Behavioral Health Administrator

State of Alaska; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The Alaska Court System seeks a strategic Behavioral Health Administrator to analyze and reform how the court responds to justice-involved individuals with behavioral health needs. You will collaborate with state agencies, prosecutors, public defenders, healthcare and behavioral health providers, hospitals, schools, law enforcement, housing agencies, and tribal governments to build statewide initiatives.

This grant-funded role emphasizes leadership of taskforces, development of programs and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred and 3–5 years of progressive experience in behavioral or mental health programs or services.
• Bachelor’s degree plus additional relevant work may substitute for the master’s requirement.
• Experience with the Alaska Court System or other legal or project-management experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Analyze ACS proposals, programs, policies, rules, and practices and develop measures to improve responses to behavioral health needs.
• Build and strengthen relationships across Alaska’s behavioral health systems and the justice system with multiple partners.
• Provide leadership and administrative support to ACS task forces, committees, and workgroups.
• Represent ACS in statewide and community groups and meetings.
• Research national best practices and support implementation of behavioral health-related legislation.
• Develop and deliver trainings for judicial officers and court staff; manage grants; collect and analyze program data.

Skills

Behavioral health knowledge

Policy development

Data analysis

Grant writing

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Education

Master’s degree in Behavioral Health-related field

Job description

The Alaska Court System (ACS) is seeking a highly-motivated, strategic, and innovative professional to be its Behavioral Health Administrator (salary range 20). The successful candidate will have education and experience working with individuals with behavioral health issues (defined as behavioral health, mental health, substance misuse, IDD, TBI, and co-occurring disorders); as well as the systems that serve these individuals. The incumbent will bring this behavioral health expertise to strengthen the court system’s response to justice-involved individuals with behavioral health needs. This position offers a meaningful opportunity to lead change; to facilitate system-wide collaboration with stakeholders; and to develop programs, policies, and practices that improve outcomes for court users, justice partners, and communities.

This is a grant funded position with a duration of 7.5 months with funding expected to continue.

The Behavioral Health Administrator will primarily be responsible for analyzing current ACS proposals, programs, policies, rules, and practices; and will recommend, develop, and implement measures to better respond to the needs of individuals with behavioral health challenges. Working with current ACS staff with legal and programmatic backgrounds, the Behavioral Health Administrator will use his or her perspective as a behavioral health expert in these analyses, recommendations, and improvements.

A second major focus of this position will be building and strengthening relationships across Alaska’s behavioral health systems and the justice system. The successful candidate will work with state agencies, prosecutors, public defenders, community healthcare and behavioral health providers, hospitals, schools, law enforcement, housing agencies, peers and families, community organizations, and tribal and local governments on these efforts.

The Behavioral Health Administrator will additionally provide leadership and administrative support to ACS-led taskforces, committees, and workgroups; serve as a resource for existing and emerging behavioral health-related programs; and represent ACS in relevant statewide and community groups and meetings.

This position will also explore innovative approaches to better serve individuals with behavioral health challenges such as mental health navigators, peer support specialists, improved screening practices, and incorporation of other emerging models. The incumbent will research national best practices, support implementation of behavioral health-related legislation, and work with the Therapeutic Courts Manager and team to strengthen existing mental health and therapeutic courts.

Additional responsibilities include developing and delivering training for judicial officers and court staff, researching and managing grants, collecting and analyzing program data, and preparing reports and updates for the Alaska Supreme Court and ACS Administration.

This is an opportunity to make a statewide impact, and to integrate a behavioral health perspective into the justice system. If you are a strategic thinker, a highly-motivated collaborator, and a creative problem-solver with a passion for working at the intersection of the justice system and behavioral health systems, ACS invites you to bring your expertise and ideas to a role that will strengthen the court system’s response to individuals with behavioral health needs, and will improve outcomes for individuals, systems, and communities across Alaska.

The ideal candidate will possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities. Please detail how you possess these traits in the required letter:

• Knowledge of behavioral and mental health systems, including substance misuse, co-occurring disorders, evidence-based practices, and Alaska’s behavioral health landscape and resources.
• Knowledge of project management principles, policy and program development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Knowledge of confidentiality and security requirements, with familiarity with the Alaska State Court System preferred.
• Experience with grant writing, reporting, and management preferred.
• Ability to gather, analyze, and synthesize data from multiple sources and develop effective policy and procedure recommendations.
• Ability to plan, develop, implement, coordinate, and evaluate multiple programs and projects simultaneously, both independently and collaboratively.
• Strong communication, leadership, and organizational skills, including facilitating committees and workgroups, developing educational resources, and delivering trainings.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including justice and behavioral health partners and individuals from diverse backgrounds, while demonstrating creativity, professionalism, adaptability, and a positive demeanor.

The Work Hours

Full-time court employees are currently scheduled to work 37.5 hours per week. The work hours for these positions are Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break. This is an in-person position located at the Snowden Administrative Building in downtown Anchorage, AK.

Exceptional Benefits

We offer a competitive benefits package that includes 12 paid holidays, medical, dental, and optional vision coverage, and employer-paid life insurance. Employees are enrolled in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and the Alaska Supplemental Annuity Plan (SBS), with access to the Alaska Deferred Compensation Plan. Personal leave is accrued for vacation, illness, or personal needs.

Enjoy peace of mind and long-term security while serving your community.

See http://doa.alaska.gov/drb/index.html for additional information.

For more information on the Alaska Court System, please visit:

http://www.courts.alaska.gov

For information about what state courts do, please watch the following short video:

VIDEO: The who, what, when, where and how of state courts

The Alaska Court System is an EEO employer and proudly promotes diversity.

Minimum Qualifications

A Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university with a relevant degree (Behavioral Sciences, Psychology, Social Work, Mental Health Counseling or other related field) is preferred AND a minimum of three to five years of progressively responsible experience in behavioral or mental health programs or services.

NOTE: A combination of a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and additional work experience may be substituted for the master’s degree requirement.

Experience with the Alaska Court System, other legal experience, or other project management experience is strongly preferred.