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PMI Brochure

Section 1: Agency Information

Number of positions filled with this proposal

Agency Name

Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Dis

Agency Code

51000

Agency Website

www.omr.state.ny.us

Career Track

Agency Operations

Unit

Talent Development and Training Group

Unit Description

The New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) is responsible for the development of comprehensive plans, programs and services in the area of research, prevention, care, treatment, rehabilitation, education and training of approximately 140,000 individuals with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. OMRDD operates 13 regional offices known as Developmental Disabilities Services Offices (DDSOs) within geographically discrete catchment areas across New York State. These offices seek to provide specially designed person centered assistance to each individual with developmental disabilities as requested by that person or by his or her family. In partnership with consumers, families, staff, nonprofit providers and local governments, these DDSOs seek to improve the quality of life of individuals and their families through the provision of quality, cost-effective housing, employment and family support services.

A human services delivery system is only as strong as the quality and attitude of its workforce. To this end, the PMI will join the Talent Development and Training (TDT) Group within the newly created Division of Workforce and Talent Development. This Division serves as OMRDD's organizational backbone to increase professionalism in its workforce through a multi-pronged emphasis on training, staff development and talent management. Indeed, thanks in part, to the invaluable, comprehensive and ongoing staff skill development system harnessed by TDT staff, New Yorkers with disabilities are afforded the choices, opportunities and the high quality lifestyle for which our State is nationally recognized as a pioneer.

Throughout the two-year program, the PMI will be exposed to, and receive in depth, hands-on experience in all aspects of TDT functions which support core training efforts including:

1. The management of OMRDD's Catalog of Training and Development Programs which contains programs of interest to professional, clinical and direct support staff in both OMRDD's state and nonprofit sectors;

2. The operation of a statewide videoconferencing system, a multipurpose interactive training tool that combines the use of video, computer and communications technology to allow people in different locations to meet face-to-face;

3. The coordination of a variety of labor/management and negotiated contract employee benefits programs with an educational and training bent; and

4. Special high priority projects related to training and staff development as assigned by the OMRDD executive leadership team.

OMRDD is in the midst of an exciting internal agency restructuring and a significant enhancement of OMRDD service models. With a particular emphasis on the expansion of individualized services and person centered design to ensure supports are built primarily around the interests and needs of the person served and customized to the greatest extent possible.

The increased emphasis on individualized service design will shine a bright spotlight on training as an extension of the Governor Spitzer and Commissioner Ritter's putting people first philosophy. While much of the agency's mission remains focused on individuals with developmental disabilities, it will also hone in on OMRDD staff. As the Commissioner has stated, It doesn't matter what title you have, what grade level you have or what function you perform day-to-day&if you can't figure out how you are contributing to OMRDD's mission, we need to take a very close look at what you're doing and why. The PMI joining TDT will have a unique opportunity to assist in reinvigorating OMRDD's training and leadership development infrastructure so that it can invest in its most precious commodities: individuals and families with developmental disabilities and those who serve them and enrich their lives.

Section 2: Title Information

Journey Level Title: Senior Administrative Analyst
Street Address: 44 Holland Avenue
Line 2: 5th Floor
City: Albany
State: NY
Zip: 12229

Section 3: Supervisor Information

Name: Maryann Riviello
Title: Assistant Public Information Officer
Supervisor's Background: Maryann Riviello is the Project Director for OMRDD's five-year (2006-11) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Real Choice Systems Change Grant designed to transform the long-term care system of individuals with developmental disabilities across their life spans into one which is more individualized and person-driven, enabling such persons to reside in their own homes and participate fully in community life. During her 10 years with OMRDD, she has coordinated initiatives to strengthen the recruitment and retention of the direct support workforce, including the creation and implementation of an online learning management system, online Job Bank and job readiness training program. Prior to that, she spent nearly 15 years in a series of increasingly responsible legislative positions with the New York State Senate, most notably as the Director of the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee which helped merge the former Divisions of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (DAAA) and Substance Abuse Services (DSAS). She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science from Syracuse University and a master's degree in public administration from the State University at Albany's Rockefeller College. Ms. Riviello's diverse background in New York State government and previous experience interviewing and working with PMIs at OMRDD makes her ideally suited to supervise a new PMI.

