Director Of Nursing 1

Director Of Nursing 1

Office/On-site

Recruitment # 260930-2751MP-001

Location New Haven, CT

Date Opened 10/8/2026 12:00:00 AM

Salary $131,219* - $178,920/year (*New State employees normally start at the minimum)

Job Type Open to the Public

Close Date 10/19/2026 11:59:00 PM

Go Back Apply View Benefits (https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/jobs/?b=Benefits)

• Introduction

Do you want to make a difference while participating in a dynamic and reciprocal health care environment in the public sector?

If so, we have an excellent opportunity for you to help lead our hospital’s team!

The Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC) (https://portal.ct.gov/dmhas/cmhc/agency-files/cmhc-home-page) , under the umbrella of the State of Connecticut (https://portal.ct.gov/) , Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS (https://portal.ct.gov/DMHAS/About-DMHAS/Agency/About-DMHAS) ) is seeking an experienced and qualified individual to join our team as a Director of Nursing 1 (https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/specs/classspecdisplay.asp?ClassNumber=2751MP&LinkSpec=RecruitNum2&R1=&R3=) (PCN 142083) in New Haven. This position will provide clinical and administrative oversight within our mental health center, and ensure that our center complies with regulatory oversight requirements. Find out more information on this great opportunity below!

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:

• Work Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week

• Work Shift: First shift, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

• Location: 34 Park St, New Haven, CT

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:

• Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview (https://www.jobapscloud.com/CT/jobs/?b=Benefits) page!

• Professional growth and development opportunities.

• A healthy work/life balance ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6n9M1Qd5fo) to all employees.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

• Provide clinical and administrative supervision, conduct staff evaluations, and maintain effective nursing leadership across inpatient and ambulatory settings.

• Conduct routine rounds to identify care, practice, and service issues, and implement corrective action plans to uphold regulatory standards.

• Oversee staffing patterns, ensure adequate unit and shift coverage, and support staff competency through training and development programs.

• Plan, manage, and evaluate nursing and clinical activities; develop program goals, objectives, and policies aligned with current standards and research.

• Maintain stakeholder relationships, ensure safe and high‑quality patient care, and lead quality improvement initiatives for nursing services.

• Build productive teams, intervene in crises, investigate incidents, and prepare necessary reports while leading and participating in meetings.

• Coordinate 24‑hour nursing coverage, support recruitment and hiring efforts, provide direct patient care as needed, and represent nursing services when appropriate.

MORE ABOUT THE AGENCY AND FACILITIES:

The State of Connecticut, ( https://portal.ct.gov/) Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS (http://www.ct.gov/dmhas/cwp/view.asp?a=2899&q=334082) ), is a health care agency whose mission is to promote the overall health and wellness of persons with behavioral health needs through an integrated network of holistic, comprehensive, effective, and efficient services and supports that foster dignity, respect, and self-sufficiency in those we serve.

The Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC) (https://portal.ct.gov/dmhas/cmhc/agency-files/cmhc---about-the-agency) is an urban community mental health center with an exceptional 60-year tradition of serving individuals with serious mental illness and/or addiction. Founded in 1966, CMHC is a partnership between DHMAS and the Yale Department of Psychiatry. Each year over 4,000 people receive a variety of recovery-oriented services at CMHC and its satellite clinics.

CMHC is nationally recognized for its scientific research into the causes and treatment of mental illness and addiction. The Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities include multiple research programs in a variety of areas. CMHC is also a major training site for individuals pursuing careers in mental health fields including psychiatry, psychology, social work, nursing, and pastoral care.

Start with us! Stay with us! Grow with us!

Please note:

• A comprehensive medical examination, including a drug screening, will be required of all applicants upon a conditional offer of employment.

• All state employees must adhere to Connecticut's Policy for a Drug Free Workplace (https://portal.ct.gov/das/-/media/das/statewide-hr/a---z-listing-task-pdfs/drug-free-workplace-policy--february-2016.pdf) .

