Social Services Program Manager
Opening Date: May 30, 2025
Closing Date: June 12, 2025
Job Class Code: 5094
Grade: 28
Salary: $64,334.40 - $91,332.80 per year*
*This is inclusive of a 1.00% recruitment and retention stipend
Position Number: 03030-4453
Location: Augusta
This is a full-time position located in Augusta, Maine and allows for partial telework with management approval.
Core Responsibilities:
This key leadership position is responsible for supporting designated areas of Children’s Behavioral Health Services (CBHS), including providing clinical support on the operations of CBHS, providing clinical support and processes for navigating complex cases, and clinical support for youth accessing or seeking to access intensive behavioral health services, including Children’s Residential Care Facility Services. This position will work with Offices across DHHS to coordinate care planning for youth with complex behavioral health needs, including supporting individualized service planning leveraging Vital Care/EPSDT under the Medicaid program. This position supports the development of state-wide policy and planning for the children’s behavioral health continuum of care, and will work with leadership to develop standards and guidelines to ensure that designated programs are implemented utilizing applicable evidence-based and best practices designed to support youth and families across the state.
Responsibilities include:
• Ensuring the DHHS mission is being fulfilled, as required by statute.
• Collaborating with the Office of MaineCare Services, Maine CDC, Maine Department of Corrections, Maine Department of Education, and external stakeholders as applicable to coordinate care across systems and inform development of new initiatives aimed at supporting children in their home and community.
• Offering technical assistance and guidance to community-based providers supporting treatment of youth with complex behavioral health needs.
• Recommending new and revised statutes, rules, policies, and procedures to improve Children’s Behavioral Health Services program effectiveness and operational efficiency.
• Supervising staff supporting the goals of CBHS and overseeing all aspects of CBHS services.
Minimum Qualifications:
Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in social service or mental health/developmental disabilities programs and a bachelor’s degree. At least three (3) years of the required experience must be in a supervisory and/or administrative capacity. Equivalent related work experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.
Preference will be given to applicants with a Master’s Degree and a current Maine LCSW, LCPC, or LMFT license.
The background of well-qualified candidates will demonstrate expertise in the following areas:
1. Extensive knowledge of the children’s behavioral health system of care, including evidence-based clinical treatment modalities and best practices, MaineCare services and Vital Care/EPSDT, and applicable rules, laws/statutes, regulations, policies, and procedures governing CBHS services.
2. Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, policy development, procedures and programs to improve responses to: behavioral health crises, barriers of access to community-based services, diverting/stepping down youth from restrictive environments/higher levels of care.
3. Experience collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, as well as state/department leadership to troubleshoot emergent clinical issues, identify and implement service innovations, and advocate for policy/statutory change, as necessary.
Please submit a cover letter addressing your skills and/or prior experience in each of the areas above.
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Agency information:
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.
The Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) within DHHS is responsible for providing leadership and active partnership in Maine’s comprehensive system of support to communities and individuals with substance use and mental health conditions through a network of community providers.
The OBH takes responsibility for a behavioral health continuum of care that serves the whole person and the whole community. We promote a population health approach that includes a full spectrum of services from prevention, to early intervention, treatment, crisis care, and recovery across the lifespan. Our role is to ensure Mainers with mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders are not just symptom free but living a life of dignity, hope, and meaning. We partner with providers, communities, and citizens to offer support, resources, education, training, technical assistance, and services.
Application Information:
For additional information about this position please contact Dean Bugaj, Associate Director of Children’s Behavioral Health Services at Dean.Bugaj@Maine.gov
To apply, please upload a recent resume and cover letter addressing each of the 3 preferred skills/experience areas above.
To request a paper application, please contact Mandy.Hernandez@Maine.gov
Benefits of working for the State of Maine:
No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:
- Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
- Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($11,196.96 - $12,514.32 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
- Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($387.92 annual value).
- Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 13.29% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS).
- Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive six weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.
Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for anything less than full-time.
There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.
As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.
If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.