectual disabilities; preventing unnecessary nursing home stays; and services that prevent homelessness and provide shelter and housing for families and individuals.
Why DHS?
- It is innovative. Most recently, the national attention and awards we’ve gotten are for how DHS integrates data and uses them to improve the safety and well-being of children through tools that support front-line staff in making decisions (using predictive analytics).
- DHS is diverse, but we strive to be even more inclusive. Our director has made it his top priority that DHS is “the kind of place where a diverse group of talented people want to come, grow, and do their best work.” This includes equity in hiring and advancement, as well as in unleashing the creativity and ideas of staff at every level of DHS.
- It has strong, assertive leaders. We do not hire yes-people.
You can make a big impact here. We stand out as one of the best human services organizations in the country. But we need problem-solvers, innovators, and terrific leaders to make sure we are smart in how we use our funding so that we reach the people who most need our help to make their lives better.
DHS strives to be the kind of place where a diverse group of talented people want to come to grow and do their best work.