About Job

TITLE: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)

FUNCTIONAL TITLE: 1st Step Facilitator

NUMBER OF POSITIONS: 1

SALARY GRADE: 20

STATUS: Permanent / Provisional

JURISDICTIONAL CLASS: Competitive Class

SALARY/UNIT:

$78,193 - $98,121 – Hudson Valley DDRO

$72,193 - $94, 121 – Capital District DDRO

NEGOTIATING UNIT: PS&T – Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)

OFFICE/REGION: NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities – Division of Service Delivery

DIVISION/DEPARTMENT: Regional Field Office, Region #3 – Waiver Unit

LOCATION: To Be Determined (Office location to be discussed at time of interview).

Vacancy cross-posted at Capital District DDSO and Taconic DDSO

Hudson Valley DDRO

9 Wilbur Road

Thiells NY 10984

Capital District DDSO

500 Balltown Road

Schenectady NY 12304

SHIFT/PASS DAYS: Mon-Fri, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm, Saturday/Sunday Pass plus occasional evening and weekend hours

TRAVEL: This position functions as a region 3 team member and occasional travel may be required. Valid driver’s license required as well as reliable transportation.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

Under the direction of the Clinical Supervisor, this LMSW position evaluates the clinical determination of a person meeting the criteria for OPWDD services as well as the review and completion of the Level of Care form allowing individuals to enroll into the waiver.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

As part of the Eligibility unit, the functions performed are unique to this position and are essential in addressing the following work activities:

Complete a clinical review of eligibility documentation comprised of testing and assessments
Assist with coordination of documents for Fair Hearings.
Complete adaptive assessments to become part of the eligibility file for review by another clinician.
Review, coordinate and monitor the Level of Care documents to allow for waiver enrollment and subsequent person-centered service enrollment.
Utilize data and tracking platforms to allow for timely customer service and compliance with policy and legislative timeframes.
Support and respond to stakeholder reach out on eligibility determinations
Provide technical assistance to stakeholders and other teams on the eligibility process
Collaborate with other teams on service access
Other duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Open Competitive: license and current registration as a Licensed Master Social Worker in New York State.

OPERATIONAL PREFERENCE:

*QIDP (Qualified Intellectual Disorder Professional) designation requires one year's experience working with people with a developmental disability AND a bachelor’s degree or higher in a human services field (including, but not limited to: sociology, special education, rehabilitation counseling or psychology).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). HELPS Program titles may be filled via a non-competitive appointment. This means that you do not need to take an exam to qualify, but you do need to meet the minimum qualifications of the title.

At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), employees hired under NY HELPS are expected to have their permanent non-competitive employment status converted to permanent competitive status. You will not have to take an exam to gain permanent competitive status.

Please note that starting salary for this title for Hudson Valley DDSO reflects the Downstate adjustment. Posted Hiring Salary includes the sum of the statutory hiring rate for PS&T Grade 20 ($74,193) and Mid-Hudson adjustment ($4,000). Downstate adjustment is also added to the job rate ($94,121).

The starting salary for this title for Taconic DDSO reflects the Mid-Hudson adjustment. Posted Hiring Salary includes the sum of the statutory hiring rate for PS&T Grade 20 ($74,193) and Mid-Hudson adjustment ($2,000). Downstate adjustment is also added to the job rate ($94,121).

If you are currently a New York State employee serving in a permanent competitive qualifying title and eligible for a transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law, you may be appointed to this title as a permanent competitive employee.
The assignment of PS&T employees will be made in accordance with any agreed upon Memorandum of Understanding between PEF and the local DDSO regarding the posting of job vacancies.
Preference will be given to OPWDD employees impacted by closures. If you are being impacted by closure, please indicate this on your resume.
All OPWDD employees must be eligible and maintain eligibility for full and unconditional participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Continued employment will depend on maintaining eligibility.
If you are employed by state government you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments have been made under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. For more information on PSLF, please visit www.studentAid.gov/publicservice.
Employees on long term leave can bid on positions but must be able to report to work within fourteen (14) days and be able to perform the essential functions of their positions with or without reasonable accommodation (RA). If an employee or job applicant believes that they need a reasonable accommodation, they should contact the Reasonable Accommodation Unit at (518) 486-7222 or email accommodationrequests@opwdd.ny.gov to obtain information and RA forms.
Savings programs such as the U.S. Savings Bond and the College Savings Plan.
Voluntary pre-tax savings programs such as Health Care Spending Account and the Dependent Care Advantage Account offer employees options to pay for uncovered health care expenses or dependent care expenses.
Access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) an assessment and referral service that connects employees with local service providers and support services to address their personal needs.
Life insurance and Disability insurance.
The New York State Deferred Compensation Plan is a voluntary retirement plan that offers employees the option to invest a part of their salaries for retirement on a tax-deferred basis.
Paid Holidays and Leave:

° Thirteen (13) paid holidays each year.

° Thirteen (13) days of paid vacation leave initially.

° Five (5) days paid personal leave each year.

° Thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave each year (PEF/CSEA), which may carry over from year to year.

° Up to three (3) days professional leave each year to participate in professional development events.

Health Care Coverage:

Employees and their eligible dependents can choose from a variety of affordable health insurance programs. Employees are provided family dental and vision plans at no extra cost.

Paid Parental Leave:

Paid Parental Leave allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave at full pay for each qualifying event. A qualifying event is defined as the birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care.

Retirement Program:

Participate in The NYS Employees’ Retirement System (ERS), which is recognized as one of the best-managed and best-funded public retirement systems in the nation.

Professional Development and Education and Training:

NYS offers training programs and tuition assistance to eligible employees to maintain and increase their professional skills and prepare them for promotional opportunities. For more information, please visit https://oer.ny.gov/training-and-professional-development.

Additionally, the Public Service Workshops Program (PSWP) offers certain professional training opportunities for PEF represented and M/C designated employees that may grant continuing education credits towards maintaining professional licensure. For more information, please visit https://oer.ny.gov/public-service-workshops-program-pswp.
OPWDD is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer dedicated to creating and sustaining a culture of inclusion. We believe that we are most effective in managing and improving our service system with a diverse team of employees. With such a large workforce, we rely on the collective individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression, ideas and talent that our employees bring to their work. This speaks to our culture and is a key part of our successes. As we continuously recruit people for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that applicants bring in terms of their education, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter detailing how you meet the minimum qualifications, a current resume, degree, and license. Please provide your social security number for service certification and transfer eligibility determination process. Also be sure to include EOA#: 25-131 and position title of this announcement in all correspondence.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $78,193.00 - $98,121.00 per year

Benefits: