Children and Families Clinical Program Manager

The State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families' (DCF) mission is partnering with communities and empowering families to raise resilient children who thrive. We are proud of our diverse and dedicated workforce who strive every day to meet the needs of those we encounter.  

We are currently recruiting for a full-time Clinical Program Manager for our Psychiatric Hospital. This is a 40 hours per week position, with a working schedule of Monday-Friday, with one evening shift (to be determined).  

The Albert J. Solnit Children's Center – South Campus is part of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and is widely recognized as a center of excellence for family-centered treatment of children and youth with serious emotional disturbances.  This state-administered Psychiatric facility provides comprehensive care to children and adolescents under the age of eighteen, with severe mental illness and related behavioral and emotional problems who cannot be safely assessed or treated in a less restrictive setting. The South Campus consists of four co-ed hospital units and three female adolescent psychiatric residential treatment facility cottages (PRTF).  

Our 67-acre campus is centrally located in Middletown, Connecticut overlooking the Connecticut River.  The Solnit Center facilities support our dedication to helping youth improve their individual and social competencies. The campus includes: two schools, an indoor pool, playgrounds, a ball field, two gyms, recreation rooms, seven program-specific residential units, and an outdoor picnic area.      

What’s in it for You – Leading Comprehensive Benefit Offerings:

• Industry leading health benefits, including medical and dental coverage; 
• Comprehensive pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings; 
• Paid time off; 
• Professional growth and development opportunities; 
• Ability to serve the citizens of Connecticut;
• A healthy work life balance to all employees.  

We hope you take this opportunity to make an impact by serving your state!  

Click the video below to hear employees share what it is like to work for the State of Connecticut, including career opportunities, the recruitment and selection process, and the important mission of serving the state and its citizens.

The immediate vacancy is listed above, however applications to this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies in the job classification.

Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening and specify their qualifications on their application. Please ensure that your application is complete and you have included your resume in the “Resume Tab” of your application as you will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application into the JobAps system.  

Applicants invited to interview may be required to submit additional documentation supporting their qualification(s). These documents may include: performance reviews, supervisory references, college transcripts, licensure, etc. at the discretion of the agency.  

This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQ’s) which will be sent to you via email after the closing date.  The email notification will include an expiration date by which you must submit (Finish) your responses.  Please regularly check your email for notifications.  Please check your SPAM and or Junk folders, as emails could end up there in error.      

The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.            

Should you have questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Julie Barker, at Julie.Barker@ct.gov.

In the Department of Children and Families, Albert J. Solnit Children's Psychiatric Center, this class is accountable for directing the administrative and program operations of two or more clinical units.

Directs the staff and operations of two or more clinical units; coordinates, plans, and manages unit program activites; formulates goals and objectives; develops or assists in development of related policy and procedures; interprets and administers pertinent laws; evaluates staff; maintains contact with individuals both within and outside program who impact on unit program activities; assures unit compliance with quality assurance findings and recommendations; promotes cultural diversity in workplace and assures client rights; advocates for the best interests of children and families; identifies, plans, implements, and evaluates training and development of staff; analyzes complex problem situations and takes appropriate action; monitors staff utilization to meet identified goals; investigates and responds to critical incidents; prepares or oversees preparation of reports; provides input into the division's budget; serves on the hospital's program management committee; may represent facility in grievances and/or other hearings; may oversee grant, budget, or contract preparation; may represent the facility on committees and task forces; performs related duties as required

Considerable knowledge of behavioral health policies and systems; considerable knowledge of principles, practices, and issues of behavioral health care; considerable knowledge of recent developments in designated field and ability to translate knowledge into practice; considerable knowledge of the behavioral challenges facing children, adolescents, and families; knowledge of principles and practices of public and/or health care administration; knowledge of and ability to apply management principles and techniques; knowledge of relevant state and federal laws, statutes, and regulations; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; considerable analytic skills; considerable ability to negotiate, mediate, and resolve conflicts; ability to collaborate within agency, department, state, community, and constituents; ability to plan for collection, analysis, and integration of data; ability to interpret standards of monitoring agencies and contracts; supervisory ability.

Four (4) years of professional experience in behavioral health care and a Master's Degree in a clinical discipline.

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have been supervising professional staff in the delivery of services for children and adolescents.

Preference will be given to candidates who possess:  

• Experience supervising clinical staff in the implementation of therapeutic interventions for youth with complex psychiatric profiles and their families.   
• Experience with Joint Commission accreditation.  
• Experience with Quality Assurance/Performance Improvement initiatives.  
• Experience analyzing and reporting data to inform improvement strategies.  
• Experience collaborating with community-based provider agencies and local systems of care.  
• Experience supervising trauma-responsive services within a therapeutic milieu.

1. Incumbents in this class must possess and maintain the appropriate current license for nursing, clinical social work, marital and family therapist, professional counselor, or clinical psychologist.
   
2. Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.