Review Vacancy
AgencyPeople With Developmental Disabilities, Office for
Occupational CategoryOther Professional Careers
Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)
Salary RangeFrom $90582 to $114585 Annually
Duties Description The Office of Advocacy is seeking an Advocacy Specialist 3 to support the Grievance and Complaint Unit Coordinator in developing, implementing, and operating the formalized grievance process required under the federal Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services final rule (Access Rule) for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) delivered through Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) waiver programs. Under the general direction of the Grievance and Complaint Unit Coordinator, the incumbent will supervise staff and assist with coordination of the Grievance and Complaint Services Unit and help ensure that grievance, complaint, and outreach functions are timely, consistent, accessible, person-centered, and supported by effective oversight and continuous improvement.
·Support the Grievance and Complaint Unit Coordinator in developing, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating the formalized grievance process required by the Access Rule for HCBS delivered through Medicaid FFS Waiver programs, in accordance with applicable federal and state requirements.
·Supervise grievance and complaint staff, including assigning work, monitoring performance, providing coaching, conducting evaluations, and promoting consistent application of policies and procedures.
·Participate in recruitment and selection, and coordinate staff onboarding, orientation, training, and professional development.
·Coordinate daily unit operations and, under the direction of the Grievance and Complaint Unit Coordinator, help develop and implement the policies, procedures, workflows, operational standards, and internal controls needed to support the formalized grievance process.
·Assist with oversight of grievance and complaint administration, including intake, acknowledgement, triage, assignment, tracking, referral, follow-up, documentation, notification, escalation, resolution, and record retention within required timeframes.
·Review complex or sensitive matters, provide guidance to staff, and recommend appropriate actions, referrals, or escalation to the Grievance and Complaint Unit Coordinator.
·Manage the Office of Advocacy shared mailbox and other intake channels to ensure timely, coordinated, and accessible responses to outreach contacts.
·Conduct quality assurance and compliance reviews; identify deficiencies or implementation risks; recommend corrective action; and monitor completion and results.
·Use agency database and referral tracker system to monitor caseloads, timelines, referrals, outcomes, pending actions, system alerts, and staff workload, and support improvements that strengthen data quality, workflow efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
·Develop and maintain performance measures, dashboards, data standards, and reporting tools; analyze grievance and complaint data to identify trends, recurring concerns, systemic issues, service gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
·Prepare and present reports, analyses, recommendations, correspondence, notices, and other materials to support leadership decision making, program oversight, stakeholder communication, and applicable regulatory reporting.
·Develop and deliver training, presentations, guidance, and technical assistance on the formalized grievance process, applicable requirements, the rights of people receiving services, and related Office of Advocacy initiatives.
·Represent the Office of Advocacy at meetings, conferences, work groups, and other events as assigned, and support coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
·Perform other duties as assigned.
Preferred qualifications:
·Experience supervising staff and managing program operations in advocacy, complaint resolution, grievance management, or a related human services setting.
·Knowledge of services and supports for people with developmental disabilities and of applicable federal and state requirements governing HCBS delivered through Medicaid FFS waiver programs, individual rights, and the formalized grievance process required by the Access Rule.
·Experience translating regulatory requirements into policies, procedures, workflows, quality assurance activities, and measurable program improvements.
·Experience managing complex or sensitive complaints and coordinating responses across programs and with stakeholders.
·Experience using databases or case management systems and analyzing program data, performance measures, and reports.
·Experience delivering training, presentations, guidance, or technical assistance to diverse audiences.
·Strong leadership, organizational, communication, analytical, presentation, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to establish priorities and manage competing demands.
·Demonstrated commitment to person-centered practices, accessibility, accountability, and continuous improvement.
This position will be located at one of the following locations:
- Albany- 44 Holland Avenue, Albany
- Oneida- 118 Business Park Dr, Utica
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nys-office-for-people-with-developmental-disabilities/posts/?feedView=all
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Minimum Qualifications Non-competitive: Seven years of experience* as a professional advocate or service provider in rehabilitation, developmental disabilities, mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, or homeless youth.
Substitution: An associate degree may substitute for two years of general experience; a bachelor’s degree may substitute for four years of general experience; a master’s degree may substitute for five years of general experience; or a doctorate may substitute for six years of general experience.
Additional Comments • Preference will be given to OPWDD employees impacted by closures. If you are being impacted by closure, please indicate this on your resume.
• All OPWDD employees must be eligible and maintain eligibility for full and unconditional participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Continued employment will depend on maintaining eligibility.
• If you are employed by state government you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments have been made under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. For more information on PSLF, please visit www.studentAid.gov/publicservice.
• Employees on long term leave can bid on positions but must be able to report to work within fourteen (14) days and be able to perform the essential functions of their positions with or without reasonable accommodation (RA).
• If an employee or job applicant believes that they need a reasonable accommodation, they should contact the Reasonable Accommodation Unit at (518) 486-7222 or email accommodationrequests@opwdd.ny.gov to obtain information and RA forms.
• Savings programs such as the U.S. Savings Bond and the College Savings Plan.
• Voluntary pre-tax savings programs such as Health Care Spending Account and the Dependent Care Advantage Account offer employees options to pay for uncovered health care expenses or dependent care expenses.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) an assessment and referral service that connects employees with local service providers and support services to address their personal needs.
• Life insurance and Disability insurance.
• The New York State Deferred Compensation Plan is a voluntary retirement plan that offers employees the option to invest a part of their salaries for retirement on a tax-deferred basis.
• Paid Holidays and Leave:
° Thirteen (13) paid holidays each year.
° Thirteen (13) days of paid vacation leave initially.
° Five (5) days paid personal leave each year.
° Thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave each year (PEF/CSEA), which may carry over from year to year.
° Up to three (3) days professional leave each year to participate in professional development events.
• Health Care Coverage:
Employees and their eligible dependents can choose from a variety of affordable health insurance programs. Employees are provided family dental and vision plans at no extra cost.
• Paid Parental Leave:
Paid Parental Leave allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave at full pay for each qualifying event. A qualifying event is defined as the birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care.
• Retirement Program:
Participate in The NYS Employees’ Retirement System (ERS), which is recognized as one of the best-managed and best-funded public retirement systems in the nation.
• Professional Development and Education and Training:
NYS offers training programs and tuition assistance to eligible employees to maintain and increase their professional skills and prepare them for promotional opportunities. For more information, please visit https://oer.ny.gov/training-and-professional-development.
• Additionally, the Public Service Workshops Program (PSWP) offers certain professional training opportunities for PEF represented and M/C designated employees that may grant continuing education credits towards maintaining professional licensure. For more information, please visit https://oer.ny.gov/public-service-workshops-program-pswp.
• OPWDD is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer dedicated to creating and sustaining a culture of inclusion. We believe that we are most effective in managing and improving our service system with a diverse team of employees. With such a large workforce, we rely on the collective individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression, ideas and talent that our employees bring to their work. This speaks to our culture and is a key part of our successes. As we continuously recruit people for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that applicants bring in terms of their education, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.
***All people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.***
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.