Dementia Care Specialist

Utah State University•Logan, UT

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Utah State University’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Research Center, in partnership with the Sorenson Center for Clinical Excellence, is hiring a full-time Clinician I / Dementia Care Specialist to expand the Dementia Caregiver Clinic’s telehealth services across rural Utah. Funded by the Rural Health Transformation Program LIFT initiative, the role aims to reduce geographic barriers and increase access to specialized support for family caregivers of people living with dementia. The position has two primary functions: approximately 70% direct virtual clinical care and 30% rural provider outreach and referral development. Clinical work includes one-on-one video and telephone consultations, caregiver needs assessments, individualized geographic care plans, and follow-up. Outreach includes building referral relationships with healthcare providers and community organizations, delivering workshops and presentations, and supporting promotional and educational materials. The role also tracks program data and outcomes and helps integrate rural consultation protocols into the broader clinic. The position requires regular on-campus clinical work in Logan, Utah, and approximately six multi-day trips each year to rural Utah communities and conferences. Continued employment is contingent on performance and ongoing funding. The role is intended to transition to core institutional funding and become the clinic’s primary statewide clinical consultant. The Clinician I reports to the ADRC Director, in coordination with SCCE Clinical Leadership, and collaborates with the ADRC Program Coordinator and SCCE social work interns. There are no direct supervisory responsibilities, though the specialist may contribute to intern and practicum-student training on dementia-specific topics.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work, Gerontology, Public Health, Health Education, Human Development and Family Studies, Nursing, or a closely related field; alternatively, a bachelor’s degree in a related field plus at least two years of dedicated professional experience in dementia care, aging services, or clinical case coordination.
Excellent professional written and verbal communication skills.
Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel across rural Utah, approximately six multi-day trips per year.
In-depth understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, disease progression, behavioral management, and the psycho-emotional effects on family caregivers.
Ability to conduct empathetic, structured consultations, crisis de-escalation, and family needs assessments; formal therapy licensure is not required.
Proficiency and comfort conducting clinical video and telephone consultations using secure, HIPAA-compliant platforms.
Understanding of geographic, economic, and logistical barriers in rural and frontier Utah, including healthcare workforce shortages and broadband limitations.
Strong networking and presentation skills, including comfort contacting rural physicians and community leaders and leading workshops for large audiences.
Experience with electronic health record systems, secure cloud storage, and standardized evaluation tools.
Autonomy, organizational discipline, and creative problem-solving skills to build a new program footprint.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience providing one-on-one care consultations, resource navigation, or case management for older adults and family caregivers.
Familiarity with Utah’s aging services network, including Area Agencies on Aging, USU Extension, and rural health clinics.
Experience administering standardized psychometric or caregiver assessment scales, such as the North Dakota Care Consultation Empowerment Scale.
Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Conduct tailored one-on-one telehealth consultations by secure video or telephone with family caregivers in designated rural Utah counties.
Administer baseline intake screenings and caregiver needs assessments, evaluating caregiver burden, competence, behavioral symptoms, and urgent priorities.
Develop customized action plans based on consultation findings, including local services, respite programs, legal and financial resources, and evidence-based dementia coping strategies.
Conduct structured follow-up contacts four weeks and six months after consultations.
Maintain timely electronic health records in the SCCE’s PnC software and comply with HIPAA and Institutional Review Board ethical standards.
Establish referral partnerships with rural primary care physicians, local health departments, hospital networks, and community clinics.
Build referral channels with Area Agencies on Aging, Meals on Wheels programs, USU County Extension offices, and rural public libraries.
When invited, conduct culturally humble outreach with Tribal Health Departments, Indian Health Service facilities, and Title VI Native American Aging Programs to develop culturally adapted referral pathways.
Make approximately six annual outreach and educational trips across rural Utah to lead caregiver workshops, present at conferences, and meet community stakeholders.
Collaborate on statewide and rural-targeted promotional campaigns, toolkits, and educational presentations.
Track client intake, ZIP codes, and consultation counts to maintain separation between rural LIFT grant metrics and the state DHHS tri-county DCC contract.
Compile quarterly and annual utilization metrics, geographic reach summaries, and empowerment outcome data for grant renewal reports.
Work with ADRC leadership to integrate rural consultation protocols into the broader Dementia Caregiver Clinic model and support the role’s transition toward permanent institutional support.
May contribute to training social work interns and practicum students in dementia-specific topics.