Selection Plan

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:

Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Toolkit (https://jobapscloud.com/CT/jobs/?b=KIT) for additional support throughout the recruitment process.

BEFORE YOU APPLY:

• Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.

• Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below by the closing date listed on the job posting.

• Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69 (https://www.cga.ct.gov/2021/act/pa/pdf/2021PA-00069-R00SB-00056-PA.pdf) , resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency.

• Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.

• Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing [email protected].

• Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.

• Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.

AFTER YOU APPLY:

• Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates—such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links—please check your Personal Status Board regularly.

• For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board and select “Update My Contact Information.”

• Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).

• Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression!

• Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.

• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.

• Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.

• This employer may participate in E‑Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I‑9 information to confirm work authorization.

QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP:

Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Joseph K. Fried at [email protected].

Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Departments of Children and Families, Developmental Services, Mental Health and Addiction Services and Veterans Affairs this class is accountable for directing nursing services or other clinical services.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Directs or assists with direction of staff and operation of nursing/clinical department;

• Directs or assists with planning and managing of nursing/clinical activities;

• Develops or assists with formulation of program goals and objectives;

• Develops or assists in development of related policy incorporating current nursing/clinical research and professionally recognized standards;

• Develops or assists in development and implementation of plans for care;

• Interprets and administers pertinent laws;

• Evaluates staff;

• Prepares or assists in preparation of budget;

• Maintains contacts with individuals both within and outside of department who might impact on program activities;

• Makes rounds to determine quality of nursing care;

• Assures optimal quality of care is provided in a safe environment;

• Develops and/or implements effective ongoing programs to measure, assess and improve quality of nursing care, treatment and services delivered to patients;

• Oversees programming for facility personnel to improve knowledge and practices of infection control;

• Develops productive work teams; intervenes in crisis situations and investigates all unusual incidents;

• Protects human and civil rights of patients and/or clients and staff;

• Compiles data and prepares periodic reports;

• Leads and participates in meetings;

• Responsible for coordinating and providing twenty-four hour nursing coverage for facility or assigned unit(s);

• Participates in the recruitment and hiring of staff, including outreach, interview and selection;

• May provide direct patient and/or client care;

• May speak on behalf of nursing/clinical services;

• May oversee other disciplines including but not limited to pharmacy, respiratory therapy or social work;

• May participate in strategic planning;

• Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

• Considerable knowledge of nursing principles and practices in appropriate specialty;

• Knowledge of

• and ability to apply management principles and practices;

• and ability to develop strategic plans;

• behavioral health nursing;

• nursing administration;

• interviewing and counseling techniques;

• principles and practices of infection control related to infections and preventable diseases;

• current developments in field of nursing including current complexities of the healthcare industry;

• trend variance analysis;

• governmental accounting and budgeting;

• marketing;

• Considerable

• interpersonal skills;

• oral and written communication skills.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Two (2) years of experience in an administrative or supervisory capacity in a health care organization and/or facility or hospital nursing.

Note: For state employees this experience is interpreted at the level of a Supervising Nurse.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working on an inpatient unit with 3 shifts

• Experience in mental health nursing, working with patients with mental health and cooccurring disorders

• Experience managing and supervising large groups of professional and paraprofessional nursing staff, including developing schedules and overseeing staffing patterns

• Experience liaising with other disciplines and agency leadership.

• Experience with crisis management and multi-tasking.

• Experience working with regulatory bodies and creating corrective action plans.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a license as a Registered Nurse in Connecticut OR hold a Multistate or Compact Registered Nurse license.

• Incumbents in this class serving in the capacity of the Nurse Executive are required to possess a master's degree in nursing, social or behavioral science, public health administration, health care administration, hospital administration or a related field.

• Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.

• Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.

Click on a link below to apply for this position:

Fill out the Supplemental Questionnaire and Application NOW using the Internet. Apply Online