Administrator II

State of Maryland•Baltimore County, MD

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Planner is a pivotal management and administrative role responsible for the strategic planning, oversight, and integrity of federal and state behavioral health programs, with a primary focus on the Community Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG), although the position will be involved in the Substance Use Block grant. This individual leads the high-level administration and financial management of significant federal funds, including compliance with statutory and regulatory mandates and the associated Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirements. The Planner is tasked with partnering with other MDH staff to provide local grant awards, developing and managing complex project budgets, and translating federal requirements into clear, actionable guidance documents and operational procedures of other MDH staff and stakeholders. A core function of this position is to drive the strategic planning and evaluation cycle for the public behavioral health system, as related to the block grants. The Planner assists with leading system-level planning, conducting the necessary needs assessment, and ensuring all planning activities are data-driven and align with state strategic priorities and federal requirements, including the specified Early Serious Mental Illness (ESMI) and Crisis Services set-asides of the MHBG. The role requires proficiency in data and project management platforms like Smartsheets and Qualtrics to effectively track performance metrics, monitor grant milestones, and partner with BHA fiscal to ensure the Annual Report is submitted. Finally, the Behavioral Health Planner serves as a key organizational facilitator, ensuring broad stakeholder engagement and system alignment. This includes providing essential administrative support and coordination for the Behavioral Health Advisory Council (BHAC) and their sub-committees to build consensus on planning initiatives. The role also oversees crucial cross-cutting projects, such as workforce development and training initiatives, and administers related funding programs, including the Capital Grants (Community Bond) program, thereby linking strategic planning directly to system capacity improvement and infrastructure development. This position is eligible for hybrid telework which is subject to change as necessitated by operations and customer focused demands.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.
Five years of administrative staff or professional work.
The selected candidate must possess two or more years of professional work experience related to behavioral health, public health, human services administration and management.
Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator's license valid in the State of Maryland.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the management, administration and reporting of federal grants (e.g, SAMHSA, HRSA, CDC), including adherence to uniform administrative requirements (e.g, 2 CFR Part 200).
Experience in developing, forecasting, and managing complex budgets associated with federal grants and grant-funded projects.
Experience with leading or contributing to system level strategic planning processes within a behavioral health or public health context, that includes but not limited to environmental scans, needs assessment, goal setting, development of performance indicators, action plan development, and progress reporting.
Experience with written and verbal communication to present complex data and information clearly to diverse audiences and experience working effectively with diverse councils, committees, or advisory boards to gather input, build consensus and drive strategic behavioral planning initiatives.
Experience integrating performance metrics and grant compliance into continuous quality improvement (CQI) cycles for behavioral health as well as to use data collection platforms (e.g., Smartsheets, Qualtrics) to track grant milestones, monitor performance metrics, analyze outcomes and inform planning decisions.

Responsibilities

Strategic planning, oversight, and integrity of federal and state behavioral health programs
High-level administration and financial management of significant federal funds
Partnering with other MDH staff to provide local grant awards
Developing and managing complex project budgets
Translating federal requirements into clear, actionable guidance documents and operational procedures
Driving the strategic planning and evaluation cycle for the public behavioral health system
Leading system-level planning and conducting needs assessments
Ensuring planning activities are data-driven and align with state strategic priorities and federal requirements
Tracking performance metrics and monitoring grant milestones using data and project management platforms
Providing administrative support and coordination for the Behavioral Health Advisory Council (BHAC)
Overseeing cross-cutting projects, such as workforce development and training initiatives
Administering related funding programs, including the Capital Grants (Community Bond) program