Maine’s Director of Disaster Behavioral Health
AdCare Educational Institute (AEI) of Maine, Inc., working with the Maine
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Maine Center for Disease Control
and Prevention, announces a full time position for a statewide behavioral health disaster
director. The position requires a strong clinician/educator with demonstrated interest in
disaster behavioral health to fill the position of Maine’s Director of Disaster Behavioral
Health who is responsible for developing and coordinating the statewide behavioral
health response system. Strong knowledge of disaster preparedness, administrative,
clinical skills are essential. Valuable additional skills include knowledge of Maine’s
public health infrastructure and Maine child/adult behavioral health systems.
Preference will be given to applicants with a Masters in social work, psychology,
sociology, counseling, counseling education, nursing or public health. This position is
based within AEI of Maine, Inc. with a strong collaborative relationship with the Maine
CDC, Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Office of Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services, Maine DHHS. AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc.
is an AA/EEO Employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities are
strongly encouraged to apply. Excellent compensation and benefit package offered.
To request a complete job description or submit a resume and cover letter contact:
Tammy McLaughlin
AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc.
75 Stone Street
Augusta, ME 04330
TEL# 207-626.3615
FAX# 207-621-2550
TTY# 711
JOB INFORMATION
Organization Name: AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc. in cooperation with
Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
Title: Director of Disaster Behavioral Health
Full-time/Part-time: Full-Time
Salary: negotiable, to reflect experience
City/Town Location: Augusta
Facility Location: AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, 75 Stone St, Augusta, ME
Maine CDC, Public Health Emergency Preparedness, 286 Water St., Augusta, ME
Application Deadline: Friday – June 14, 2013
Duties:
AdCare Educational Institute of Maine is seeking a strong public health / clinician /
educator with demonstrated interest in providing disaster behavioral health services to fill
the position of Maine’s Director Disaster Behavioral Health in developing the statewide
behavioral health response system. The position is a high level strategic planning and
systems development assignment, requiring the individual to organize and focus the
efforts of many state and private service systems and resources, as directed by AdCare in
coordination with CDC leadership.
Specific Duties include:
 Collect data and report to Maine CDC Emergency Preparedness on CDC/HRSA
deliverable;
 Work with DHHS Behavioral Health Leadership, AdCare Program Staff, and the
Statewide Planning Committee to deliver curriculum content for behavioral health
professionals and natural helpers who will be behavioral health first responders;
 Collaborate with AdCare to provide trainings for behavioral health first responders,
including continuing education and response skills development. Maintain list of
trainings by date, audience, subject matter;
 Collaborate with AdCare to maintain an on-call roster of trained behavioral health
first responders;
 Respond to requests for behavioral health responders, mobilize and coordinate the
team response;
 Staff the Maine Behavioral Health seat within the Maine Emergency Management
Agency Emergency Operations Center, including carrying a 24/7 cell phone and
responding as needed as a member of the Emergency Response Team;
 Participate in training for and coordinate application for Crisis Counseling Program
grant in the event of a disaster;
 Work with Maine CDCs Volunteer Management Coordinator to register behavioral
health professionals into the Maine CDCs Emergency System for the Advanced
Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (Maine Responds);
 Work with Maine CDC Medical Reserve Corps State Coordinator to ensure
collaboration among behavioral health response operations;
 Collaborate with Maine CDC Emergency Preparedness Program to enhance the
networking capacity and training of health care professionals in the recognition,
treatment and coordination of care related to the behavioral health consequences of
public health emergencies. Offer subject matter trainings as requested;.
 Work with Maine CDC to address worker self care and safety for laboratory and
medical workers and Public Health workforce;
 Maintain and update the state Disaster Behavioral Health curriculum, including
ensuring that all modules contain current references and accurate field work
representations;
 Develop content for disaster behavioral health website including relevant links to
emergency planning web sites and federal resources;
 Integrate state disaster behavioral health response plan with state and CDC
Emergency Planning disaster response plan;
 Review all relevant Homeland Security, FEMA, NRP, CDC, HRSA and web sites for
laws, policies and goals with potential relevance to behavioral health;
 Regularly review web sites for SAMSHA, National Center for PTSD, behavioral
health literature for updated information on evidence based treatments;
 Coordinate with AdCare to manage a statewide listserve for distribution of relevant
disaster behavioral health materials to both behavioral health and emergency
planners;
 Support development of regional disaster response plans in collaboration with
Maine’s three healthcare Coalitions and at behavioral health provider organizations
that are integrated with current JCAHO requirements but also with the National
Response Plan and with priorities as specified by Maine CDC Emergency Planning,
including full implementation of NIMS;
 Attend all relevant meetings Maine CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Program at Maine CDC as well as Emergency Planning and MEMA, to ensure
inclusion of behavioral health issues in planning, training and drills for an all-hazards
response system;
 Engage mental/behavioral health providers to ensure participation into state, regional
or local emergency preparedness exercises and trainings;
 Work with the Maine CDC Exercise and Training Coordinator to ensure
mental/behavioral health are included in all future exercises and drills. Facilitate
participation of behavioral health volunteers. Keep list of those drills in which
behavioral health participated and lessons learned. Participate in HSEEP-compliant
drill planning and execution;
 Develop a strategy for public education regarding disaster behavioral health among
healthcare organizations;
 Perform duties assigned by the Maine CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Director during public health emergency response and recovery operations;
 Act as a liaison to statewide emergency, mental health, public health, substance
abuse, medical and disaster preparedness stakeholders;
 Participate as Maine CDC representative for behavioral health in regional and
community trainings, planning sessions, drills;
 Participate as Maine CDC representative for behavioral health in disaster recovery
operations;
 Perform other duties as requested.
Supervision:
S/he will be supervised administratively by AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc.
The individual will work under the programmatic guidance of AdCare in cooperation
with the Maine CDC, Public Health Emergency Preparedness.
Qualifications:
REQUIRED WORK EXPERIENCE: At least three years of full-time, or equivalent parttime, professional experience in mental health, behavioral health, public health, or
disaster preparedness. Based on assignment to second-level supervisory positions, at
least two years of experience must have been in a project management capacity.
REQUIRED EDUCATION: A Master's or higher degree in the following: mental health,
social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, counseling education, nursing, public
health or other relevant field.
REQUIRED LICENSES: Licensure in a professional discipline required.
- Based on assignment, travel will be required. Employees who use a motor vehicle for
travel must have a current and valid Maine Class D Motor Vehicle Operator's license or
the equivalent from another state.
Preferred Qualifications:
 Familiarity with the Incident Command System and National Incident Management
System, and other relevant FEMA trainings;
 Familiarity with clinical and research issues regarding the psychological and
emotional effects of disasters on victims and relief workers;
 Familiarity with Maine’s public health infrastructure;
 Skill/knowledge of the identification, assessment, and treatment of common mental
health and substance abuse symptoms and syndromes that frequently follow a
disaster;
 Knowledge about psychological first aid.
 Familiarity with all hazards disaster planning, state emergency management
response, national response plan
 Familiarity with issues for health care providers in all hazards planning and
response
 Excellent communication and teaching skills;
 Experience in policy, procedure, and protocol development and writing response
plans
 Administrative experience in grants management and reporting
Comments:
Application Instructions:
Mail cover letter and resume to:
Tammy McLaughlin
AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc.
75 Stone Street
Augusta, ME 04330
FAX# 207-621-2550
TEL# 207-626.3615
TTY# 711