DEPUTY STATE LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN - 70552

Executive Service

This position is designated as Work from Home.

For more information, visit the link below:
https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/disability-and-aging/documents/about-us/work-with-dda/Deputy State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.pdf

Background Check:

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Who we are and what we do:

The Department of Disability and Aging supports people to live the lives they envision for themselves by ensuring people can exercise rights, engage with the community and experience optimal health. At DDA, we are responsible for administration and oversight of services and supports for more than 1.5 million older adults and Tennesseans with disabilities.

Job Overview:

The Deputy Long-Term Care Ombudsman plays a crucial role in advocating for the rights and well-being of residents in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities. This senior-level position involves a combination of advocacy, oversight, and program management to ensure that residents receive the highest quality of care and that their rights are protected. This position involves providing oversight and direction to ensure all program, operational, and technical responsibilities are carried out in compliance with policies, procedures, rules, statutes, and best practices. The role includes conducting services, monitoring visits, and desk evaluations to maintain high standards and ensure program effectiveness. The ideal candidate will provide knowledgeable and timely responses to residents and district ombudsmen, demonstrating strong relational and management skills. They will handle sensitive situations with empathy and professionalism, ensuring all inquiries and concerns are addressed promptly and effectively.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assists with program oversight of the district ombudsman programs, including quality of ombudsman services, monitoring visits, and desk evaluations.
• Receive and manage complaints made by or on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities which cannot be resolved by local ombudsmen.
• Provides a person-centered approach to addressing complaints and maintains confidentiality.
• Analyzes data in the program's complaint management system for trends in long-term care which need correction.
• Provides oversight and direction to ensure all program, operational, and technical responsibilities of the program are carried out in compliance with policy, procedures, rules, statutes and other best practices.
• Provides knowledgeable and timely response to residents and district ombudsmen.
• Serves as a technical consultant and subject matter expert to district ombudsmen.
• Manages grievances against district ombudsmen.
• Reviews and analyzes laws, regulations, and policies impacting long-term care residents.
• Researches information and develops plans to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
• Collaborates with other agencies on special projects and initiatives.
• Develops, coordinates, and conducts training programs for district ombudsmen, stakeholders, and the public.
• Travels for work up to 25% of the time.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Leadership experience in a social service profession (for example, reviewing budgets, leading teams, managing projects, etc.).
• Demonstrated sound and reasoned judgment.
• Ability to make decisions, justify recommendations, and be responsive and clear with staff and stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize, multi-task, and manage workload to meet specific time frames and deadlines.
• Effective communication and training skills, as well as strong presentation skills and critical analysis proficiencies.
• Strong work ethic, professionalism, and ability to adapt to changing priorities.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee's Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.