Consumer and Family Assistance - Grievance Specialist

Mental Health Assn of Alameda County • Berkeley, CA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Consumer and Family Assistance Specialist (CFAS) works in the Patients' Rights Advocacy Program of Alameda County, which helps ensure that people with mental illness receive quality treatment in compliance with applicable codes and regulations. The CFAS responds to consumers of mental health services, family members, and other concerned individuals who have grievances about mental health or substance abuse treatment provided through the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department. This part-time role uses customer-service, information-gathering, and mediation skills to seek amicable complaint resolutions where possible.

The Specialist staffs the grievance phone, explains the grievance process, provides information and referrals when a grievance is not needed or desired, and gathers and evaluates information from relevant parties. The role may include mediation, identifying relevant policies and procedures, preparing closure letters, completing documentation, and resolving grievances within established deadlines. High-profile cases are referred to program leadership. The position is based at 2855 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, California, and occasionally requires car travel to meetings within Alameda County. It is a non-exempt position paying $27.51 per hour.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• At least 6 months of customer service experience providing information and referrals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to synthesize information and determine its relevance to a grievance.
• Organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Meticulous documentation skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Outlook and Word.
• Ability to multitask and meet deadlines.
• Must successfully pass a fingerprint background check by the California Department of Justice and the FBI.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience managing grievances or complaints.
• Bilingual ability in an Alameda County threshold language: Cantonese, Farsi, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, or Vietnamese.
• Knowledge of California mental health laws, especially those pertaining to Medi-Cal benefits.
• Experience delivering services using video-based platforms such as Zoom.
• Bachelor's degree.

Responsibilities

• Respond promptly to communications received through the Consumer and Family Assistance Hotline.
• Explain the grievance process accurately to all parties.
• Staff the grievance phone and conduct grievance intake.
• Gather facts, interview relevant parties, and identify relevant policies and procedures to formulate a response to complaints.
• Refer clinical grievances to the ACBHD Clinical Review Specialist.
• Provide information and referrals when a grievance is not needed or desired.
• Provide mediation when appropriate and work to resolve complaints within policy timelines.
• Maintain required documentation, including the Grievance Call Form, Grievance Call Log, and Closure Letter.
• Draft closure letters and complete the grievance process within established deadlines.
• Refer high-profile cases to the Lead Consumer Assistance Specialist, Assistant Program Director, and Program Director.

Benefits

• Competitive salary.
• Eligible for a first pay increase after successful completion of the 3-month introductory period.
• Some positions are eligible for a bilingual pay differential for fluency in an Alameda County threshold language.
• Generous time off, including 14 paid holidays and vacation leave of 2 weeks per year, increasing to 4 weeks by the fourth year of employment; leave is prorated based on hours worked.
• Mileage reimbursement for work-related travel.
• Paid volunteer time off.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• On-the-job training.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Education Level: High school or GED