Ada Coordinator (Program Specialist 3)

Salary: $55,224.00 - $72,552.00 Annually
Location : Multiple Locations Statewide, WA
Job Type: Agency Internal - Permanent
Remote Employment: Remote Optional
Job Number: 2023-14817
Department: Office of Administrative Hearings
Division: Headquarters
Opening Date: 11/17/2023
Closing Date: 11/29/2023 11:59 PM Pacific
Description
ADA Coordinator (Program Specialist 3) - Internal Only
Office of Administrative Hearings
Headquarters Division
NOTE: This position is available for current OAH employees only. External applicants will not be considered.
NOTE: This position is eligible for full-time telework; however, this position may be required to report to an OAH facility or other locations throughout Washington on occasion (i.e. for training).
NOTE: If approved to telework, the alternate worksite be within the state of Washington, or in a county in Oregon or Idaho that shares a border with Washington.
The Opportunity:
The Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) is currently looking to fill an ADA Coordinator (Program Specialist 3) position in our Headquarters division. This position is critical to OAH's ability to provide access to customers with disabilities. The ADA Coordinator contributes to the mission by leading and managing the agency-wide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations program and services, including continuous improvement of the processes and systems required to administer the program and services. This position helps OAH measure, monitor, and improve the ADA accommodation services offered by the agency. This ADA Coordinator reports directly to the DEI Manager and partners closely with the agency Risk Manager.
About the Agency:The 1981 Legislature created OAH to offer Washingtonians an independent, fair, and neutral forum to hold administrative hearings on disputed matters referred by state and local government agencies. Operating out of field offices in Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, and Spokane Valley there are currently 235 employees, including 120 Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) who preside over administrative hearings involving unemployment insurance benefits, child support, food assistance, medical benefits, business and professional licensing, and more.
OAH conducts hearings for more than 30 agencies and 160 programs. Our referring agencies include the Employment Security Department (ESD), Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), Health Care Authority (HCA), Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and others.
For more information about OAH, please visit our website at
OAH Mission: To hear and independently resolve disputes between the public and state agencies with an impartial, quick, and easy to access process.
OAH Vision: All people of Washington can meaningfully participate in their hearing and understand the result.
OAH Values:

• Fairness and independence
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect
• Performance excellence
• Integrity

OAH Goals:

• Performance Excellence: We deliver high quality, timely work.
• Convenience & Accessibility: We make it easy for people to do business with us.
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Respect: We promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect.
• Good Stewards: We are efficient, effective, and accountable.

OAH Offers:

• Work that is important and makes a difference.
• In-house training and professional development opportunities.
• Healthy work/life balance, including remote work options.
• Comprehensive benefits package.

Duties
Duties include, but are not limited to:
ADA Accommodation Program Management

• Lead and manage OAH's agency wide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations program for external customers.
• Review ADA accommodation requests and referrals, make assessments and determinations in accordance with agency policy, and respond in a timely and professional manner.
• Respond to information from ALJs and supervisors that they have denied a request. Inform the requester of the reasons the accommodation was denied and how to seek review of (grieve) the decision.
• Consult with OAH employees about best practices and implementation questions for accommodation requests received and processed by staff working the case.
• Update and maintain agency processes and protocols for providing ADA accommodation services.
• Proactively monitor the OAH ADA Coordinator email for requests and information, including ALJ referrals, ALJ or staff inquiries, grievances, etc.
• Consult with the Chief ALJ, Deputy Chief ALJs, Division Chief ALJs and Legal Administrative Managers in the identification, selection, and appointment of ADA team members.
• Develop, update, and provide training for OAH employees and ADA team members regarding the interpretation and application of the ADA, and serve as a continuing resource.
• Develop and maintain templates and forms.
• Communicate, collaborate, and coordinate within the agency for forms, documents and information in the case management system, the public website, and the agency intranet.
• Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of statutes, regulations, case law, and agency procedures relevant to ADA accommodations.
• Support and carry out the agency's commitment to providing external customers equal access to agency facilities and services.
• Communicate, collaborate and coordinate with external customers, staff and vendors to assess, determine and implement accommodations.
• Partner with the agency Language Access Coordinator to ensure that ADA accommodations are accessible to customers with limited English proficiency.
• Request technical assistance to find acceptable accommodations as appropriate from person and organizations with expertise.
• Use agency equipment and technology systems to perform and manage work and communicate with others.
• Keep supervisor and agency Risk Manager timely informed of significant developments, complex case statuses, and other important accommodation-related issues.
• Maintain records of all grievances and outcomes.
• Assists with coordinating and documenting justification for accommodation denials in compliance with ADA and civil rights laws.
• Recommend policy developments and updates.
• Establish procedures to carry out the ADA Accommodation program.
• Protect privileged and confidential information.

