Clinical Informatics Specialist

Samaritan Daytop Village•New York, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Clinical Informatics Specialist bridges direct clinical practice and health information technology, leading implementation, optimization, and ongoing support of Samaritan Daytop Village’s electronic health record (EHR) system. Based at the organization’s headquarters, the role leads the transition from MyAvatar to Cantata Arize and ensures system workflows reflect clinical practice, meet New York State regulatory requirements, and support accurate documentation, billing, and quality reporting for outpatient mental health, substance use, and medication-assisted treatment services. The position requires an MSW or Master of Mental Health Counseling and hands-on experience configuring and deploying behavioral health EHR platforms. The role collaborates with clinical teams, IT, vendors, and administrative staff to configure systems, design workflows, train users, troubleshoot issues, and produce reports for state submissions, quality improvement, audits, and regulatory compliance. It is a full-time exempt position. It is regularly based in Briarwood, Queens, with office or program-site attendance during the initial three-month introductory period, followed by a hybrid schedule requiring three days on site. Travel to program sites across New York City and the Hudson Valley is required, with travel roughly 40–50% during workflow discovery, training, and go-live phases.

Requirements

A Master of Social Work (MSW) or Master of Mental Health Counseling (MHC).
At least 2 to 3 years of experience implementing or administering behavioral health EHR platforms.
Working knowledge of New York State OMH Article 31 and OASAS Article 32 outpatient, OTP regulations, and OASAS residential requirements.
Understanding of methadone and MAT dispensing operations and applicable DEA and OASAS controlled substance regulations.
Ability to translate regulatory and clinical requirements into system configuration and workflow design.
Experience with data reporting and quality measure tracking for internal audits and state submissions.
Strong communication, training, and interpersonal skills for collaboration across clinical, administrative, and IT teams.
Critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities to troubleshoot workflow friction and system gaps.
Adaptability and patience when guiding staff through software changes and regulatory updates.
Effective time management skills to balance daily user support, long-term implementations, and reporting deadlines.

Nice To Haves

An LCSW, LMHC, LCSW-R, or licensed Psychologist credential.
Experience with Cantata Arize.
Experience with EHR platforms such as Cantata Arize, Netsmart Avatar, CareLogic, AWARDS, or Credible.
Familiarity with Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic certification requirements and associated quality measures.

Responsibilities

Lead the transition from the behavioral health EHR MyAvatar to Cantata Arize.
Implement, configure, and optimize Cantata Arize for use across the agency.
Translate clinical, state, and regulatory rules into system configurations for treatment plans, assessments, and e-prescribing.
Serve as the main bridge between clinical teams, IT departments, and software vendors for system rollouts and upgrades.
Maintain system workflows that comply with New York State OMH and OASAS licensing standards, including Article 31, Article 32, and OASAS residential requirements.
Support Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic and MAT or OTP dispensing requirements, including care coordination and controlled substance tracking.
Partner with staff to design efficient workflows that minimize documentation burdens and bridge gaps between clinical practice and system features.
Train clinical and administrative staff on software use, documentation rules, and workflow updates.
Provide end-user troubleshooting and technical support, and escalate issues to vendors.
Build and validate data reports required for state submissions, internal quality improvement, and audit readiness.