RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, Inc.

New York State Psychiatric Institute Division
1051 Riverside Drive - Unit 33, New York, NY 10032
(212) 543-1414 (212) 543-6070

October 15, 2008
REVISED JOB POSTING

POSITION: Research Scientist Level IV-NL Grade 27
Salary: $76,417.00 - $84,357.00 + $3,026.00 Location Pay

DEPARTMENT: MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH AND POLICY

DUTIES: New York State Office of Mental Health and Department of Health have established a major policy initiative to improve the quality and efficiency of psychotropic prescribing practices in NYS. The project is based on the adaptation and expansion of a successful OMH program to the Medicaid population. OMH has developed the Psychiatric Services and Clinical Knowledge Enhancement System (PSYCKES), a web-based tool for presenting clinical information and quality improvement data at all levels of the service system through a series of linked reports: state, regional, county, agency, program, and recipient. PSYCKES has been successfully used to dramatically reduce antipsychotic polypharmacy in OMH operated hospitals, and has won state and national awards for innovation. Expansion to the Medicaid population will focus initially on psychotropic polypharmacy, and will address other indicators of quality and efficiency over time. This initiative is designed to support Medicaid Reform efforts, and to improve the quality, safety, and cost effectiveness of the Medicaid program. A Research Scientist Data Analyst is sought to help support this expansion through the Supporting Science initiative. The incumbent will work under the Director of the Data Analysis Core, and will be expected to take lead on the economic modeling, working with a large degree of independence but some general guidance from the Director. The Research Scientist will have major responsibilities for all phases of any research assigned by the Director, including problem definition, developing statistical methods, executing analyses, interpretation of results, and writing up findings using the Medicaid data and other large administrative datasets in support of the initiative. This work will require the application of sophisticated modeling techniques, and creative methodological approaches. Findings will be used to support the project, inform state policy, and impact service delivery. It is expected that findings will also be of academic interest, and will be published in peer reviewed journals. It is also expected that the incumbent will coordinate the economic modeling aspects, supervising a subcommittee on economic work, and directing other research scientists and consultants in this work.

EDUCATION: Doctorate and two years of professional research experience in the appropriate field, a master's degree and four years of such experience, or a bachelor's degree and five years of such experience. Appropriate fields include Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Economics, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Public Health, or a related field.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE: Preference will be given to candidates with · A PhD · Training in economics and cost modeling · Experience in research in economics, and prescribing practices · Experience analyzing large state or federal databases, e.g. Medicaid database with greater than one million individuals · Experience with propensity score matching or other strategies for developing controls in large databases · Expertise in sophisticated data modeling techniques · Expertise in using SAS · Experience with mental health populations and providers · Knowledge of psychotropic medications · Experience working with a team · Experience working independently · Peer reviewed scientific publications. · Experience presenting to both scientific and lay audiences. · Experience in developing federally funded grants.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to work effectively with a multidisciplinary, intra and inter-agency team.

CONTACT: Phone: 212-543-1414
Fax: 212-543-6070
Email: skrobal@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu

Interested persons should respond, in writing, to the Research Foundation Personnel office, NYS Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive - Unit 33, New York, NY 10032. Telephone (212) 543-1414. The Research Foundation, an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, is a private not-for-profit corporation and is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits.

Posting ref.#: RF20080025/1019

POSITION:	Research Scientist Level IV-NL Grade 27
	Salary: $76,417.00 - $84,357.00 + $3,026.00 Location Pay

DEPARTMENT:	MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH AND POLICY

DUTIES:	New York State Office of Mental Health and Department of Health have established a major policy initiative to improve the quality and efficiency of psychotropic prescribing practices in NYS. The project is based on the adaptation and expansion of a successful OMH program to the Medicaid population. OMH has developed the Psychiatric Services and Clinical Knowledge Enhancement System (PSYCKES), a web-based tool for presenting clinical information and quality improvement data at all levels of the service system through a series of linked reports: state, regional, county, agency, program, and recipient. PSYCKES has been successfully used to dramatically reduce antipsychotic polypharmacy in OMH operated hospitals, and has won state and national awards for innovation. Expansion to the Medicaid population will focus initially on psychotropic polypharmacy, and will address other indicators of quality and efficiency over time. This initiative is designed to support Medicaid Reform efforts, and to improve the quality, safety, and cost effectiveness of the Medicaid program. A Research Scientist Data Analyst is sought to help support this expansion through the Supporting Science initiative. The incumbent will work under the Director of the Data Analysis Core, and will be expected to take lead on the economic modeling, working with a large degree of independence but some general guidance from the Director. The Research Scientist will have major responsibilities for all phases of any research assigned by the Director, including problem definition, developing statistical methods, executing analyses, interpretation of results, and writing up findings using the Medicaid data and other large administrative datasets in support of the initiative. This work will require the application of sophisticated modeling techniques, and creative methodological approaches. Findings will be used to support the project, inform state policy, and impact service delivery. It is expected that findings will also be of academic interest, and will be published in peer reviewed journals. It is also expected that the incumbent will coordinate the economic modeling aspects, supervising a subcommittee on economic work, and directing other research scientists and consultants in this work.

EDUCATION:	Doctorate and two years of professional research experience in the appropriate field, a master's degree and four years of such experience, or a bachelor's degree and five years of such experience. Appropriate fields include Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Economics, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Public Health, or a related field.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE:	Preference will be given to candidates with · A PhD · Training in economics and cost modeling · Experience in research in economics, and prescribing practices · Experience analyzing large state or federal databases, e.g. Medicaid database with greater than one million individuals · Experience with propensity score matching or other strategies for developing controls in large databases · Expertise in sophisticated data modeling techniques · Expertise in using SAS · Experience with mental health populations and providers · Knowledge of psychotropic medications · Experience working with a team · Experience working independently · Peer reviewed scientific publications. · Experience presenting to both scientific and lay audiences. · Experience in developing federally funded grants.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:	Must be able to work effectively with a multidisciplinary, intra and inter-agency team.

CONTACT:	Phone: 212-543-1414 Fax: 212-543-6070 Email: skrobal@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu

Interested persons should respond, in writing, to the Research Foundation Personnel office, NYS Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive - Unit 33, New York, NY 10032. Telephone (212) 543-1414. The Research Foundation, an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, is a private not-for-profit corporation and is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits.

Posting ref.#: RF20080025/1019