Assistant Secretary, Community Programs

We envision a state in which every person has the tools, resources, and supports they need to embrace the aging experience. The Mission of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs is to support aging adults to live and thrive safely and independently - how and where they want. EOEA contracts with Aging Services Access Points, Area Agencies on Aging, local Councils on Aging, and other community organizations to deliver programs and services. 

 The Assistant Secretary of Community Programs reports to the Secretary of EOEA and is in charge of managing the daily operations of the Agency's "Front Door" for older people and caregivers. This "Front Door" includes MassOptions, EOEA's call center and the Community Care Ombudsman, who facilitates resolution of complaints about home-based or other services for older adults. The Assistant Secretary is also responsible for managing a $4.4M dollar contract with the Massachusetts Council on Aging (MCOA) and our relationships with the network of 350 Councils on Aging (COA), including the formula and service incentive grants. This role will serve as liaison to federal grants officers as well as assisting with grant management. In addition, the role will be responsible for spurring innovation, identifying, and scaling best practices for the COA network and fostering improved connections with regional Aging Services Access Points (ASAPS).

 The Assistant Secretary of Community Programs serves as the strategic and operational lead for the $55 million portfolio of state and federally-funded programs delivered in community settings. The programs in the Assistant Secretary's portfolio are the State Health Insurance Needs for Everyone (SHINE), which provides unbiased health insurance counseling to 100,000 Medicare-eligible people every year; Prescription Advantage, a payer of last resort for medications; and Options Counseling to help individuals at risk for nursing home admission consider home-based options. Most Community Programs rely on volunteers, and the Assistant Secretary is expected to develop and operationalize a strategy for the continued recruiting, training, and engagement of volunteers supporting EOEA programs.

 Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

 The Assistant Secretary of Community Programs is directly responsible for several key initiatives, including, but not limited to:

• Lead, mentor, and manage Community Programs staff to ensure equitable access to all Community Programs, consistent quality in execution across all regions of the Commonwealth, and efficient and effective use of public resources. This includes:
  • Manage statewide programs including Information and Referral (I&R)
  • Community Care Ombudsman (CCO)
  • Aging and Disability Resource Consortia (ADRC)
  • Option Counseling (OC)
  • Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone (SHINE)
  • Councils on Aging (COA)
  • Nutrition Program serving 1.6M older adults and people with disabilities.
• Oversee intergovernmental affairs and emergency management operations. Identify opportunities for enhancing existing or building new tools to support older people and caregivers as needs change over the life course through Community Programs.
• Serve as a member of EOEA's executive team by:
  • Collaborating with other executive team members regarding the broader work of the Agency
  • Representing EOEA in cross-agency work
  • Representing EOEA on Commissions and Councils as assignee
  • Representing the Secretary of EOEA at external meetings and events
•  Stay abreast of changes in state and federal policies affecting populations served by Community Programs.

Agency Mission:

By the end of this decade, one in five people living in Massachusetts will be 65 years or older. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) serves 1.7 million older adults in the Commonwealth through 350 Councils on Aging and 24 regional Aging Services Access Points. EOEA is responsible for ensuring that the services provided are of the highest quality, are consumer-focused, and are delivered cost-effectively. EOEA oversees a budget nearing $750 million from state and federal sources that supports program implementation through a regional distribution network of 24 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) and 350 Councils on Aging (COAs) nested within the 351 municipalities of the Commonwealth. EOEA is responsible for managing the statewide Aging Services Access Points network, the Home Care Program, Adult Protective Services (APS), the certification of Assisted Living Residences (ALRs), and is also responsible for numerous other state and federal programs including Prescription Advantage, home-delivered and congregate meal programs, the SHINE program, which provides counselling to older people regarding health insurance options, congregate and supportive housing, the Family Caregiver Support Program, and SCSEP (a program for older job seekers). EOEA also leads and staffs key public bodies and commissions pertaining to older adults including the Alzheimer's Advisory Council, the Governor's Council to Address Aging in MA, and the Assisted Living Advisory Council. EOEA also leads the work for Massachusetts's commitment to be an age- and dementia-friendly state.

Preferred Qualifications:

KNOWLEDGE:

• Experience partnering with other organizations
• Managed organizational culture change
• Demonstrated commitment to older population
• Managed program budgets and deliverables
• Evidence of building consensus among stakeholders
• Excellent writing and public speaking skills
• Evidence of having used data to drive operational and policy decisions
• Success managing up, across, and down organizational hierarch

 SKILLS:

• Prior experience in a local Council on Aging, Aging Services Access Point, Area Agency on Aging, or other organization serving older populations.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least (A) seven (7) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management of which (B) at least four (4) years must have been in a managerial capacity.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

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An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.  Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.  Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements.  We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.