Mental Health Clinician 3 (Maternal Mental Health Specialist PCN 061323)

About the Department

This Individual Position is Exempt from the Hiring Freeze. Qualified Applicants are Encouraged To Apply.

Welcome to the Department of Health! 

We’d be delighted to have you join our team. 

If you envision yourself in this role and are ready to start an exciting career with us, apply today!

What you will be doing:
In this role, you will provide consultative services and leadership for Alaska's public health efforts to prevent maternal mortality. You will support the Maternal Child Death Review (MCDR) program by developing and implementing a plan to conduct family interviews, review medical and behavioral health records, compose detailed case narratives, facilitate multidisciplinary case review meetings, and enter case information into a national database. You will work to reduce maternal deaths through trauma-responsive engagement with community partners by facilitating listening sessions. In collaboration with the MCDR Program Manager, you will support and train committee members and conduct quality improvement activities in alignment with federal funding requirements and evidence-based practices.

Our organization, mission, and culture:
The Maternal Child Health Epidemiology Unit in the Section of Women's, Children's and Family Health, Alaska Division of Public Health, provides data to measure and track health status, plan and evaluate programs, guide public health policy, and encourage improved health outcomes for women, children, adolescents, and families. The MCDR program aims to identify causes and contributing factors to maternal, infant, and child mortality in Alaska, develop recommendations to prevent future deaths, and promote, facilitate, and track implementation of those recommendations. This position provides trauma-informed support for staff and committee members and plays a vital role in our efforts to reduce maternal mortality in Alaska.

The benefits of joining our team:
The MCH Epidemiology team is a group of about 15 members who collaborate and appreciate one another's diverse expertise. Your behavioral health expertise will be highly valued in our interdisciplinary work environment. Hybrid telework is available after an initial orientation period. The position does not provide direct client services, but an element of individual-level practice exists through conducting interviews of family members of recently deceased pregnant and postpartum women, the study of extensive case records, and the development of objective and compassionate written accounts of each maternal death. The position also offers the rewarding experience of providing community- and systems-level interventions and consultation for colleagues in public health. The position's interactions with MCDR's culturally and professionally diverse committee, as well as State and Federal project partners, lend opportunities to enrich and advance a career within or adjacent to public health. Supervisors encourage professional development through both formal and informal learning.

Additional benefits include:

• Hybrid telework opportunities (one day per week required in office) 
• 12 paid holidays
• Paid Leave
• Retirement Options
• Insurance (health, vision, and dental)
• Job stability and security

The working environment you can expect: 
This position is based in midtown Anchorage and shares a large, windowed office with other team members. The 7.5-hour days can be flexibly scheduled (typically between 7:30 am and 6 pm). The work may require infrequent (once or twice per year) travel to federal grant-related conferences or meetings in or out of state

Who we are looking for:
The ideal candidate will possess some or all of the following position-specific competencies in addition to the minimum qualifications listed below: 

• Oral and Written Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral and written presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately
• Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.
• Human Services: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and practices used in the planning, design, and implementation of programs that provide a broad range of social supports to individuals and families

Special Notice:

• This position requires passing a background investigation including fingerprinting.
• Requires review of confidential records which may contain graphic, disturbing, or triggering content, which may include images/media depicting deaths from violence, disasters, and accidents as well as natural causes. 
• Requires an objective but trauma-informed approach, including the ability to exercise discretion to prevent unnecessary exposure to traumatic content for self and other case reviewers.

To view the general description and example of duties for this job class, please go to the following link and search for Mental Health Clinician 3:  https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs

Position Duties

Competency-Based Minimum Qualifications Instructions
This job class uses competency-based minimum qualifications.  Please ensure your application (through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.

Competency Description           
The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class.  They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency.  They typically list expectations rather than specific tasks and are to be used only as parameters and guidelines.   A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to successfully meet the competency, but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options as to how an applicant can meet the job expectation.

Please ensure your application (through work history, training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports/demonstrates that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.

Doctoral degree OR Master’s degree from an accredited college in counseling, psychology, social work, child guidance, vocational rehabilitation, or a closely related field.

