Behavioral Health Data Liaison (MA5/DBHR)

State of Washington • Thurston County – Olympia, WA

15h • Hybrid

About The Position

Join the Health Care Authority as a skilled data translation professional (Management Analyst 5) with expertise in behavioral health to serve as the critical link between our behavioral health programs and our technology infrastructure. In this role, you will apply your expertise to improve how behavioral health data is collected, analyzed, and shared across the agency, ensuring HCA can sustain accurate reporting that supports substance use treatment, mental health services, and recovery programs statewide. All HCA employees will apply an equity lens to their work, which may include but is not limited to all analyses of core business and processes. The Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) provides support for substance use treatment, mental health services, and problem gambling services through prevention, treatment, peer and recovery support. Programs promote strategies that support healthy lifestyles by preventing the misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, supporting recovery from substance use, promoting recovery and resiliency, reducing stigma, and mitigating the effects of problem gambling on the individual and family. DBHR brings operational elements such as substance use and mental health into closer working relations to serve individuals more effectively and efficiently. This position functions as a subject matter expert tasked with improving behavioral health data infrastructure and critical collection processes within HCA. The MA5 will analyze and monitor complex behavioral health data needs and capacity to ensure accurate reporting and information sharing across the agency, including divisions such as Medicaid Programs, Policy, and Financial Services. This role requires extensive collaboration with internal leadership, Tribal nations, and external partners to establish strategies that improve data reliability for contract management and policy inquiries. This position is eligible to telework but is occasionally required to report on-site to meet business need. The default assigned work location of all Health Care Authority (HCA) positions – both on-site and telework eligible positions – is within the State of Washington. This position reports to Olympia, WA. Frequency of onsite work will vary based on business and operational needs. All agency employees are required to report on-site in Olympia on their first and last days of employment to pick up and return state-issued equipment, regardless of telework status or location.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Social Services, Public or Healthcare Administration, Business or a related field and five (5) years of the required experience below OR Associate’s degree in a field identified above, and seven (7) years of the required experience below OR Nine (9) years of the required experience below
• Professional public sector work in two or more of the following: Conducting research, Analyzing policies, laws, rules, or regulations, Conducting business analysis and developing requirements, Leading business projects or managing business operations, Business policy development, Supervising staff
• Experience as a project manager, leading a team with complex assignments, and using project management techniques and strategies
• Experience managing public sector projects, including data collection and analysis
• Excellent communications skills, including technical writing, presentation development, public speaking, and small/large group facilitation
• Experience conducting research, analysis, and/or process improvement
• Advanced computer and quantitative analysis skills
• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated experience helping translate data products and complex quantitative information to effectively inform business, policy, and programmatic needs, as well as experience operationalizing those needs into data collection requirements, data elements, and measurement concepts
• Understanding and experience working in Washington State community behavioral health programs and systems
• Knowledge of state and federal laws related to CMS, SAMHSA, and other relevant agencies, including guiding rules and regulations related to behavioral health data collection and reporting requirements
• Master’s degree OR 2+ years of advanced education/training that included substantial study of data science, quantitative subdisciplines of public health (i.e. epidemiology, biostatistics), implementation science, or closely related fields

Responsibilities

• Provide expert consultation and training to DBHR Program Managers and external partners on division data collection and reporting strategies, including key actions needed to ensure data is collected and reported in a timely manner.
• Apply and lead a systematic process improvement approach to organize, document, and prioritize behavioral health data infrastructure and reporting processes, with a focus on increasing standardization, transparency, and organizational efficiency.
• Lead and direct project development and process improvement strategies for the Behavioral Health Data Infrastructure (BHDI) Portfolio Project, Improving Behavioral Health Source Data Quality.
• Direct and facilitate the production of a behavioral health data source map and data landscape analysis, in coordination with staff from across HCA, other state agencies, legislative workgroups, behavioral health service providers, community organizations, and others involved in data generation, collection, and acquisition processes.
• Oversee the production of comprehensive documentation of behavioral health data products, repositories, and collection streams across the Agency, including maintenance and updating processes, and facilitate review by DBHR program staff and leadership to ensure completeness.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in the behavioral health data infrastructure and landscape across the span of behavioral health programs within HCA.
• Identify and problem solve issues related to data collection, completion, validation, and management, in coordination with the SPI/DATA Behavioral Health team and DBHR program managers.
• Lead and oversee the implementation of improved data ingestion methods and technology across the behavioral health continuum (prevention, intervention, crisis, treatment and recovery support services), with a focus on ensuring the data collected by the Agency is sufficient to meet Federal and State laws and funding provisos.
• Recommend and direct implementation of improved data collection and transmission processes for DBHR programs, including developing modifications for programs already collecting data as well as creating new processes for programs that have not yet started data collection.
• Incorporate internal feedback from HCA ETS and SPI/DATA divisions into analyses to produce actionable recommendations for improving data collection processes.
• Provide and apply subject matter expertise and develop data infrastructure operational plans for the DBHR Prenatal-25 Behavioral Health (P-25) section, focused on aligning P-25 specific processes with the Washington Thriving strategic plan as well as cross-divisional reporting needs.
• Identify and communicate key findings and recommended actions to DBHR leadership, Agency leadership, and other State Agency leaders, and community partners.
• Oversee the execution of DBHR data initiatives and provide regular reports to the DBHR Operations BHDT team.
• Communicate effectively with internal and external partners about related policies and procedures regarding data collection and reporting in the Health Care Authority.

Benefits

• Meaningful work with friendly co-workers who care about those we serve
• A clear agency mission that drives our work and is person-centered
• A healthy work/life balance, including alternative/flexible schedules and mobile work options.
• A great total compensation and benefit package
• A safe, pleasant workplace in a convenient location with restaurants, and shopping nearby.
• And free parking!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level