Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Home & Community Living Administration, provides long-term care services for people with disabilities and older adults. The Critical Incident Program Manager will develop, implement, and maintain the HCS Critical Incident program and related continuous quality improvement function, ensuring compliance with CMS Access Rule requirements. The role leads incident management, cross-agency coordination, data sharing, stakeholder engagement, policy development, and audit readiness.
Responsibilities
- Design, operate and administer the HCS Incident Reporting and Management System
- Develop the HCS framework for incident reporting, triage, escalation, incident reviews, coordination, resolution, and quality monitoring to support improved outcomes for people served by HCS and the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), Washington’s long-term care partners
- Develop and maintain project timelines, decision logs, and risk registers; align interdivisional deliverables so that Washington meets CMS Access Rule Critical Incident requirements, including timelines and performance expectations
- Routinely review signals of possible critical incidents that arrive outside the standard provider/case manager reporting workflow, including (without limitation) grievances filed through the HCLA-wide grievance system
- Report findings, response status, and emerging risks to HCS leadership on a regular cycle, and escalates matters involving imminent client safety, legal exposure, or media or legislative interest
- Represent HCS on the enterprise-wide CMS Access Rule Critical Incident Work Group across HCLA and DDA in service of HCS Critical Incident program objectives
- Drive HCS provider and Area Agency on Aging (AAA) quality improvement through policy, contract, partnership, and technical assistance
- Integrate HCS incident data with the HCLA-wide grievance system and support HCS continuous quality improvement
- Establish and maintain non-duplicative data-sharing arrangements with APS, RCS, and other partner agencies in service of HCS Critical Incident work
- Engage HCS external stakeholders and ensure HCS federal compliance and audit readiness
- Coordinates with tribal nations in accordance with the DSHS tribal consultation policy regarding HCS critical incident work
Skills
- A bachelor's degree in public health, social work, public administration, health administration, public policy, data analytics, or a closely related field AND five or more years of progressively responsible professional experience in critical incident management, quality improvement, health or human services program management, or a related field
- Equivalent combination of education and/or professional experience
- Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) and long-term services and supports, including applicable federal and state statutes and regulations
- CMS Access Rule, HCBS Final Settings Rule, and HCBS Quality Measure Set, including the eight federally required Critical Incident deliverables
- Critical incident management, grievance, and continuous quality improvement systems in large human services organizations
- Data governance, HIPAA, and state confidentiality requirements
- Washington's long-term services and supports delivery system, including the roles of HCS, AAAs, DDA, APS, RCS, HCLA OAS, HCA, and the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombuds
- Program and project management tools, as well as continuous improvement, change management and evaluation tools and other methods
- Lead and facilitate work groups across different agencies and teams, even when you do not have direct authority
- Analyze data to identify trends, causes of problems, and areas for improvement
- Write clear policies, procedures, contracts, and other documents
- Communicate clearly with clients, providers, agencies, executives, legislators, and other stakeholders
- Negotiate data-sharing agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs)
- Work effectively in a political environment with state and local officials, agencies, tribal leaders, local governments, community organizations, and advocacy groups
- Coordinate projects and work across teams without direct supervisory authority
- Assess how changes to policies, procedures, and laws may affect agency goals and services
- Manage projects from planning through implementation, including schedules, assignments, risks, issues, and communication
- Research complex or sensitive issues and provide recommendations to executive leadership
- Use Microsoft Office programs effectively
- Keep the needs of HCS and its clients as the focus while working across the organization
- Prepare clear written correspondence and communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
- Lead through collaboration and influence when authority is shared or limited
- Use critical thinking to understand complex information and explain it clearly to different audiences
- Master's degree in a relevant field (MPH, MSW, MPA, MHA, or similar)
- Direct experience with Medicaid HCBS programs or long-term services and support
- Experience reviewing and actioning critical incidents identified through non-standard channels (grievances, protective-services data, licensing surveys, claims data, law enforcement, advocacy referrals)
Benefits
- Flexible hybrid schedule, allowing employee to work remotely from anywhere in Washington
- Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance.
- Multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.
- Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses.
- Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.
- Washington Wellness workplace wellness programs.
- Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.
- Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.
- The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.
- State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS).
- New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs.
- Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP), a supplemental retirement savings program that allows control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars deferred and flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.
- All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.
- If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
- Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.
- Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month.
- Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in WAC 357-31-165(1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
- An employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position.
- Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year.
- Most employees whose family member or household member dies, or for loss of pregnancy, are entitled to five (5) days of paid bereavement leave.
- Leave Sharing
- Parental Leave
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
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