AND

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities in 

• Accountability: Accepts responsibility for own actions and decisions and demonstrates commitment to accomplish work in an ethical, efficient, and cost-effective manner.
• Developing Others: Develops the ability of others to perform and contribute to the organization by providing ongoing feedback and by providing opportunities to learn through formal and informal methods.
• Managing Human Resources: Plans, distributes, coordinates, and monitors work assignments of others; evaluates work performance and provides feedback to others on their performance; ensures that staff are appropriately selected, utilized, and developed, and that they are treated in a fair and equitable manner.
• Psychology: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of human behavior and performance in various contexts, mental processes, or the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Therapy and Counseling: Knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental ailments, and career guidance. 

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Some positions require the incumbent be licensed as a Clinical Social Worker or a Licensed Professional Counselor. This requirement will be addressed in the job posting.

Minimum Qualifications

At the time of the interview, please provide the following:

1. Three (3) professional references whom we may contact by phone are required. One (1) of these references must be your current or most recent supervisor, if not already provided in the application. 
2. Current performance evaluation, if available. If not available, letters of recommendation may be substituted with a letter from a direct supervisor.
3. A copy of academic transcripts (unofficial is okay; please ensure that the institution name/URL is listed on the transcripts) is used to verify that you meet the minimum qualifications.
4. Writing sample (1-2 pages), (e.g. de-identified/sample biopsychosocial assessment, professional or academic article or research paper, professional presentation including presenter notes, training materials, etc.)

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS
For your application to be evaluated, you must answer the Supplemental Questions. 
The State of Alaska uses four proficiency levels to measure and describe an applicant's competence in applying specific behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities to accomplish a specific task. The four proficiency levels are Mastery, Fluency, Literacy, and Discovery. You must rate your proficiency level for each competency listed in the supplemental questions.

Other Qualifications

Benefits

The following information describes typical benefits available to employees of the State of Alaska. Actual benefits received may differ by bargaining unit or branch of government, position type, or be prorated for other than full time work.

For a quick breakdown of the insurance, health, and retirement benefits available for State Employees you can view an orientation video from Division of Retirement and Benefits. (Please note this video is specifically designed for new State Employees.)

Insurance Benefits

• Health insurance, which includes employer contributions toward medical/vision/dental
  • The following employee groups are under AlaskaCare Benefits administered by the State:   See https://drb.alaska.gov/help/plans.html for additional information.
    • AVTEC
    • Confidential
    • Correctional Officers
    • Marine Engineers
    • Mt. Edgecumbe Teachers
    • Supervisory
    • Unlicensed Vessel Personnel/Inland Boatman's Union
    • Exempt employees (not covered by collective bargaining)
  • The following employee groups are covered by Union health trusts.  Contact the appropriate Union for additional information.
    • General Government
    • Labor, Trades and Crafts
    • Public Safety Employees Association
    • Masters, Mates & Pilots
• Employer paid Basic Life insurance with additional coverage available (amount depends on Bargaining Unit)

• Group-based insurance premiums for
  • Term life (employee, spouse or qualified same sex partner, and dependents)
  • Long-term and short-term disability
  • Accidental Death and Dismemberment
  • Long-term care (self and eligible family members)
  • Supplemental Survivor Benefits
• Employee-funded flexible spending accounts for tax savings on eligible health care or dependent care expenses

Retirement Benefits

• Membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)/Teachers' Retirement System (TRS)
• Matching employer contribution into a defined contribution program (new employees)
• Employer contribution into a defined benefit or defined contribution program (current employees)
• Contributions to the Alaska Supplemental Annuity Plan in lieu of contributions to Social Security
• Option to enroll in the Alaska Deferred Compensation Program
• Note:  The Defined Contribution Plan, Supplemental Annuity Plan and Deferred Compensation Program offer a variety of investment options

Paid Leave & Other Benefits

• Personal leave with an accrual rate increase based on time served
• Twelve (12) paid holidays a year

Supplemental Questions

Required Question

Agency Information

EmployerState of AlaskaAddress PO Box 110201

Juneau, Alaska, 99811 Phone(800) 587-0430 (Statewide toll-free number)
(907) 465-4095 (Juneau and out-of-state callers)Website http://workplace.alaska.gov/