ADA Specialist

UNUM Group•Portland, ME

28d•Onsite

About The Position

The ADA Specialist role is a professional level position in the Unum Leave Management Center. The ADA Specialist serves as a liaison with our customers, being a "single point of contact" for the employer to assist understanding of individual claim or leave status as well as providing consulting and education on disability related matters. The role will facilitate clear understanding of Unum communications, processes, and benefits. The ADA Specialist is positioned to educate regarding process and considerations in stay at work, return to work and workplace adjustments. The ADA Specialist will also facilitate ADA file reviews by interacting with our customers' employees with medical conditions who request assistance in staying at or returning to work from a leave. The ADA Specialist will obtain and review medical information to make a recommendation whether the customer's employee is likely qualified for worksite assistance under various state and federal regulations. Additionally, the ADA Specialist will review the medical and job duty information to identify potential modifications that may help an employee do his or her job, coordinating with vocational and clinical resources as needed. The role will work with managers and employees to promote interaction and reach agreement on effective modifications to assist stay at work or return to work efforts, including follow ups to confirm effectiveness of modifications.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent, relevant business experience
Demonstrated experience and proficiency in disability management, leave management, workers compensation administration, clinical and/or vocational rehabilitation, disability case management, or human resources
Grounding in legal issues pertaining to disability and absence management, particularly knowledge of FMLA, ADA, and state leave laws
Proven excellence in using persuasion and negotiation skills
Demonstrated collaborative behavior and being a strong team player
Strong creativity and problem-solving skills, including ability to analyze impacts and implications of viable approaches, identify alternative approaches, achieve resolution
Ability to work independently and produce results in timely manner
Demonstrated analytical skills including ability to produce credible reports and documents on a range of related topics
Ability to effectively participate in relatively ambiguous work situations and structures
Ability to exercise sensitivity, encouragement, and discretion with customer's employees to encourage return to work or stay at work
Ability to work cooperatively with employers, vendors, and clinical specialists to conceptualize, create, implement and evaluate RTW plans for employees
Understanding and proficient use of system applications, including tools for tracking, documenting and/or diary systems
Occasional travel possible

Responsibilities

Serves as a "single point of contact" for our ADA customers' managers and designated HR representatives regarding questions related to ADA, integrated leave management procedures, FMLA process, and STD/LTD claims management.
Provides consultation and education to customer about individual readiness or projected readiness of their employee to stay at work or return to work as well as ADA considerations
Upon request from the employer, manage the interaction between the employer's representative, the employee, and the attending physician. The process includes, but is not limited to, obtaining the appropriate forms to be signed, providing education about Unum's role, the manager's role, and the employee's role in obtaining assistance, and facilitating discussions as needed to reach agreement on plans.
Obtain or review medical information to determine whether to provide recommendation to customer regarding qualification of employee for worksite modification and identify possible worksite modifications for employees who present medical conditions or functional limitations that impact their abilities to perform work tasks or disrupt productivity levels. Consider when to recommend or follow through on customer's request to coordinate independent medical evaluations.
Partner with appropriate Unum entities, including the Law Department, clinical and vocational resources, and our disability/leave organizations, to effectively deliver the service.
Remain current in education regarding state insurance privacy laws and HIPAA and assist customer in identifying issues when communicating regarding medical information.
Track what modifications are provided by the customer and ensure proper documentation on all interactions and customers' modification decisions.
Perform other duties as assigned by Unum or as requested by our customer and approved by Unum.

Benefits

Award-winning culture
Inclusion and diversity as a priority
Performance Based Incentive Plans
Competitive benefits package that includes: Health, Vision, Dental, Short & Long-Term Disability
Generous PTO (including paid time to volunteer!)
Up to 9.5% 401(k) employer contribution
Mental health support
Career advancement opportunities
Student loan repayment options
Tuition reimbursement
Flexible work environments