Position Title: Rapid Response to Recovery EmPATH Implementation Specialist
Salary: $90,000-$100,000 (plus benefits)
Position End Date: 6/30/2026
Location: Kentucky Department for Public Health (hybrid)
About the CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations, and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the sole entity authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has launched approximately 1,000 programs and raised over $740 million. The CDC Foundation managed over 300 CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 130 countries last year.
Overview:
The CDC Foundation is seeking a highly skilled individual to serve as the Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing (EmPATH) Implementation Specialist for the Kentucky Rural Health Transformation Program. The EmPATH Implementation Specialist will guide the launch of new EmPATH units in rural Kentucky, while coordinating closely with EMS/paramedicine teams and a centralized telebehavioral health hub to integrate all components of the Rapid Response to Recovery (RRR) crisis continuum into a seamless system of care.
Required Qualifications:
· Bachelor’s degree in public health, health administration, health information management, nursing, social work, or a related field.
· Minimum 3 years of experience coordinating or managing health programs in behavioral health, hospital operations, or crisis services.
· Knowledge of behavioral health crisis systems and clinical workflows, such as psychiatric emergency services and emergency department operations.
· Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
· Experience with telemedicine platforms and rural healthcare delivery.
· Understanding of Kentucky’s behavioral health system.
· Familiarity with Kentucky’s regulatory and funding landscape for crisis services.
· Expertise in data security and HIPAA compliance in telehealth settings.
Responsibilities:
Program Implementation & EmPATH Expansion – 35%
· Lead identification of high-need rural hospitals for new EmPATH units and ensure each pilot site is committed and ready for implementation.
· Guide each pilot hospital through EmPATH unit design and launch, including facility preparations, staffing plans, and workflow to set up a safe unit in line with the EmPATH model.
· Support standardized clinical protocols/operations for EmPATH units, maintaining fidelity to evidence-based practices while complying with behavioral health regulations and safety standards.
· Oversee the RFA, application, and selection process, as well as contract management with participating hospitals.
Crisis System Integration – 20%
· Develop referral and transfer workflows to support seamless handoffs from first responders and community paramedicine teams into EmPATH units.
· Partner with the Telebehavioral Health Hub Implementation Specialist to connect EmPATH units with the Telebehavioral Health Hub for coordinated, on-demand access to remote behavioral health providers across crisis response settings.
· Align EmPATH unit operations with CMHCs to support post-crisis care, so stabilized patients have warm hand-offs to ongoing care.
Training & Technical Assistance – 20%
· Partner with experienced EmPATH providers to deliver coordinated training for new unit teams, covering psychiatric emergency assessment, de‑escalation, workflows, and data/reporting tools.
· Organize on-site coaching peer observation opportunities at established EmPATH units and connect sites with EmPATH experts for best practices.
Partner Engagement & Coordination – 15%
· Share key updates, challenges, and input on implementation strategies with the broader EmPATH Consortium, a cross-sector advisory group to guide statewide EmPATH expansion.
· Serve as the primary liaison between RRR leadership and local communities by coordinating with state agencies (i.e., Department for Public Health, Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental, and Intellectual Disabilities) to align EmPATH implementation with statewide crisis initiatives such as 988.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting – 10%
· Define and monitor key performance metrics for EmPATH. Tracking data should include stabilization/transfer rates in EmPATH units, follow-up care engagement, etc.
· Analyze performance data to identify trends, gaps, and success stories to evaluate whether EmPATH units are decreasing ED boarding and increasing connection to community care.
Special Notes:
This role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by both the
CDC Foundation and Kentucky Department for Public Health in order to best support the Kentucky Department for Public Health in their public health programming.
This position is currently a hybrid position. CDC Foundation retains the right to make adjustments to this as required.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disabilities, veteran status, and all other characteristics protected by law. We comply with all applicable laws including E.O. 11246 and the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 governing employment practices and do not discriminate on the basis of any unlawful criteria in accordance with 41 C.F.R. §§ 60-300.5(a)(12) and 60-741.5(a)(7). As a federal government contractor, we take affirmative action on behalf of protected veterans.
The CDC Foundation is a smoke-free environment.
Relocation expenses are not included.
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