Service Coordinator I (Bilingual)

General Job Information

The first screening of applicants will take place within ten (10) business days of the posting of this vacancy announcement. The position is open for 90 days.

INTRODUCTION

This position is located in the Department of Disability Services, Developmental Disabilities (DDA), Service Planning and Coordination Division. The Department on Disability Services/ DDA is responsible for the development and direction of intellectual and developmental disabilities programs and for overseeing and administering a network of comprehensive, community based services for District residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This position assumes responsibility for advocating for, coordinating the delivery of and monitoring a wide variety of services and supports for eligible persons to enable people to lead meaningful and productive lives. This position is required to specifically communicate with consumers who speak Spanish.

MAJOR DUTIES

• Incumbent is responsible for providing services that will assist people eligible for DDA services in gaining access to needed medical, clinical, social, educational, vocational, habilitation and other services and supports to achieve person-centered goals.

• Incumbent is responsible for a maximum caseload of thirty (30) case at any given time, in accordance with the DDS Service Coordination Caseload Policy.

• Provides interpretation for Spanish-speaking customers visiting the office and/or making inquiries by telephone.

• Maintains a thorough electronic case file for each person containing all required and current demographic, diagnostic, legal, programmatic and medical records.

• Ensures all contacts are documented according to agency policy in a timely manner. Prepares in-depth entries in MCIS identifying pertinent information including but not limited to recording the progress toward service and outcome goals, satisfaction with services and supports, identifying health and safety concerns, contacts with family and other service providers, ensuring needs for adaptive equipment are met in a timely manner, and reviewing medication changes and medical conditions.

• Performs specific follow-up actions related to incidents, alerts and concerns noted and/or reported to the incumbent.

• Documents all attempts to resolve problems encountered in terms of access to needed service/support.

• Ensures all required supporting documents are obtained and entered into the electronic record.

• Coordinates with the person and members of the person's circle of support to ensure necessary person-centered assessments and interviews are completed to inform the planning process. These assessments may include but are not limited to: a Level of Need Assessment and Risk Screening (LON); Person-Centered Thinking Tools; Positive Personal Profile; vocational assessment; Diagnostic Assessment for behavior support; clinical assessments such as physical therapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, and nutrition; education history; social history; adaptive behavior and other service needs.

• Ensure such documents are entered into the DDA electronic case management system (currently MCIS).

• Facilitates the annual Individual Support Plan (ISP) meeting, including coordinating the scheduling of the meeting, to ensure it represents what is important to and for the person.

• Coordinate the development of the (ISP) to ensure it contains services, supports, goals and strategies that will maximize good health, safety, privacy, independence, relationships, inclusion, employment, decision-making and personal responsibility.

• Ensure that all supporting documentation is obtained, reviewed and amended for inclusion into the ISP document and uploaded into MCIS.

• Ensures the ISP, the LON, and any other needed assessments, are amended at any point during a program year when there is a significant change in a person's life requiring a change in services and/or supports.

• Coordinate a team discussion or meeting with the person and members of his/her circle of support, amend the ISP document to reflect the changes in the person's circumstances, services and /or supports and ensure supporting documentation is obtained, reviewed and amended for inclusion into the ISP as indicated.

• Assists people to make application to the DDA Home and Community-based Services (HCBS) waiver program when requested by the person. If the person is denied, assist with filing an appeal if requested. For people enrolled in the HCBS waiver program, as part of the ISP completes the Plan of Care and provides the required supporting documents for submission to the DDA Waiver Unit to obtain Service Authorizations for all HCBS waiver services outlined in the ISP. The submission must be in accordance with agency policy to ensure services are not interrupted or not authorized for Medicaid payment.

• Ensures familiarity with all State Plan and waiver services and explains those services to people and their families. Reevaluates level of care in collaboration with DDA Waiver Unit. Complete discharge/transition planning for people changing providers or leaving waiver and/or the DDA service system.

• Coordinates a variety of services and support including, residential services, day and vocational services, clinical services, etc. by assisting the person to make informed choices of qualified providers of those services and support.

• Assist individuals with choosing providers, including giving consumers sample questions to ask providers. Arrange phone calls and meetings with prospective providers as needed.

• Assist the person to make application to other support services, such as the Rehabilitation Services Administration, Housing Agency, Senior's programs, etc. as needed. These activities include making referrals to services providers, providing linkages to medical, social, vocational and residential services and other programs capable of meeting needs, and scheduling appointments for the persons. For hospitalized persons, coordinates discharge meeting, ensures health related issues and recommendations are executed and an appropriate transition is made.

• Ensures documents required to maintain Medicaid eligibility, ICF/IDD eligibility and SSI/SSDI are accurate and remain current. For people seeking residential services, prepares and submits an individual referral on behalf of the person. Performs a separate and independent action with the person for each activity, e.g., arranging visits to look at housing and/or residential support options and visiting the person after a move. On occasion there may be times when such visits must be conducted outside of the standard business hours.

