Deputy Director, Mental Hygiene Legal Service

Garden City, United States

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

STATE OF NEW YORK, UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM

ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 52560

POSITION TITLE: DEPUTY DIRECTOR, MENTAL HYGIENE LEGAL SERVICE JG: 32

LOCATION: MENTAL HYGIENE LEGAL SERVICE GARDEN CITY, NASSAU COUNTY

BASE SALARY: $137,325 + $4,920 Location Pay

CLASSIFICATION: EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL

QUALIFICATIONS: Admission to the New York State Bar and six (6) years of social casework, legal or administrative experience in the mental health field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

To be qualified for this position, you must have a valid driver’s license and a properly registered automobile for use in performing official duties away from your assigned station.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF WORK: A Deputy Director of the Mental Hygiene Legal Service (MHLS) is responsible to the Director for providing assistance in all aspects of the day-to-day management of the Service, which provides legal representation to patients who are under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Mental Hygiene. A Deputy Director provides guidance and supervision to a staff of lawyers and support staff working in several branch units, participates in policy development, analyzes legal issues and questions, and performs other related duties.

ASSIGNMENT: The Deputy Director assists the Director in managing all aspects of the day-to-day operations of MHLS, which consists of the Departmental Office and 18 field offices located throughout the ten counties of the Second Judicial Department, including direct oversight of the offices in the 10th Judicial District. The Deputy Director supports and works in collaboration with the Director, including formulating and implementing legal, administrative and other substantive policy; selecting, training, developing, supervising and evaluating staff; assigning cases, research and legal work to attorneys; providing ongoing guidance and instruction; reviewing completed work; organizing special projects on an ad-hoc basis; deploying the workforce; analyzing workload data and statistical reports; and drafting confidential memoranda and reports that draw conclusions and offer recommendations. The Deputy Director will also aid in the direct supervision of the administrative staff in the Departmental Office supporting the human resources, fiscal, operational, records management, facility-related and automation needs of the agency. Additional duties include, but are not limited to, reviewing legislation and judicial opinions for impact on the agency; representing the Director at meetings with stakeholders; making presentations regarding the agency’s work; and conducting research on complex legal issues. Qualified applicants must have a thorough knowledge of the New York State Mental Hygiene Law and related statutes and regulations, as well as a working familiarity with the administrative processes and policies of the New York State Unified Court System. A strong working knowledge of the Mental Hygiene Legal Service’s Case Management System (MCMS) is preferred. Excellent supervisory, interpersonal and communication skills are required, as well as the ability to handle sensitive matters in a confidential manner.

GENERAL INFORMATION: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this title. They do not include all job duties performed by employees in the title, and every position does not necessarily require these duties. Although a position is available and situated at a specific location, the appointee may be subject to reassignment to any position in the same title in this promotion unit dependent upon the needs of the Unified Court System. All applications received from this announcement may be used to fill any vacancies in this title that may occur in this court or agency within the next six (6) months. Position(s) available at the present time: 1.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES: All interested persons meeting the minimum qualifications are encouraged to submit a UCS-5 Application for Employment form (obtainable from any administrative office in a court building or on the web at www.nycourts.gov/careers/UCS5.pdf), a cover letter, and resume to MHLS2-HR@nycourts.gov.

APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMPLETE THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY DATA COLLECTION FORM.

POSTING DATE: September 15, 2025 APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED OR RECEIVED BY: October 13, 2025

The New York State Unified Court System is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy and gender identity or expression), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $137,325.00 per year

Benefits: