Caseworker OOA Ombudsman

Discover a rewarding career with us!

Our full-time positions come with an array of excellent benefits including comprehensive healthcare coverage, a pension plan, flexible spending accounts and even a tuition reimbursement program.

At Lancaster County, we understand the importance of work-life balance. That's why we offer paid time off for sick, vacation and holidays, an employee assistance program, and family medical leave.

If you're passionate about making a difference, apply today to join us in serving the community!

JOB SUMMARY

This employee provides advocacy for consumers of long-term care facilities, investigating complaints and facilitating resolution to ensure residents rights are upheld. Ombudsman also provides education and guidance to facility staff, residents and their families regarding interpretation and application of relevant regulations.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Receive, investigate and resolve complaints related to the rights of consumers of long-term care services. Follow each investigation through to completion and follow up as appropriate. Conduct on-site visits of licensed nursing homes, licensed personal care homes, certified domiciliary care homes and licensed adult day care centers to provide consumers with information about the Ombudsman program and how to access it. Develop and maintain a thorough knowledge of relevant regulations, laws and policies, including directives from PA Dept. of Aging (PDA), nursing home and personal care licensure regulations, MA/DPA funding policies and procedures. (50 %)
• Maintain individual case records and data on program activities such as public inquiries, by utilizing a state-wide database. Maintain records according to agency and PDA standards. Provide licensing agencies and the State Ombudsman Office with information about complaints and problems in long term care facilities. (20 %)
• Work in close cooperation with and provide technical assistance to facility staff regarding development of resident care plans. Review and interpret care plans, participate in care planning meetings to meet residents' needs and assist them in accessing appropriate services. (10 %)
• Conduct in-service training and informational seminars for facility staff, family groups, resident councils and community groups for the purpose of community education regarding the ombudsman program and resident rights. (10 %)
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with social service agencies, hospitals, nursing and personal care home administrators and licensing agency representatives. Communicate on a regular basis with staff of the PA Dept of Aging, Dept of Health and Dept of Human Services. Attending exit conferences for nursing facilities. (10%)
• While performing job duties, employees will be required on a routine basis to provide their own transportation to consumers' homes, meetings and other job-related appointments and access those locations without special accommodations.

OTHER SPECIFIC TASKS OR DUTIES

• Assist in the development of the PEER program, including training facility staff, recruiting and training residents.

• Assist in the recruitment, training and supervision of volunteer ombudsmen. Distributes quarterly volunteer assignments and maintains contact with volunteers regarding completion of tasks.

• Serve as consultant to and maintain cooperative working relationships with other professional staff at the Office of Aging, particularly care managers, protective service, long term care and I&R staff. This is done through participating in conferences and meetings for the purpose of planning treatment and problem resolution.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Six months of experience as an Aging Care Manager I, County Caseworker 1, or County Social Casework Intern; or one year of experience in public or private social work and a Bachelor's Degree which includes or is supplemented by 12 semester hrs. credit in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology or other related social sciences; or a bachelor's degree with a social welfare major; or any equivalent combination of experiences and training including successful completion of 12 semester hrs. credit in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology or other related social sciences.

• Be a resident of Pennsylvania

• Prior experience working in a long-term care facility is highly desirable

REQUIRED LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS/CLEARANCES

• Acceptable Pre-Employment Criminal Background Check

• Acceptable Pre-Employment Drug Screening

• Acceptable Driver History in accordance with County Policy

• Completion of Long-Term Care Ombudsman certification training.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This job is not sedentary, carrying or lifting ombudsman-related literature to facilities for speaking engagements and staff/resident/family meetings.

• This position has been identified as having the potential for exposure to Hepatitis B. Access to training and a voluntary vaccination against Hepatitis B is provided.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The County of Lancaster offers comprehensive benefits to our employees. Read more about our benefits here.

Lancaster County Government provides Equal Employment Opportunity for all persons regardless of race, religion, age, sex, national origin, genetic information or disability. The County also observes all applicable laws regarding Veterans status. The County reflects this action in all areas of employment and compensation practices and policies. Employment with the County is based upon the ability to perform the job as well as dependability and reliability once an individual is hired.