Section 4: Mentor Information

Name

Suzanne Sennett

Title

Director of Enterprise Strategy

Mentor's Background

Suzanne Sennett is the head of OMRDD's newly created Office of Enterprise Strategy, working directly with OMRDD's Commissioner and Executive Deputy Commissioner in assessing and realigning OMRDD's organizational development and structure. A key goal will be eliminating service barriers for New York's developmentally disabled population, their families and the providers who support them. Other goals include promoting innovation at all levels within OMRDD, and developing dynamic and responsive strategies that can fluidly change to meet OMRDD's needs. Prior to joining OMRDD in 2007, Ms. Sennett was employed at the Office for Children and Families (OCFS), and brings more than 30 years of human service experience, both at the community level and in state government. Ms. Sennett was an early leader in creating statewide services for runaway and homeless youth. As a senior staff person at the Council on Children and Families throughout the 1980s, she was instrumental in realigning cross-system responses to youth in the juvenile justice systems, older homeless youth and teen parents. Ms. Sennett led a statewide project to restructure New York's approach to assisting foster care youth prepare for independent living. While at OCFS, she directed child care services for the state and shepherded that system through enormous growth and restructuring to be responsive to the needs of New York's working families.

Ms. Sennett's broad experience in human service delivery at the state policy level coupled with her past role as a PMI supervisor makes her an excellent mentor for the PMI intern.

Is mentor in the same unit/office as the supervisor?

Previously a PMI Mentor?

Section 5: Career Ladder

Title	Negotiating Unit	Salary Grade	Salary
Senior Admniv Analyst	PEF	18	45113
Assoc Admnv Analyst	PEF	23	58406
Prin Admnv Analyst	PEF	27	72029

Section 6: Intern Assignments

Activity

Assist in the administration of the CMS Real Choice Systems Change Grant

Description

In September 2006, OMRDD was one of eight states selected to receive funding from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the second year of its Real Choice Systems Change Grants for Community Living, joining 10 states which had received funding during the first round. OMRDD is using its five-year funding award, totaling $2.86 million, to transform the long-term care system of individuals with developmental disabilities across their life spans into one which is more individualized and person-driven, enabling such persons to reside in their own homes and participate fully in community life. Specifically, the funding is being used to advance three goals areas: (1) increase choice and control in the self-directed service delivery system; (2) create a system to more effectively manage funding for long-term supports that promote community living options; and (3) coordinate long-term supports with affordable and accessible housing. These goals will be achieved in the same collaborative and inclusive manner that has long been the hallmark of OMRDD's service delivery system. A Steering Committee, comprised of individuals with developmental disabilities, family members, provider associations, providers, advocates, and collaborating state agency representatives, was formed to guide the development and implementation of these goals. The first nine months of the grant (October 1, 2006 -- June 30, 2007) consisted of a comprehensive Strategic Planning process. The next 15 months (July 1, 2007 - September 30, 2008) feature the implementation of start-up activities and strategies outlined in the Plan's goals and objectives. At a grant kick-off meeting in September 2007, OMRDD senior staff noted that the deliverables outlined in the Strategic Plan are closely aligned with key components of the Commissioner's recently launched systems transformation agenda. The stakeholder committee organization, firm deadlines and reporting requirements associated with the grant will serve as the metaphorical and structural engines to fuel OMRDD's agency wide systems change efforts.

The PMI will assist the CMS grant project director in providing day-to-day management of the grant's Strategic Plan. The PMI will also work with project staff and associated subcommittees to offer input and guidance in project development and implementation. Additionally, he or she will help prepare fiscal, technical and progress reports, including schedules, deliverable lists and implementation plans, and help keep key OMRDD staff regularly apprised of the project's status.

Activity

Coordinate the activities of the Direct Support Workforce AdvisoryCommittee

Description

On a parallel track, in September 2006, just as OMRDD received word about the above-mentioned CMS Real Choice Systems Change grant, CMS also awarded the agency a one-year technical assistance grant through the newly created National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center. OMRDD used the expertise provided by the Resource Center to examine a wide range of direct support workforce issues centered on three areas: training; career paths and improving the recruitment and retention of workers; and developing the workforce that serves self-directing individuals. An advisory group, consisting of a cross-section of stakeholders including individuals with developmental disabilities, families, provider agencies, trade associations and OMRDD staff was formed to guide the work of this grant. At the conclusion of this grant in August 2007, OMRDD was awarded an additional year of technical assistance from the Resource Center for several projects related to strengthening the frontline workforce.

