The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), Division of Behavioral Health (BH), in the Office of Children, Young Adults & Families (OCYF), is seeking qualified candidates for the position of System of Care Expansion Grant Family Lead. This grant-funded position will report to the System of Care Expansion Grant Project Director. Grant funding for this position is set to expire September 29, 2027.

Description of general duties and responsibilities:

1.       Support four-year System of Care (SOC) Expansion Grant funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA);

2.       Support compliance with all reporting requirements for SAMHSA/Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and the SOC Expansion Grant guidelines;

3.       Develop programmatic and budgetary reports and briefing papers as required by SAMHSA and DBHDD;

4.       Support grant applications for continuation funding within SAMHSA timelines and guidelines;

5.       Inform plans for use of carryover funds and submit to SAMHSA for approval;

6.       Work with DBHDD budget staff to manage grant funds;

7.       Monitor expenditures throughout project budget year and ensure project spending is within proposed levels and used according to federal guidelines;

8.       Keep project on track and advancing within approved timelines;

9.       Identify and resolve project implementation barriers;

10.   Engage advisory group, Mindworks Georgia, and provide regular project updates;

11.   Provide staff leadership/direction and support to consultants and facilitators;

12.   Work closely with other offices and sections of DBHDD, Regional DBHDD offices as well as child-serving agencies, advocacy, family and youth organizations to advance project work;

13.   Inform and support all activities related to development of project work products including developing requests for proposals for external vendors to carry out project work, negotiating and developing contracts with selected vendors, meeting with contractors regularly to monitor contract progress, providing technical assistance and consultation to vendors as needed to ensure contract deliverables are met, and processing payments to vendors and consultants;

14.   Represent the SOC Expansion Grant at the federal, state, and local level including attending federal meetings and participating in conference calls with the federal grants project officer; and

15.   Perform other duties as assigned.  

Description of specialized duties and responsibilities:

1.       Represent the lived experience and voice of individuals parenting youth with a Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) and/or co-occurring Substance Use Disorder (SUD);

2.       Manage daily operations related to ensure parent voice and perspectives are embedded/infused throughout all levels of Georgia’s SOC programming and policies;

3.       Convene regularly, and serve as primary point of contact for Parent and Youth Certified Peer Specialists (CPS-Ps and CPS-Ys) throughout the state, and their supervisors; 

4.       Advance parent inclusion across the continuum of care (e.g., referral and intake, treatment, discharge, and after-care planning);  

5.       Maintain knowledge of current trends and developments related to parent and youth peer support for the target population.

6.       Develop and implement programs to enhance parent involvement.

7.       Promote and support opportunities for peers to participate and partner with local family groups to increase representation and peer voice in SOC activities; and

8.       Develop a training plan with key stakeholders/partners for the peer specialist’s workforce.

Qualifications:

·         High school graduate AND:

1.       Current CPS-P certification;

2.       Must be the parent of a child with SED, and/or co-occurring SUD;

3.       Have lived experience navigating through a public behavioral health system; and

4.       Minimum of eight (8) years of experience performing similar work in a DBHDD sponsored program;

·         Proficient in Microsoft Office and web-based platforms; and

·         Basic knowledge of Georgia’s public behavioral health system.

Preferred Qualifications:

Preference will be given to candidates, who in addition to meeting the qualifications listed above, possess the following:

·         Bachelor's degree in a related field AND at least four (4) years of related experience, OR some college and eight (8) years of experience with at least four (4) years in a lead/supervisory, OR a combination of education and experience at agency discretion;

·         Ability to research and synthesize national best practices for peer supports;

·         Experience in program or project management;

·         Knowledge of integrated systems of care services and supports for youth and young adults with SED and their families;

·         Experience working with broad stakeholder groups including state level or local level interagency collaboratives, and providers of children’s services and family;

·         Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, excellent time management and organizational skills, detail oriented, ability to work independently and with teams (OCYF, cross-office, and cross-agency);

·         Skilled in exercising initiative, resourcefulness and sound judgment with an ability to anticipate or solve problems; and

·         Experience with administration of federal grants.

Employment Information

This position is located in downtown Atlanta at the State Office for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Due to the geographical focus of this project, light to moderate travel is anticipated, including overnight travel in and out of state. 

Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary & benefits, GA Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities is part of a statewide initiative called Total Rewards that seeks to attract and retain employees by supplementing their base pay and benefits with programs designed to improve the quality of their work environment and lead to greater job satisfaction and work/life balance. Eligible employees are offered generous benefits, including health and dental insurance; retirement and savings plan options; and paid holidays, vacation and sick leave. For more information, visit https://dbhdd.georgia.gov/benefits

Employment Requirements
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our employees, individuals and communities we serve, certain positions within DBHDD may require evaluations, vaccinations, professional licensure and certifications. Licenses must be current and enable providers to practice within the State of Georgia.

The following are a listing of evaluations and vaccinations that may be required for employees, including those not involved with direct care:

• Drug Screening
• TB Evaluation
• Annual Influenza*

*Limited exemptions may be made for documented medical contraindications or religious beliefs that object to vaccinations.

DBHDD is an Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of DBHDD to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information on application status by phone or e-mail. All qualified applicants will be considered but may not necessarily receive an interview. Selected applicants will be contacted by the hiring agency for next steps in the selection process.

This position is subject to close at any time once a satisfactory applicant pool has been identified.

FOR THIS TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT, STATE LAW REQUIRES A NATIONAL AND STATE BACKGROUND CHECK AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT.