Position Description

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING
Position Number: 00112314	Description Activated On: 2/5/2026 4:07:11 PM

Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively.

This position serves as the Behavioral Health Program Specialist and is responsible for overseeing day-to-day programmatic operations of initiatives addressing the intersections of behavioral health with the criminal justice system, including mental health, substance use disorder (SUD), and/or co-occurring disorders (MI/COD).

Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor.

Employee serves as PCCD’s point of contact for MI/COD initiatives for justice-involved individuals. This position, in collaboration with the PCCD Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee (MHJAC) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), develops policies/guidelines and/or ensures conformance to policies/guidelines for a statewide program for the diversion of individuals with MI/COD from the criminal justice system. This position as serves as primary staff to the Stepping Up Technical Assistance Center.

Employee serves as lead staff for the preparation of funding announcement documents for various state and federal funding streams through MHJAC and the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee (CJAC). Employee participates in or leads the review of grant applications (as determined by higher level staff) for adherence to federal policy/regulations and PCCD requirements. Employee coordinates the review of applications assigned by program and fiscal staff; checks applications for compliance with PCCD funding guidelines, agency policy, and state and federal regulations; works with applicants to address/resolve program issues and fiscal concerns; prepares written summaries of applications for review; and presents project proposals to MHJAC and CJAC.

Employee manages a set of grants (as assigned by the Program Manager) to include conducting regular monitoring of active projects (on-site and telephone monitoring); review and approval of quarterly program reports and project modification requests; preparation of a roll-up of performance measure data on same/similar projects; development and assignment of performance measures for new projects; conduct analyses of the overall impact of various initiatives; provision of technical assistance to grantees as needed to ensure successful implementation of their funded projects; ensuring submission of all fiscal and program reports; and ensuring the resolution of all other grant management issues.

Employee conducts program analyses of projects as the basis for preparing various reports. This task involves collection and organization of all necessary data, conducting the analysis independently, and preparation of narrative reports and any accompanying charts or tables.

Employee independently coordinates efforts with local stakeholders for the implementation of mental health and justice and SUD initiatives. Employee will work in conjunction with program staff for the implementation of county and statewide drug and alcohol programs as they relate to the MI/COD population. Employee will work in conjunction with program staff, MHJAC, and OMHSAS for the development of policies/guidelines for PCCD-funded pretrial diversionary programs for mental health/SUD.

Employee reviews and remains current on model and new programs and projects to identify emerging issues based on the assigned work area. This will include researching best practices for the diversion of individuals with MI/COD and the implementation of SUD programming and making recommendations for implementation.

Assist the Deputy Director and Program Manager in preparing applications to the Department of Justice seeking funding to support priority initiatives as identified by the Governor’s Office, MHJAC, and/or CJAC.

Assist the Program Manager, Deputy Director, Office Director, and OJP staff with the development of meeting materials for advisory committee and subcommittee meetings. Assist the Deputy Director, Program Manager and Office Director with planning of conferences and training workshops.

Attends agency policy workgroup meetings. Employee represents PCCD at meetings and workgroups as assigned.

Present, moderate, and facilitate at regional and statewide conferences (in state and out of state), advisory committees, and subcommittees.

In state and out-of-state travel as required.

Employee also performs various other tasks as assigned to assist in the overall operation of the office and the advancement of agency goals.

Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature.

Work is assigned with minimum supervisory guidance, and the employee independently develops work products. Employee consults with supervisor to establish work parameters and to set completion dates. The supervisor reviews all completed work products. Employee discusses problematic issues with the supervisor as they arise. Position is required to offer recommendations on funded initiatives and/or program issues, but final decisions are made by senior staff.

Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License

Experience:

Licenses, registrations, or certifications:

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Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.

1.	Understand, apply, and ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws/regulations.
2.	Monitors progress of funded projects.
3.	Provides technical assistance and guidance to grantees and stakeholders.
4.	Maintain familiarity with trends and issues related to behavioral health topics, especially as they relate to mental health, SUD, and/or MI/COD and in
5.	Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
6.	Analyze data and develop recommendations.
7.	Organize and prioritize work assignments.
8.	Travel as needed, including overnight travel.
9.	Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
10.	Support the PCCD Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee and Criminal Justice Advisory Committee.