Regional Long-Term Care Ombuds

POSITION TITLE: Regional Long-Term Care Ombuds
DEPARTMENT: Pro Bono Legal Services Program
REPORTS TO: Director of Pro Bono Legal Services
SUPERVISES: Volunteers
POSITION TYPE: Full-time, nonexempt
SCHEDULE: Up to 40 hours/week, based on funding
This position is open until filled, with a priority deadline of February 28.
STARTING SALARY: $26.83-$29.04 DOQ
BENEFITS:

• Medical/Vision Dental Insurance: The following individuals qualify for BMAC's group insurance plans:
  • Regular, full-time employees working 30-40 hours per week receive full benefits
  • Regular, part-time employees working 20-29 hours per week receive prorated benefits based on the number of hours worked
  • Qualifying dependents: Spouse/legal domestic partner and any dependent children 26 years or younger
• Life Insurance
• Short/Long-Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401(k) Retirement Plan: Eligibility begins in the first month after hire date. Vesting rules apply.
• Paid Time Off (PTO): Employees begin accruing PTO the first day of employment as detailed below
  • Employees with 0-5 Years of Service = accrue 0.075 hours per hour worked
  • Employees with 5+ Years of Service = accrue 0.0875 hours per hour worked
  • Employees with 10+ Years of Service = accrue 0.10 hours per hour worked
• Volunteer Time Off (VTO): Available in the following amounts per calendar year:
  • Employees schedule to work 35-40 hours = 16 VTO hours
  • Employees schedule to work 25-34 hours = 12 VTO hours
  • Employees schedule to work 20-24 hours = 8 VTO hours
• Holidays: 12 paid holidays
• Other Paid Leave
  • Voting Leave - as needed upon request
  • Bereavement Leave - up to 4 days to eligible employees
  • Jury Duty Leave - up to 4 weeks over any 1-year period
• Workers Compensation: Comprehensive insurance provided

JOB SUMMARY: The Regional Long-Term Care Ombuds (RLTCO) serves as an effective and visible advocate for the wellbeing of long-term care residents. The RLTCO promotes both individual and systematic complaint resolution activities, including community involvement, administrative and legislative monitoring, investigations, and reporting and assists long-term care providers, agencies, volunteers, and others in becoming more responsive to the needs of residents. The RLTCO monitors complaints to identify long-term care patterns and issues in the region and develops policies and procedures to improve the operation and regulation of regional long-term care facilities.
This position is through a Multi-Service Center (MSC) subcontract with Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC). Details in this job description include requirements from MSC and BMAC.
OVERVIEW OF RESPONSIBILITIES: Includes, but is not limited to:
LTC Ombudsman tasks:

• Receive the delegation of Long-Term Care Ombuds authority from the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, and, within the region fulfill Long-Term Care Ombudsman responsibilities assigned by the federal Older Americans Act and State Long-Term Care Ombudsman statutes on behalf of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
• Receive, carry out fact finding about, and resolve complaints and concerns raised by residents, family members, friends, and facility staff within the region.
• Act as a mediator in disputes between residents and other parties representing the resident's point of view.
• Maintain the confidentiality of complainants and residents per federal and state statutes.
• Document complaints and cases per instructions from the State Ombudsman; maintain the region's computerized case management system to ensure complaints are resolved in a timely manner.
• Provide summary statistical and narrative reports per instructions from the State Ombudsman; utilize computer system to generate monthly and annual summary reports as required by the State Ombudsman.
• Follow program instructions as issued in the official memo series from the State Ombudsman.
• Attend regular staff meetings held by the State Ombudsman.
• Provide staff services to the Regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman Advisory Board.
• Must comply with WAC 365-18-040, a Washington state conflict-of-interest law, included at the end of this document).

Management tasks:

• Recruit candidates to volunteer as Long-Term Care Ombudsmen.
• Coordinate (locate training sites, plan for trainee meals and provide local trainers per the state office training agenda) initial 30-hour training for new recruits and participate in these training sessions.
• Provide in-service training as necessary to ensure volunteer eligibility for annual re-certification and ensure volunteer knowledge about appropriate issues is up to date.
• Supervise the work of Certified Volunteer Long-Term Care Ombudsmen in visiting assigned facilities, receiving complaints, carrying out fact-finding, and mediating the resolution of concerns.
• Performs other related duties as assigned

BMAC employee responsibilities:

• Must attend all scheduled staff meetings
• Complete all training requirements of the funding source and agency.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Education & Experience
Relevant experience and/or education may be substituted for either education or work history.

• Bachelor's degree in health, nursing, social sciences, psychology, sociology, counseling, social work or a closely related field.
• Four (4) years of social services experience with at least two (2) years of advocacy experience, preferably advocating for older adults (e.g., working directly with clients to uphold their rights and problem-solving to have their needs met)
• Experience working with elderly or disabled populations, preferred.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish), preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong commitment to BMAC's mission of collaborating with our partners to equitably deliver services and support to our neighbors experiencing poverty and to our values: accountability for our actions and services; dignity for all we serve; honoring diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work; and upholding a spirit of service.
• Demonstrates the necessary attitudes, knowledge and skills to deliver culturally competent services and work effectively with diverse populations, including LGBTQ and people of color, as well as individuals of all ages and ability levels.
• Knowledge of the needs and problems of long-term care residents and their families; the state and local long-term care system; social service and public benefit programs related to the residents; medical and social process of aging.
• Knowledge of legal systems, case management, mediation, long-term facility issues, gerontology.
• Ability to organize, administer and coordinate social services and related services, to network between agencies (including those for disabled and mental health).
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Understanding of resources that exist in the communities.
• Understanding of government systems and how they work; sense of, or experience in, the political field.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, set appropriate boundaries, and exercise sound judgement in all decisions.
• Ability to supervise and train volunteers.
• Ability to organize community groups.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service and develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues and community partners.
• Ability to work independently as well as with a team to achieve objectives and assignments.
• Demonstrated leadership and organizational skills.
• Ability to be flexible when managing changing priorities and schedules, without compromising the quality of outcomes, ability to complete tasks, or uphold commitments.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Programs; including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Certifications

• Valid driver's license, satisfactory driving record.
• Must provide own vehicle for travel and maintain current auto insurance.
• The employee must receive and maintain certification as a Long-Term Care Ombudsman and meet the following conflict of interest WAC 365-18-040 Conflict of Interest guidelines:
  • Ombuds cannot be employed by, manage, or work as a paid consultant or independent contractor for a long-term facility, currently or within the last one year.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work is generally performed in an office environment either in Walla Walla or Tri-Cities and at long-term care facilities throughout the LTCOP's regional service area of Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties. Involves frequent local and regional travel; some statewide travel required.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the job's essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform essential functions.
Sedentary work at desk and working on a computer, with occasional light physical work. Occasional moving up to 20lbs.
NOTE: This is a general description of essential job functions. It is not intended as an employment contract, nor is it intended to describe all duties someone in this position may perform. All employees of BMAC are expected to perform tasks as assigned by supervisory/ management personnel, regardless of job title or routine job duties.