Deputy Associate Commissioner for Disaster Behavioral Health Coordination

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS•Austin, TX

1d•$7,717 - $13,051•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director III, functionally titled, the Deputy Associate Commissioner (DAC) for the Disaster Behavioral Health Coordination (DBHC) program direct reports to the Associate Commissioner (AC) for Mental Health Programs in the Health and Human Services Commission’s (HHSC) Behavioral Health Services (BHS) Division. HHSC’s BHS Division is responsible for the design, implementation, and oversight of community-based mental health and substance use (i.e., behavioral health) services. The DAC for DBHC serves as the State Disaster Behavioral Health Coordinator (i.e., the individual identified by the state mental health authority as responsible for state disaster behavioral health preparedness, response and response). Acts as the main point of contact for the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The DAC for DBHC oversees staffing, training, reporting, data analysis, and fiscal monitoring of the DBHC program and works with other disaster service agencies to ensure coordination of behavioral health response and recovery operations to mitigate duplication of services. The DAC for DBHC conducts regular site visits to providers and accompanies crisis counselors as an observer to ensure appropriate services are delivered. The DAC for DBHC performs advanced, senior-level, managerial work providing direction and guidance over state level strategic disaster planning, response, and recovery operations and oversight of federal disaster funding; and works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in public health or a related field.
2 years experience working with local, state, and federal-level agencies responsible for disaster response.
Knowledge of disaster behavioral health programs, including federal and state guidelines, regulations, programs, policies and procedures.
Knowledge of federal disaster contracts, funding, policies, and procedures.
Knowledge of public administration and management techniques and program management processes.
Skill in responding to disasters in a behavioral health environment and working within grant parameters.
Skill in project management and the ability to lead project teams; work with multiple stakeholders, and provide oversight to contracted vendors.
Skill in using personal computer application software such as Visio, MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, MS Project or similar programs.
Skill in written and oral communication, including the ability to make public presentations and write technical information in an understandable format.
Ability to gather, assemble, correlate, and analyze facts; to devise solutions to problems; to conduct sophisticated research; to prepare reports; to develop, evaluate, and interpret policies and procedures.
Ability to work cooperatively as a team member in a fast-paced, deadline-orientated environment.
Ability to communicate effectively and to train, lead, assign, and prioritize staff workloads.
Ability to provide senior-level management and technical assistance to manage the federal disaster requirements.
Ability to function as lead support to state crisis counseling response and main contact for TDEM, FEMA & SAMHSA.
Ability to provide financial technical assistance to sub-contractors as appropriate.

Responsibilities

Leads the state disaster behavioral health planning, response and recovery operations.
Serves as the point of contact for TDEM, FEMA and SAMHSA.
Oversees staffing, training, reporting, data analysis, and fiscal monitoring.
Directs staff to ensure oversight, monitoring, and compliance of federal disaster funding.
Provides direction, guidance, and assistance to program.
Serves as the liaison with internal and external stakeholders.
Represents the agency at local, state, and federal disaster-related meetings, hearings, conferences, and seminars or on boards, panels, and committees.
Works with other disaster service agencies to ensure coordination of behavioral health response and no duplication of services.
Explains program and agency statutory requirements relating to the federal disaster funding.
Consults with public and private agencies involved to resolve problems, identify training needs and discuss effectiveness.
Works with and speaks to community and professional groups to coordinate, improve and secure financial management support for federal disaster related funding.
Represents HHSC at high-level meetings within the community and state leadership meetings.
May respond to critical incidents or disasters by deploying to the impacted area within 24-hours.
Conducts site visits to providers and accompanies crisis counselors as an observer to ensure appropriate services are delivered.
Supervises the development and implementation of techniques for evaluating federal disaster activities.
Develops and establishes goals and objectives to meet HHSC mission requirements.
Establishes priorities, standards, and measurement tools for determining progress in deadlines and goals.
Identifies the need to revise targets.
Analyzes operations and problems and the preparation of reports of findings and recommendations.
Reviews results of special federal disaster investigations, internal audits, research studies, forecasts, and modeling exercises to provide direction and guidance.
Organizes and prepares materials in response to requests for program information and reports related to the federal disaster funding.
Conducts bill analysis and implements legislation.