REGIONAL COMMUNITY FORENSIC LIAISON - 60007008

Requisition No: 881844 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: REGIONAL COMMUNITY FORENSIC LIAISON - 60007008

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 60007008 

Salary:  $53,917.08 - $70,000.00 Annually 

Posting Closing Date: 08/20/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state of Florida’s social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and public assistance. The agency’s mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services. The Office of SAMH is statutorily responsible for the planning, evaluation, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION RESPONSES TO THE QUALIFYING QUESTIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE VERIFIABLE BASED ON YOUR SUBMITTED APPLICATION.

THIS IS NOT A TELEWORK POSITION.  CANDIDATE WILL BE REQUIRED TO WORK IN THE TALLAHASSEE OFFICE.

This is a highly responsible and professional position serving as the Lead - Regional Community Forensic Liaison within Forensic and Civil Services. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative team player who works seamlessly across all sections within the program office. This role requires the use of independent judgment, a proactive approach to responsibilities, and exceptional attention to detail. If you are driven, organized, and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:

• This position provides regional oversight of the Department’s community-based system of care for individuals committed, or at risk of commitment, under Chapter 916, Florida Statutes. It serves as a regional liaison to circuit courts, criminal justice and mental health partners, community providers, managing entities, regional counsel, and state treatment facilities. The role focuses on expanding Florida’s capacity to support individuals involved in both the mental health and criminal justice systems who may otherwise require secure facility placement.
• Key responsibilities include delivering training on forensic statutes and practices, promoting evidence-based and community-based services, supporting diversion opportunities, and advancing least restrictive treatment options. The position also contributes to program development, data analysis, community outreach, conducts community-based training, and leads quality improvement projects. Independent judgment and initiative are essential.

• The lead worker provides statewide and regional leadership for Florida’s community based forensic system of care. This position offers daily guidance and direction to unit staff, serves as a subject matter expert in community and forensic behavioral health, and ensures consistent application of policies, procedures, and best practices across all regions. The lead worker oversees coordination of diversion activities, pre commitment and post commitment processes, and seamless transitions to and from State Mental Health Treatment Facilities (SMHTFs). The role leverages community resources to support timely placements, facilitates cross system service coordination, and strengthens statewide continuity of care for individuals involved in the forensic system.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with community providers, Managing Entities, State Attorneys, Public Defenders, Circuit Judges, jails, law enforcement, forensic evaluators, and state facilities to ensure coordinated, least restrictive pathways for individuals involved in the forensic system. Work with region stakeholders and managing entity to identify trends and performance improvement opportunities regarding diversions, conditional release and continuity of care.
• Provide targeted technical assistance to circuit liaisons, forensic case managers, managing entities, court and jail staff, criminal justice partners, and treatment facility staff to strengthen regional forensic operations.
• Deliver coordinated presentations and training sessions to judges, attorneys, circuit court staff, DCF regional and facility teams, managing entity staff, forensic evaluators, and educators to enhance understanding of forensic needs and promote diversion best practices.
• Monitor regional trends and performance data with the state mental health treatment facilities, managing entities and stakeholders to identify gaps, drive improvement strategies, and support effective diversion, conditional release, discharge planning and continuity-of-care processes. Identify and address systemic barriers that limit diversion opportunities or impede timely community placements for individuals at risk of commitment.
• Assist circuit courts and agency legal counsel by providing expert guidance on cases involving individuals committed, or at risk of commitment, under Chapter 916, Florida Statutes.
• Collect, validate, and analyze regional forensic data into required systems; develop ad hoc reports, interpret trends, and prepare written analyses and recommendations for leadership.
• Conduct research on evidence based and emerging best practices and assist with statewide implementation of strategies that improve outcomes for forensic individuals.
• Leadership: Program Oversite, and Supervisory Support: Serves in a lead capacity for statewide and regional forensic operations and provides operational coverage and continuity in the supervisor’s absence. Provides guidance, consultation, and technical assistance CFL team and assists with resolving complex cases involving individuals committed to the Department.
• Leadership: Support administrative and operational unit functions, including leave coordination, workforce planning, and human resource related activities in the absence of the unit manager.
• Leadership: Leads or supports the development, implementation, and standardization of statewide forensic policies, procedures, protocols, correspondence, reports, and operational practices. Provides statewide and regional technical assistance and consultation to strengthen forensic program operations and promote consistent application of statutory and program requirements. Assists with standardizing discharge planning processes from SMHTFs to community providers, including development of protocols designed to support timely and appropriate placement, conditional release, continuity of care, and successful community transition.
• Leadership: Serves in a lead capacity for statewide and regional forensic operations and provides operational coverage and continuity in the supervisor’s absence. Oversee the collection, validation, analysis, and monitoring of statewide and regional forensic program data and performance measures to ensure accuracy, consistency, and timely reporting.  Prepare ad hoc reports, written analyses, trend summaries, and recommendations for leadership. to support data-driven decision-making and strategic planning. Develop and recommend improvement strategies related to forensic diversion, conditional release, discharge planning, community placement, continuity of care, and other areas affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of Florida’s forensic mental health system
• Leadership: Represent the Department at statewide meetings, trainings, workgroups, and external forums; facilitate collaboration among partners and support advancement of statewide initiatives.
• Performs other duties as required to meet program and departmental goals and objectives.