• Monitors and evaluates customer service and progress, ensuring receipt of all prescribed services and supports and attainment of goals and objectives. For residential and day/vocational program monitoring, coordinates site visit with provider; reviews program, medical and clinical records; observes program delivery and environment; interviews the person and provider staff; and completes monitoring tool and notes for the record. Maintain specific schedules according to agency standards for monitoring clients, nursing home placements, people residing in Intermediate Care Facility for persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ICF/IDD), natural homes, and while hospitalized.

• Determines whether services are being furnished in accordance with the service plan, whether the services in the service plan are adequate to meet the needs of the person, and whether there are changes in the needs or status of the person.

• Provides crisis intervention and resolutions, respond to serious reportable incidents of abuse and neglect to ensure the person is safe, reports incidents and issues ensures health and safety of individuals are supported.

• Conducts and participates in frequent team meetings to identify and address disparities in service delivery, to develop a plan of action to address concerns and to timely follow up on a plan of action.

• Serves as liaison and resource person to people supported, his or her family members, interdisciplinary team, service providers, community partners, and quality assurance personnel.

• Takes immediate action to protect a person believed to be at risk through notification to his/her supervisor and other DDA personnel.

• Assist in determining need for health care decision maker. Arranges for psychological evaluation to determine capacity if needed.

• Coordinate completion of healthcare power of attorney or guardianship requests as appropriate. Coordinates End- of-Life planning for people as needed and utilizes DDA healthcare professionals to support persons served and their families.

• Responds to questions from DDS Court Monitors, the Quality Trust, the DOH/HRLA, DHCF and other quality assurance entities. Participates in meetings and provides information to the interviewer or monitor.

• Complete special assignments involving planning, evaluation, and development and monitoring of the various projects impacting the agency.

• Attends and presents situations in special and unresolved meetings with appropriate staff and committees (mortality review, quality improvement, human rights, restrictive control review, etc.).

• Participates in team meetings, court hearings, and service planning with external community entities involved in the person's life included but not limited to (courts, jail, Child and Family Services Administration, Department of Behavioral Health, University Legal Services, The Quality Trust, DC Housing Authority, Adult Protective Services, etc.) .

• Manages the financial plans and all benefits the person is eligible to receive.

• Transfers money from personal allowance and burial accounts as requested.

• Reviews bank statements and expenses and completes documentation needed to withdraw funds from government-held accounts.

• Ensures client accounts are maintained below the prescribed income level.

• Amends Individual Financial Plan (IFP). Prepares and submits memorandum and Service Funding Authorization (SFA) documents and confirms approval.

• As necessary, in the absence of their responsible family or team member, makes burial arrangements, identifies contributions from local organizations and charities, completes requisitions to obtain funds, arranges and coordinates services with funeral home, invites appropriate persons and ensures payment are made in a timely manner to the funeral home.

• Coordinates and ensures the completion of court orders, reports and status updates in timely manner. Notify court of proposed and actual changes of placement.

• Initiate notification to Quality Trust and Court Monitor's office of long term care or nursing home placement.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicant must have one (1) year of Specialized Experience at the next lower grade level. Four (4) years of related work experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide supports to people with disabilities that speak Spanish.

Must be QDDP qualified.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

EDUCATION

Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position and three years of specialized experience

OR

Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

OR

Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

WORK EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

Extensive knowledge of a wide range of theories, principles, practices and techniques in order to investigate, assess, and make decisions on difficult and complex actions sufficient to provide services in the fields of developmental and intellectual disabilities and human growth and development.

Extensive knowledge of the field of service coordination, related methodologies, and programs to address the medical, social, vocational and residential services needed; the goals to be achieved, and the timelines for achieving stated goals.

Knowledge of investigation, assessment, and evaluation of the person-centered planning process in order to perform needs assessments, make determinations on findings and make decisions on appropriate courses of action where significant difficulties are encountered.

Knowledge of social services, public welfare practices, and national health insurance programs including eligibility criteria, referral procedures, community resources and other institutions sufficient to develop a plan to provide continuity of services for clients and facilitate referral to special and generic community resources that can be assessed for consumers.

Knowledge of the normal and abnormal processes of human growth and its impact upon physical and behavioral development, knowledge of personality development and psycho-social, environmental and cultural factors which have significant impact in order to provide effective social work services.

Knowledge of English to translate forms, articles, letters, etc. to the Spanish languages using the correct grammar, syntax and spelling. Knowledge of the Spanish language sufficient to speak, write, and interpret for Spanish speaking clients.

Ability to provide interpretation and translation for Spanish-speaking customers' documents and the spoken word.

Collective Bargaining Unit

This position is in the collective bargaining unit represented by local union AFGE 383.

Additional information

Once applications are submitted, applicants will not be able to change their responses to the online questions.

The position for which the individual is applying has been identified and designated as requiring enhanced suitability screening.

If tentatively selected for the position, a criminal background check, traffic record check, consumer credit check, and mandatory drug and alcohol test will be conducted (as appropriate); and

The appointee to the position may be offered employment contingent upon receipt of a satisfactory enhanced suitability screening.

Work Schedule

This position requires 4 days a week in the office.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume will result in a "not qualified" determination.

EEO Statement

The District of Columbia Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, matriculation, physical handicap, or political affiliation.