Behavioral Health Policy Advisor VI

Biref Job Description

The Program Policy team within the Medicaid and CHIP Services (MCS) Office of Policy is seeking a new team member who is passionate about improving critical services for fellow Texans. This team is focused on behavioral health issues and are responsible for developing programmatic policy requirements and ensuring the proper functioning of several managed care programs essential to the safety and independence of millions of children and adults in Texas that depend on these services.

Applicants will be considered for a Policy Advisor position (Program Specialist VI) to work on managed care initiatives, programs, and topical areas including Medicaid and CHIP managed care behavioral health services. The selected applicant will have an instrumental role in implementing policy to improve behavioral health managed care services across the state and will work closely with project stakeholders and other agency partners in that process. The Policy Advisor will serve as the lead on conducting readiness and operational reviews required for the oversight of in lieu of services (ILOS) implementation.  This position will work collaboratively as part of a team and also be a lead subject matter explorer on these critical services.
 

Essential Job Functions (EJFs)

(25%) Leads others and/or conducts advanced research, analysis, and evaluation of complex program and policy issues and initiatives including readiness and operational reviews.

(20%) Oversees the development of and revises Medicaid and CHIP governing documents, including waivers, state rules, policies, and contract amendments.

(15%) Develops, implements, and/or manages projects or special initiatives related to Texas Medicaid and CHIP.

(15%) Manages, participates, or leads workgroups and meetings in assigned Medicaid or CHIP programs or topical areas.

(15%) Leads and/or conducts coordination of and speaks with internal and external stakeholders as a subject matter expert or team lead on assigned Medicaid programs.

(10%) Oversees and/or develops high quality written project updates, summaries, reports, executive presentations, bill analyses, and other documents.
 

Registrations, Licensure Requirements or Certifications

N/A

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

1. Skill or leadership experience with adapting to and implementing creative and workable solutions to complex problems.
2. Experience exercising sound judgment with limited data and working independently with limited direction in a leadership role.
3. Experience in synthesizing complicated and technical information and translating it into easily understandable and concise documents and/or presentations in a leadership role.
4. Strong written communication skills.
5. Ability to work cooperatively and effectively in a team environment.
6. Ability to negotiate competing interests of multiple parties, resolve conflicts, and establish and maintain effective working relationships.
7. Strong verbal communication skills.

Initial Screening Criteria

1. Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university (each year of related experience may count toward the education requirement); Master’s degree preferred.

2. Experience in a field focusing on the delivery of healthcare, public health, state government, social work or other related field. Experience in a field related to Medicaid managed care or behavioral health preferred.

3. Experience with developing or overseeing advanced (senior-level) deliverables, reports, or other technical writing work products.

4. Prefer experience with readiness and operational reviews. 

Additional Information

Additional information about programs these positions support canbe found in the Texas Medicaid Pink Book.

Teleworking opportunities are available, contingent on performance.  

State of Texas employees participate in outstanding benefits:

*Excellent health benefits

*Lifetime monthly retirement annuity

*Generous time off benefits

Additional benefits of joining the MCS Office of Policy include:

• Leadership commitment to invest in and foster your professional growth or knowledge of the Texas Medicaid program and your career advancement.

• Having a profound impact to the lives of thousands of Medicaid clients that depend on Medicaid services throughout Texas.

• Being on the ground level of healthcare policy implementation, including the opportunity to work closely with stakeholders such as federal partners, providers, advocates, managed care organizations, and other healthcare contractors.

• Engagement with the Texas legislative process, including the opportunity to analyze and inform legislators of potential impact of proposed bills.

• Being part of a team at the forefront of interpreting, implementing, and developing policy that has statewide impact.

• The opportunity to learn and engage with multiple domains of the healthcare delivery system, including managed care, fee-for-service, federal/state Medicaid partnerships and other activities related to the administration of the Medicaid program;