The Ideal Candidate Will Possess the Ability To:

• Engage cooperatively and professionally with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously with agility and precision.
• Demonstrate flexibility and the ability to succeed both independently and with minimal direction.
• Understand and align with the vision of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program, executing projects, assignments, and policy updates accurately and on time in a fast-paced environment.
• Collaborate effectively within a team while also excelling when working independently.
• Analyze challenges and propose thoughtful, practical solutions to complex problems.
• Conduct thorough research to identify and recommend the most strategic and effective course of action—the best “yes.”

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Knowledge of basic management principles and practices.
• Knowledge of the methods of data collection and analysis.
• Ability to coordinate a consultative program designed to ensure the resolution of managerial and operational problems.
• Ability to determine work priorities and ensure proper completion of work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to assess budgetary needs.
• Ability to formulate policies and procedures.
• Ability to understand and apply applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures relating to operational and management analysis activities.
• Ability to organize data into logical format for presentation in reports, documents and other written materials.
• Ability to collect, evaluate and analyze data to develop alternative recommendations, solve problems, document work and other activities relating to the improvement of operational and management practices.
• Ability to conduct fact finding research.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to solve problems and make decisions.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree from a college or university in the related field of psychology, social work, or criminal justice is preferred and four years of criminal justice experience.
• A master's degree from a college or university in the above referenced related fields can substitute for one year of the required experience.
• Professional experience as described above can substitute on a year-for-year basis for the preferred college education.

Preference will be given to applicants who have:

• Previous management/project oversight experience, with experience overseeing multiple tasks/priorities.
• Experience providing training and technical assistance to individuals, agencies, communities and/or counties entities.
• Experience with meeting planning/facilitation and use of innovative media/technology.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills, experience with technical writing for professional audiences.
• Experience in mental health treatment, particularly as related to justice-involved populations.

Candidate Profile (application) Requirements:

Candidate Profile (application) must be complete in its entirety.

• Work History - entered with the most recent/current listed first:
• Any and all State of Florida jobs
• Any and all Florida University jobs
• All periods of employment
• Periods of unemployment
• Gaps 3 months or more*
• Education
• Volunteer Experience
• Include supervisor names and phone numbers including current place of employment.
• *Gaps 3 months or more must be addressed – you will need to account for and explain any gaps in employment including unemployment. You can either list these in your application under Period of Employment or attach a word document listing your gaps.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications.
• If claiming Right to First Interview, candidate MUST attach a copy of your official layoff letter when applying. This only applies to employees laid off from Career Service positions.

If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at (877) 562-7287.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

• Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits.
• For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

DCF EMPLOYMENT DISCLOSURES

US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT Only US citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers will be hired.

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM REGISTRATION All selected male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS).  Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov.

RETIREE NOTICE If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.

BACKGROUND SCREENING It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and Chapter 408, F.S.  No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.  Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.

#SAMH

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.