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Review Vacancy

Date Posted 02/03/23

Applications Due02/18/23

Vacancy ID123379

AgencyMental Health, Office of

TitleSenior Attorney/Assistant Attorney 1/2/3, Central Office;

Occupational CategoryLegal

Salary Grade25

Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)

Salary RangeFrom $88161 to $111111 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Contingent Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 0%

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 9 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

County Albany

Street Address NYS Office of Mental Health

44 Holland Avenue

City Albany

StateNY

Zip Code12229

Minimum Qualifications Candidates must be admitted to the New York State Bar Association, be licensed to practice law in New York State, and have two years of post-Bar legal experience to be appointed to Senior Attorney, M-1.

Candidates who have graduated from law school and who possess credentials and experience less than that described above will be required to serve in a traineeship leading to Senior Attorney, Grade 25. The length of the traineeship will be determined by the credentials and experience possessed by a candidate as shown below. If you are not admitted to the NYS Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated.
Assistant Attorney 1, NS = 18: Law school graduation and/or eligibility for NYS Bar Admission.
Assistant Attorney 2, NS = 20: Admission to New York State Bar.
Assistant Attorney 3, NS = 22: You must have 12 months as an Assistant Attorney 2, or Admission to the NYS Bar and 12 months of subsequent satisfactory legal experience.
Senior Attorney, Grade 25: You must have 12 months as an Assistant Attorney 3, or Admission to the NYS Bar and 24 months of subsequent satisfactory legal experience.

Transfer Opportunity:
Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service as a Senior Attorney and be eligible for later transfer; OR
Be eligible to transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law by having one year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service as an Assistant Attorney 1, NS; Assistant Attorney 2, NS; Assistant Attorney 3, NS; Senior Attorney (Realty), G-25; or Senior Attorney, Grade 25/M-1.

55b/c Opportunity:
Individuals certified eligible for the 55b/c program under the Governor’s Program to Hire Persons/Veterans with Disabilities pursuant to Section 55b/c of the Civil Service Law who are a graduate of an accredited law school with an LLB or JD degree will also be considered. Please provide a copy of your eligibility letter with your response.

Notes:
1. Appropriate part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis in determining the appropriate appointment level. Also, experience gained subsequent to admission to the Bar in a state having reciprocity with New York State can be credited only after admission to the New York State Bar. Candidates must note such experience and the existence of the admission reciprocity agreement at the time of interview.
2. Your degree or college credit must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university or one recognized by the NYS Education Department as following acceptable educational practices. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to the Examination Information Desk of the NYS Department of Civil Service for a list of acceptable companies who provide this service. This information can also be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee.


All OMH Central Office employees who are vaccinated for COVID-19 must show proof of vaccination. Fully vaccinated means that two (2) or more weeks have elapsed since receiving either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination series (e.g., Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or the first and only dose of a single-dose vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson [J&J]/Janssen). Those not vaccinated must indicate this. Vaccination is required for many OMH positions but not all. Those not vaccinated for COVID-19 are ineligible for appointment to positions that require vaccination.

Duties Description The Office of Mental Health (OMH) is recruiting to fill the position of Senior Attorney, G-25, in the Office of Counsel, Bureau of Litigation. The Bureau of Litigation provides support and legal advice on general litigation issues and provides legal advice and support to counsel, executive staff, and agency personnel to resolve ongoing litigation and minimize potential litigation exposure. Specific duties to be performed include, but are not limited to, the following:

Provide advice to the agency’s senior management, the Division of Forensic Services, and the management of Central New York Psychiatric Center, and the various OMH units in the State prisons concerning legal issues which arise with respect to the provision of mental health care to State prison inmates.

Serve as a liaison between the agency, and its officials and employees, and the Office of the Attorney General concerning lawsuits made by State prison inmates relating to mental health care provided in the State’s prisons.

Oversee the agency’s compliance with the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) and the agency’s implementation of the new procedure by which State residents can apply for a Certificate of Relief from Disability from purchasing a firearm.

Review for completeness applications for Relief from Disability and request additional information where necessary. Provide legal advice to the Committee which reviews the applications. Provide advice to the agency concerning what information OMH should supply to the NICS database pursuant to federal law.

Provide assistance reviewing proposed legislation, attending meetings, and providing advice on CPL §730 (felony defendants found incompetent to stand trial) and §330.20 (defendants found not responsible for criminal conduct due to mental disease or defect) matters.

Advise senior agency officials and OMH clinicians in the field on the implementation of the SAFE Act.

Handle general litigation matters and perform other tasks as needed and as assigned by the General Counsel and the Deputy Counsel for Litigation.

Advise on issues related to court applications for medication orders, article 9 retentions, as well as forensic court applications.

Provide advice and guidance on confidentiality and care and treatment issues governed by the Mental Hygiene Law and federal and state regulations.

Supervise and/or implement e-discovery holds and searches and liaison with ITS on e-discovery issues.

Analyze legal issues, prepare briefs and affidavits, search statutes, decisions, opinions, and other sources as necessary.

Prepare detailed legal memoranda with appropriate citations as requested, attend meetings, and respond to correspondence and telephone inquiries as needed.

Advise policy makers and program administrators on the legality of proposed actions and determinations.

Liaise with counsel from other State Agencies on issues of concern to OMH and mediate, negotiate, and settle legal issues of concern to OMH.

Additional Comments The salary listed applies to candidates appointed to Senior Attorney, SG-25. The salary for candidates appointed to Assistant Attorney 1 starts at $61,270 and, for current New York State employees, is based on the candidate’s salary at the time of hire.

Telecommuting availability for this position will be discussed during the interview process. Please note, employees are required to apply and obtain approval through management to telecommute according to operational needs and Agency Telecommuting Program Guidelines.

The Mission of the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a focus on providing hope and supporting recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. OMH is deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations and communities. To this end, OMH is focused on implementing activities and initiatives to reduce disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. A critical component of these efforts is ensuring OMH is a diverse and inclusive workplace where the unique attributes and skills of all employees are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency. OMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

Name Nicole Landry

Telephone

Fax (518) 486-3897

Email Address OMHHRM@OMH.NY.GOV

Address

Street NYS Office of Mental Health

44 Holland Avenue

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12229

 

Notes on ApplyingTo be considered, interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume as an attachment in Microsoft Word or PDF format to omhhrm@omh.ny.gov. Please include the title of the position and Vacancy ID #123379 in the subject line of your email when applying.

You are advised that, should you accept a job offer with the Office of Mental Health, you may be required to be fingerprinted and pay a fingerprint fee.

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