Advocate II

Job Code: 32000335
Salary Grade: NC12

Class Concept

This is professional advocacy work for individuals who are patients/resident/consumers. These supervisory employees ensure patients'/residents' rights are protected while care and services are provided. This is accomplished by promoting patients'/residents' rights at the executive level of the assigned facility through participation on executive level committees and regular meetings with the facility director. In addition, employees at this level establish goals and objectives for the Advocacy Department to ensure that the monitoring, educational, consultative and investigative needs of the assigned facility, related to patients'/residents' rights are met. These employees are responsible for the leadership and oversight of the advocacy department in the assigned facility, including setting priorities, directing and monitoring the daily activities and all tasks related to supervision of a Team (hiring and training new staff, assigning duties, establishing expectations, evaluating staff performance, addressing performance that falls below the expected level, etc.). These employees serve as the ultimate authority on rights related issues at the facility level and report directly to the Advocacy Team Lead in the Division.

These employees provide monitoring and consultative services to staff and management to ensure legislation, regulations and policies governing patients'/residents' rights are upheld. Monitoring entails a consistent presence throughout the assigned facility with noted concerns being promptly addressed or communicated to facility management/administration. These employees educate patients/residents, and also families/guardians as indicated, on their rights and empower them to self-advocate as they are able. These employees regularly educate facility staff on patient/resident rights through both formal and informal training.

These employees ensure investigations are conducted when there are alleged or suspected neglect, abuse, exploitation and other rights violations of patients/residents. These employees personally conduct a portion of the investigations and review all investigations to ensure that departmental objectives are met. These employees establish and oversee a system for receiving patient/resident complaints and grievances and working with management/administration to ensure that due process occurs in the resolution of these, within expected timeframes. Complaints, grievances and allegations are received from a variety of sources, including patients/residents, families/guardians, staff, as well as other stakeholders. Findings of complaints, grievances and investigations are communicated to management/administration for resolution by the facility and/or division management as necessary.

These employees ensure that Advocates are constantly available to the facility, patients/residents and their families/guardians through the organization of on-call coverage. These employees help to cover a portion of this on-call responsibility, returning to the facility to address any pressing matters that occur after hours.

These employees serve as liaison to the facility's Human Rights Committee, regularly providing rights related information/concerns to the committee and addressing any follow-up issues that the committee may have.

Recruitment Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of facility, division and department policies.
• Considerable knowledge of patient rights and applicable laws and regulations (Federal and State) related to the disability group served.
• Ability to research applicable laws and regulations and apply the knowledge to daily work. Ability to effectively train others.
• Ability to supervise a facility-based program.
• Ability to investigate allegations or complaints, analyze findings and reach fact-based determinations.
• Ability to analyze data, compile reports on findings and present information to management/administration.
• Ability to gain the confidence of patients/residents, and families/guardians as applicable, and to work effectively with them.
• Ability to maintain effective, yet objective, working relationships with staff, managers and administrators, and negotiate issues to reach a resolution.

Minimum Education and Experience

Master's degree in a human services program from an appropriately accredited institution and three years of the experience providing diagnostic and treatment or advocacy services for individuals who are developmentally, physically, or mentally disabled, two years of which experience must have been in a supervisory or lead role; or Bachelor's degree in a human services field from an appropriately accredited institution and four years of experience providing diagnostic and treatment or advocacy services for individuals who are developmentally, physically, or mentally disabled, two years of which experience must have been in a supervisory or lead role; or Bachelor's degree in a human services field from an appropriately accredited institution and five years of human services experience providing skills in investigating abuse and neglect, interviewing techniques, and similar functions, two years of which experience must have been in a supervisory or lead role; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Administering the Class: Applicants possessing a law degree from an appropriately accredited institution and one year of experience in an advocacy or hearing officer role, or one year of experience with laws affecting individuals with disabilities, or one year of experience as a practicing attorney are qualified for this classification.