Suitable Representation Coordination

• In partnership with agency Risk Manager, coordinate the agency's suitable representation program.
• Determine whether a suitable representative accommodation is necessary under WAC 10-24-010(7) and (8)
• Identify individuals available and qualified under WAC 10-24-010(11) to be considered for appointment as a suitable representative.
• With approval of the party and potential appointee, prepare and send appointment letters and contracts, and provide case records to appointees as needed.
• Inform the party when deciding that a suitable representative accommodation is not needed and the request is denied, and how to seek review of the decision.
• Maintain record of individuals appointed or eligible to be appointed as suitable representatives.
• Maintain records of the decision-making process for representational accommodation separate from the hearing record.

Data Analysis & Reporting

• Gather and analyze data about accommodation requests, approvals, and denials.
• Monitor and provide analysis on agency expenses for accommodations.
• Provide reports and analysis on accommodation service efficacy to executive management.
• Identify trends in accommodations for service barriers, potential proactive interventions and/or providing solutions to improve service access based on accommodation requests.

Senior Level Legal Support

• Provide senior level legal support to the Legal Administrative Managers, Administrative Law Judges, and various caseloads as assigned.
• Train, lead, and mentor lower-level legal support staff.
• Perform proofreading and editing of legal documents for accuracy, content, and grammar.
• Review work product of lower-level legal support staff.
• Conduct legal research on specific issues as assigned.
• Perform other legal support duties as assigned.

Qualifications
Required qualifications include all of the following:

• A Bachelor's degree** with a focus in public administration, law, business, communications, education, social or behavioral sciences, or other related field; AND
• 2years of experience in a related field, including ADA or reasonable accommodation coordination, program management, project management, change management, policy development and analysis, and/or coordination and consultation with a variety of public and private agencies, organizations and/or levels of government; AND
• 2 years of experience in a legal environment in support of an attorney, administrative law judge(s) industrial insurance appeals judge(s), review judge(s) or equivalent.

**A combination of 4 years of relevant education and/or professional work experience in the above fields can substitute for the Bachelor's degree.
Required competencies:

• Active Listening Skills: Effectively listens, asks questions, and confirms understanding when receiving information. Listens and responds with empathy.
• Analytical Skills: Identifies key facts in a range of data. Notices when data appear wrong, incomplete or need verification. Distinguishes information that is not pertinent to a decision or solution. Determines appropriate actions or responses to information based on clear guidelines, procedures, or requirements.
• Communication Effectiveness: Effectively receives and conveys ideas and information both verbally and in writing and exhibits active listening skills. Participates in meetings in an active, cooperative, and courteous manner. Uses "plain talk" both orally and in writing. Responds timely to email, phone messages, mail, and faxes. Composes clear, straightforward, and technically correct documents. Chooses the most effective and meaningful written form to express information. States information as simply as possible and organizes information logically. Proofreads and edits according to accepted rules of English language. Writes effectively for the intended audience.
• Customer Focus: Builds and maintains internal and external customer satisfaction with the products and services offered by the organization. Provides products and services that consistently meet the needs and expectations of customers.
• Decision Making and Judgment: Makes timely, logical decisions. Evaluates relevant information to make decisions and solve problems. Prioritizes casework, assignments and projects to meet OAH standards. Pursues economy and efficiency in the use of resources.
• Organizational Skills and Records Management: Ability to collect, organize, store, maintain, and retrieve accurate records, documents and information. Maintain files to ensure smooth, efficient operation and knowledge of work product. Attention to detail in coordinating and scheduling events related to office operations or scheduling of hearings.
• Stress Tolerance: Ability to effectively manage stressful or adverse situations by making good decisions, working calmly and helping calm others; and demonstrate tact and diplomacy throughout interactions. Able to deal with highly stressful situations and emotional parties.
• Writing Skills: Compose clear, straightforward, and technically correct documents. Chooses the most effective and meaningful written form to express information. States information as simply as possible and organizes information logically. Proofreads and edits information to improve its clarity, organization, content, etc., according to accepted rules of the English language. Writes at different reading and educational levels by altering words, length of sentences and depth of explanation.

Preference may be given to candidates who have the following desired qualifications:

• Experience working on a project team or workgroup conducting process mapping, process improvement, or change management planning.
• Experience working with people with disabilities or disability-related organizations.

Supplemental Information
How to apply:
To begin the online application process, click the green "Apply" button on this announcement at careers.wa.gov or governmentjobs.com. To be considered for this position, you must include the following information in your online application and complete the supplemental questionnaire. Application materials must clearly show how you meet the qualifications for the position in order to be considered.
Application must include:

• A letter of interest describing what interests you in the position and what makes you a viable and competitive candidate.
• A resume highlighting relevant experience.
• A completed online application profile that includes education and employment history (including past supervisors).
• A minimum of three professional references with your application, including at least one supervisor.
  • A professional reference is defined as an individual who has either been paid to supervise your work or worked directly with you and can attest to your work performance, technical skills, and job competencies. If your references do not meet these criteria, please include non-related professionals, such as educators or other professional associates.

OAH is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of...