HEAL Project Director

The HEAL Project Director

Program Specialist VI - Performs advanced (senior-level) consultative services and technical assistance work related to community mental health services and in particular, youth grant related suicide prevention, intervention and postvention services. The Youth Suicide Prevention Project Director reports directly to the Director of Suicide Prevention, Policy and Services within the Prevention and Behavioral Health Promotion (PBHP) within HHSC’s Behavioral Health Services (BHS) department. Work involves supporting the planning, development, implementation, and product revision of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention of the SAMHSA grant Healing and Engaging After Loss (HEAL) as assigned by the Director of Suicide Prevention Policy and Services, as well as, providing consultative services and technical assistance to providers. Provides training, consultation, and technical assistance related to implementation of evidence-based practices, suicide prevention and intervention practices, and postvention practices to communities stakeholders and partners.

Serves as a subject matter expert on implementation of suicide prevention and postvention of project deliverables. May serve as subject matter expert on: suicide prevention, intervention and postvention strategies; crisis intervention with children, youth, and adults; mental health; evidence-based practices; trauma-informed care and/or mental health promotion in order to provide high-level technical assistance, policy interpretation, and guidance in relation to suicide specific system improvement. Works in collaboration with other behavioral health program specialists, subject matter experts, unit managers, and BHS leadership on tasks and activities to meet the goals, mission, vision, priorities, and responsibilities of HHSC and the Statewide Behavioral Health Strategic Plan.

This is a temporary, grant-funded position from September 2024 through September 2029, depending on grant funds. This position is eligible for telework according to HHSC telework policy. Telework policy is subject to change.

Essential Job Functions:

Provides overall project direction and administration for the implementation and success of the Healing and Engaging After Loss (HEAL) grant programs through programmatic guidance, leading data collection and data analysis efforts, providing program model oversight, and creating and distributing communication tools and outreach materials. Assists with the overall planning, implementation, coordination, organization, and evaluation of the HEAL programs and policies to promote effective program administration and service delivery. Ensures all programmatic and budgetary reports are timely with deadlines met for SAMHSA’s reporting requirements.

Provides and develops presentations and trainings related to administration of the HEAL grant and suicide prevention, intervention and postvention programs. These include best practices/evidence-based practices for suicide specific screening, assessment, safety planning and means safety, suicide care management plans, care transitions, Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) Teams, and follow-up services. Develops requests for proposal, statements of work, contracts, regulations and other procurement documentation as related to youth suicide, and prevention projects. Provides consultative services, technical assistance, and support to program contractors and other stakeholders. This includes serving as a behavioral health policy contact in the review and approval of contractor deliverables, organizing and facilitating meetings, workgroups and conference calls, providing contractor reviews, and assuring grant deliverables.

Establishes and facilitates multiple interagency workgroups and committees related to grant and suicide prevention and postvention efforts. Sets goals and objectives, determines assignments for grant partners, and reviews and approves work products for the grant administration.

Travels to ensure compliance and enhancement of community suicide prevention and postvention adoption of HEAL's suicide prevention and postvention systems.

Participates in related department operational processes as assigned.

Knowledge Skills Abilities:

1. Knowledge of:
   1. The application of best practices for suicide prevention and postvention.
   2. Local, state and federal laws, agency regulations, policies, rules and requirements pertaining to the provision of community behavioral health services and mental health services and suicide deaths and prevention;
   3. Laws, ethic codes, and rules applicable to confidentiality and the management of protected health information and the provision of behavioral health (mental health, substance use services);
   4. Data systems for managing operations and making decisions;
   5. Recovery, resiliency, engagement, and disease management concepts and program components as they relate to the provision of mental health services, statewide;
   6. Prevention, intervention, and treatment concepts and program components as they relate to the provision of suicide screening and services in mental health and/or substance use services statewide;
   7. Medicaid rules.
   8. Special at-risk populations;
   9. Cultural sensitivity, linguistic competency, Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services standards and/or other languages (e.g., Spanish, Vietnamese).
   10. Trauma-informed care, system of care, and Recovery Oriented Services Model.
   11. Implementation and/or provision of mental health evidence-based practices.
2. Skills in:
   1. Effective verbal communication, to include the preparation and presentation of complex data analysis;
   2. Project management with complex projects that cross divisions, agencies and several lines of business;
   3. Identifying problems, evaluating alternatives, and negotiating and implementing solutions to organizational and service delivery problems;
   4. Advanced business and technical writing, reporting, and interpretation of complex data related to improve provider performance;
   5. Applying mental health clinical skills and knowledge into policy and procedures;
   6. Clinical case conceptualization utilizing psychosocial assessment and develop recovery/treatment plan;
   7. Statistics, data analysis and data interpretation for rapid quality improvement;
   8. Project management;
   9. Strategic planning;
   10. Crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and postvention, and handling complex life-threatening situations, death and critical incidents in a composed, professional and trauma-informed manner.
   11. Computer software, including Microsoft Office suite programs, Office 365/SharePoint, and web-based communications platforms such as Teams and Zoom.
3. Ability to:
   1. Organize and present information effectively, both orally and in writing;
   2. Provide information to providers, executive leadership, and persons with lived experience (suicide bereaved and suicide attempt survivors) regarding areas of behavioral health policy in an informative and professional manner based on the audience;
   3. Plan and manage large multi-faceted projects;
   4. Work appropriately in collaboration with others to manage and meet multiple deadlines;
   5. Gather, assemble, correlate, and analyze facts;
   6. Devise solutions to problems;
   7. Develop and evaluate policies and procedures;
   8. Prepare reports;
   9. Communicate effectively;
   10. Analyze data and understand data/statistical analyses to help guide strategic planning and project process and outcome measures;
   11. Ability to work in a fast-paced work environment with multiple competitive priorities;
   12. Able to deal with matters of behavioral health content, stressful life-threatening situations, death and conflictive information in an effective, professional, and ethical manner;
   13. Able to apply behavioral health clinical practices, theories, ethics and treatment modalities into the development of policies, procedures and operational standards for people at risk of suicide.

Registration or Licensure Requirements:

Preference given to a licensed clinician with one of the following licenses: LPC, LMFT, LCDC, LCSW, licensed psychologist, or a doctorate degree in a related field, such as psychology, social work, or medicine.

Initial Selection Criteria:

Experience working in mental health, suicide prevention or postvention settings.

Additional Information:

MOS Code:

There are no direct military occupations that relate to the responsibilities, registration or licensure requirements for this position. All active duty, reservist, guardsmen and veterans are encouraged to apply if they meet the qualifications for this position.

HHS agencies use E-Verify. You must bring your I-9 documentation with you on your first day of work.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), HHS agencies will provide reasonable accommodation during the hiring and selection process for qualified individuals with a disability. If you need assistance completing the on-line application, contact the HHS Employee Service Center at 1-888-894-4747. If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodation to participate in the interview process, please notify the person scheduling the interview.

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