Administrative Assistant​/Administrative Assistant Trainee, Office

Duties Description

The Office of Mental Health’s (OMH) Office of Advocacy and Peer Support Services (OAPSS) is recruiting to fill an Administrative Assistant 1, Grade 11, position. OAPSS operates statewide to promote and include mental health recipients in ensuring that mental health services and support reflect their needs, preferences, and, above all, support recovery. OAPSS facilitates input from service recipients into agency planning and policy development and plays a critical role in maintaining and encouraging ongoing communication and dialogue between state entities, contractors, mental health administrators, service providers, and current and former recipients of mental health services.

• Manage the calendar of the Director and Deputy Directors of the Office of Advocacy and Peer Support; schedule and arrange meetings, conferences and presentations; arrange travel and hotel accommodations.
• Communicate by phone, mail, email, fax, and in person with a variety of individuals, including executive and program staff from other State agencies, community providers, constituent groups, recipients and families; resolve immediate issues and determine appropriate routing of calls and correspondence.
• Provide occasional administrative support to state-wide advocacy specialists in Central Office and regional advocacy specialists located in the five OMH field offices statewide.
• Take meeting notes and/or minutes for meetings or events identified by the Director.
• Coordinate interagency activities and correspondence for department initiatives.
• Manage procurement activities including SFS reconciliation.
• Coordinate correspondence and reports from agencies, contractors and field staff.
• Manage the logistics of large virtual meetings including Webex and Zoom.
• Attend staff meetings virtual and in person, and take minutes.
• Coordinate staffing needs with spreadsheets and other documentation.
• Answer calls from the community and assign as appropriate.
• Be proficient in programs such as Excel, Word, Teams, One Note and Outlook.
• Fulfill other support duties, as assigned.

• Trainee 1: Six months of experience in administrative support, which includes use of office software (e.g., email, word processing), provision of customer service, business writing, and/or office administration. The selected candidate must pass a keyboarding test that demonstrates the ability to enter text at a rate of at least 30 words per minute with at least 96% accuracy by completion of probation.
• Trainee 2: One year of experience in administrative support, which includes use of office software (e.g., email, word processing), provision of customer service, business writing, and/or office administration. The selected candidate must pass a keyboarding test that demonstrates the ability to enter text at a rate of at least 30 words per minute with at least 96% accuracy by completion of probation.
• Journey: Two years of experience in administrative support, which includes use of office software (e.g., email, word processing), provision of customer service, business writing, and/or office administration. The selected candidate must pass a keyboarding test that demonstrates the ability to enter text at a rate of at least 30 words per minute with at least 96% accuracy by completion of probation.
• Transfer: Candidates must have permanent status as an Administrative Assistant 1, Grade 11, and be eligible for lateral transfer; OR be eligible to transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law.

The salary listed applies to candidates appointed to Administrative Assistant 1, SG-11. The salary for candidates appointed to Administrative Assistant Trainee 1 starts at $40,391 and, for current New York State employees, is based on the candidate’s salary at the time of hire.

Specific scheduled hours and 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 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 all employees’ unique attributes and skills are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency.

OMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.