Because the workforce-related activities identified by the Choice Subcommittee in the Real Choice grant strategic plan were so closely aligned with the ongoing work of the technical assistance grant, the work of the two grants is being carried out by combining the membership of each grant's stakeholder group into a single Direct Support Workforce (DSW) Advisory Committee. The PMI will serve as a liaison between the DSW and grant project staff to design an ongoing advisory process to guide OMRDD efforts to recruit and retain a high quality workforce. Additionally, the PMI will assist a separately formed State Employees Training Issues (SETI) Workgroup in an internal review of its state direct support workforce core competencies and training curriculum for developmental aides and frontline supervisors.

Section 7: Development Activities

Intra-departmental Activities: Through the assignments described above, he or she will develop project management, meeting and presentation skills by formulating meeting agendas, leading meetings and compiling meeting reports and other documents for various internal and external audiences. The PMI will regularly interact with high level employees of other units within OMRDD that intersect with the work of TDT. The PMI's work will require occasional travel to DDSO locations throughout the state to monitor and coordinate the training activities of staff employed in local Staff Development and Training (SDT) offices. As mentioned previously, the PMI will also be exposed to various interdepartmental and external stakeholder committees in Central Office including the CMS Real Choice grant Steering Committee, subcommittees and workgroups; the DSW Advisory Committee; the Training Directors workgroup; the State Employees Training Issues workgroup and various statewide labor/management committees. All in all, the PMI experience in TDT is an excellent opportunity to gain a big-picture mission-based perspective of the inner workings of a large agency with decentralized regional offices.
Inter-departmental Activities: The PMI will be encouraged to attend all PMI training sessions sponsored by the Department of Civil Service (DCS). In addition, there will be opportunities to attend training sponsored by the Governor's Office of Employee Relations (GOER). Examples of these courses include Practical Skills for Supervisors, The Executive Budget Process, and Fundamental Team and Meeting Skills. The PMI will be encouraged to attend OMRDD-sponsored training events that are directed at professional development and philosophy of service provision. Examples of these programs include Advanced Medicaid, Basic Investigations, Person Centered Planning, Quality Assurance Process, and The Individualized Service Plan. There will also be opportunities for the PMI to network with other OMRDD PMI participants during special training sessions and programs.

Section 8: Rotational Assignments

Agency Code: 51000
Location: Schenectady
Program Area: Personnel Office
Is rotation internal or external?: External
Duration: 7-9 Weeks
Description: Near the end of the PMI's first year at OMRDD, he or she will spend four to eight weeks in the Personnel Office at Capital District DDSO. The Capital District DDSO's Personnel Office is overseen by a former PMI, who reports directly to the DDSO director. Capital District DDSO has approximately 1,700 employees at work locations spread out across nine counties. OMRDD's DDSOs not only offer a different environment than OMRDD Central Office, but they also encounter different challenges. The specific rotational assignment will be tailored to the individual interests of the PMI and the workload of the Personnel Office at that time. Examples of activities in which the PMI may be involved will include, but not be limited to: review and implementation of alternative posting and bidding techniques (requiring exposure to labor-management issues); review of current Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) procedures with an eye toward future policy recommendations; administration of Civil Services tests for the Developmental Aide title; and participation in local labor-management discussions. Spending time at both Central Office and a DDSO will provide the PMI with a better understanding of the administrative and policymaking relationship between a large agency with a constellation of strong, decentralized regional offices.

Agency Code

51000

Location

To be determined

Program Area

Control agency

Is rotation internal or external?

External

Duration

7-9 Weeks

Description

In the middle of the PMI's second year, he or she will rotate to a different state agency for four to eight weeks to work on various human resources related tasks. Department of Civil Service or GOER would offer an ideal environment for the PMI to learn about the operations of a different, though complementary state agency. Both of these control agencies have a strong focus on human resources related activities with several programs in the field of staff training and development. Exposure to these agencies will help the PMI gain a better understanding of the inner administrative workings of state government.

The specific rotational assignment will be tailored to the individual interests of the PMI and the workload of the assigned agency at that point in time. During the rotation, the PMI will have the opportunity to create, observe, facilitate, or provide training that support mutual goals shared by all state agencies. Overall, the rotation will provide a broader perspective on common training themes shared by state agencies.

Department of Civil Service

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