Quality Assurance Specialist, Foster Care

About Our Organization:

St. Catherine’s Center for Children is a leading non-profit organization in New York’s Greater Capital District. Our comprehensive range of human services reach more than 1,000 children, 600 families, and hundreds of adults across Upstate New York each year. Our multi-faceted programs are designed to offer hope, foster growth, and improve the lives of the children, families, and adults we serve. We offer residential and therapeutic Foster Care programs for children and youth, Kinship support, homeless and community-based services for adults and families, a special education elementary school for ages 5-13, and so much more.

St. Catherine’s employs more than 300 full and part-time staff. Our spectrum of services for children, families and individuals suffering from the lasting effects of abuse and neglect, family instability, mental illness, homelessness and other ongoing traumas, continues to grow. We are committed to cultivating a culture where all employees can bring their authentic and best selves to the workplace. Our DEI-B initiatives are designed to support and build a more equitable, inclusive and diversified workplace, one which exemplifies true respect and dignity.

Summary:

Under the direction of the Associate Executive Director for Continuous Quality Improvement, the Quality Assurance Specialist, Foster Care is responsible for various aspects of the Quality Assurance Program. This includes, but is not limited to, reviewing of programs for compliance to agency, accreditation and regulatory policy and procedure as it pertains to programs offering services to children and families through Preventative Services and to programs offering services to children currently placed in out of home care through St. Catherine’s Center for Children.

This full-time position is Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm, on-site. Local travel to other agency site locations - Albany & Kingston. We offer great Benefits with loads of Paid Time Off & Paid Holidays!!

Duties & Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Acquire and maintain knowledge of guidelines and regulations mandated by accreditation and regulatory bodies.
• Have a clear understanding of St. Catherine’s Center for Children’s (SCCC) policies and procedures.
• Possess working knowledge of the Foster Care system in New York specific to Voluntary Foster Care Agencies.
• Acquire and maintain working knowledge of Preventative Services Programs in New York.
• Possess knowledge of the Council of Accreditation (COA) standards.
• Possess strong working knowledge of Electronic Health Records (EHR) and how to navigate/use.
• Use knowledge of EHR to train others as needed in the effective use of an EHR.
• Answer questions regarding the use of an EHR and be a member of the SCCC’s EHR Help Desk.
• Ensure compliance with agency and regulatory policy and procedures/compliance standards by:

• Perform case records reviews (both paper and electronic);
• Use EHR systems to monitor and track a Foster Care program;
• Coordinate with program leadership to formulate a corrective action response following case record reviews (Internal response);
• Conduct billing audits in Foster Care and Residential Programs; Ensure accuracy of documentation and billing records submitted.

• Remain updated and current on Medicaid and HIPAA regulations knowledge.
• Participate as a member of the Agency Medicaid Compliance Committee.
• Remain knowledgeable of Justice Center investigations and of investigations involving Child Protective Services.
• Assist in the development of any needed performance improvement plans (PIP) and provide copies of the PIP with supporting documentation to regulatory bodies.
• Maintain all documentation regarding a PIP.
• Maintain all SCCC Policy and Procedures as related to Preventative Services, Foster Care and Residential Programs. This will include routinely updating and creating policy and procedure.
• Travel to and from Albany and Kingston routinely and throughout the week.
• Additional position-related duties and responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor.

Organizational Relationships:

• Collaborates with staff across all agency programs to ensure quality environments and adherence to regulations.
• Meets weekly with Associate Executive Director and has regular communication with the agency staff.
• Serves on Agency committees as requested by Associate Executive Director.

Essential Functions:

• Ability to relate to many staff members of diverse backgrounds such as Child Care Staff, Supervisors, Directors of programs and the Supervisor of Maintenance.
• Ability to understand and empathize with traumatized children with severe mental health issues.
• Ability to relate to and communicate with a wide range of people. This includes but is not limited to a broad range of people who are culturally and socio- economically diverse, as well as people with various developmental and functional levels.
• Ability to understand, communicate with, represent and carry out the mission, values, philosophy and policies of St. Catherine’s Center for Children.
• Ability to conduct him/herself in a manner that is becoming of an employee of St. Catherine’s Center for Children.
• Ability to work effectively in a shared decision-making model as a team member as well as independently on various tasks.
• Ability to carry out written documentation as required by St. Catherine’s policies and procedures and as required by regulating agencies.
• Ability to organize and effectively manage (in a timely manner) the varied tasks of the position.
• Ability to meet criteria outlined in the Revised Policy for Authorized Agency Drivers.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other personnel/service providers or professionals.

Position Specifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Knowledge of Preventative Services Programs and the Foster Care system in NY
• Excellent organization, planning and time management skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to build strong working relationships with regulatory bodies.
• Proficiency in various computer applications such as Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Office, and the Internet.
• Knowledgeable and experience with navigating Electronic Health Records (EHR).
• Local travel to other agency locations is regularly required for this position; therefore, a clean and valid NYS Driver’s License - actively licensed for at least one (1) year - and reliable transportation is required.
• Ability to function well in a high-paced and, at times, stressful environment.
• Ability to handle sensitive data with strict confidentiality.
• Self-motivated and engaged, with a strong attention to detail; Excellent writing aptitude.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills; and exhibit empathy for those in need.
• Demonstrated placidity and patience; flexibility and adaptability.
• Ability to pass necessary pre-employment background checks.

What We Offer*:

• Competitive Pay with an Excellent Benefits Package
• Health Insurance options: Medical, Dental and Vision
• Generous Combined Leave Time and Holiday Pay
• $500 Employee Referral Bonus*
• Professional Development & Career Growth Opportunities
• We are a 501(c) (3) agency, which is a qualifying employer for eligible staff under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program*
• Pension Plan with Aggressive Agency contribution
• Life Insurance – Automatic Benefit!
• Paid Training & Tuition Reimbursement*
• Travel/ Mileage Reimbursement*
• Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
• The Comfort of a Business Casual Environment.

*some conditions may apply

EEO Statement: St. Catherine’s Center for Children is committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, reproductive health and pregnancy, family history and genetics, disability, age, military status, veteran status, politics, or other beliefs, and any other characteristics protected by law.

Background Checks: We run a thorough and complete pre-employment background check on all candidates being considered for a position, this includes fingerprinting. All candidates must successfully clear the pre-employment background check process, which follows NYS/DOJ requirements. We pay for all pre-employment background checks!