Clinical Informatics Specialist

Samaritan Daytop Village•Queens, NY

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Clinical Informatics Specialist bridges direct clinical practice and health information technology, leading implementation, optimization, and ongoing support of the organization’s electronic health record (EHR) system. The role 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 (MAT) services. Based in Samaritan Daytop Village’s headquarters, the specialist will lead the transition from MyAvatar to Cantata Arize and configure the system across the agency. The role works closely with clinical, administrative, and IT teams and software vendors to support rollouts, upgrades, training, troubleshooting, reporting, and audit readiness. The role is regularly based in Briarwood, Queens. It is initially fully office- or program-site-based during a 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 roughly 40–50% travel during workflow discovery, training, and go-live phases.

Requirements

Master of Social Work (MSW) or Master of Mental Health Counseling (MHC).
At least 2–3 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.
Familiarity with Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic certification requirements and associated quality measures.
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 to collaborate effectively 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

LCSW, LMHC, LCSW-R, or licensed Psychologist preferred.
Experience with Cantata Arize preferred; experience with Netsmart Avatar, CareLogic, AWARDS, or Credible is also relevant.

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 vendor issues.
Build and validate data reports for state submissions, internal quality improvement, and audit readiness.