Disability Specialist

Westchester Medical Center•Valhalla, NY

About The Position

Under general supervision, the Disability Specialist manages and tracks all non-occupational leave of absence activity for Westchester County Health Care Corporation. The position provides individual case management for affected employees, maintains ongoing communications with employees, managers, and health care providers, and prepares reports for management review. The role ensures that case management and documentation comply with applicable federal, state, and hospital requirements. Supervision is not a responsibility of this position. The Disability Specialist evaluates leave requests and supporting documentation, applies organizational policies and applicable laws, guides employees through the leave process, and coordinates return-to-work activities. The role maintains employee leave files, prepares absence and leave metric reports, compiles medical information for clinician review, and contributes to departmental quality improvement and customer service.

Requirements

Satisfactory completion of 60 credits.
Three years of experience involving the processing of FMLA and other employee leaves and maintenance of time and leave documentation.
Thorough knowledge of federal and state laws and organizational rules and policies regarding workplace absence and disability designations.
Thorough knowledge of ADA regulations and compliance requirements.
Knowledge of regulations and policies governing confidentiality and the release of information.
Ability to express oneself clearly and concisely, orally and in writing.
Tact and good judgment.
Physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.
Education beyond the secondary level must be from an institution recognized or accredited by the Board of Regents of the New York State Education Department as a post-secondary, degree-granting institution.

Responsibilities

Monitor, track, and maintain records related to non-work-related absences.
Review absence data, process non-occupational leave requests, and monitor absences of seven or more days.
Follow up with employees, supervisors, and health care providers to obtain required documentation for initial leaves, extensions, and returns from leave.
Manage cases and regularly coordinate with employees, supervisors, and the Occupational Health Department to support achievement of target return-to-work dates.
Protect employee health information and ensure strict HIPAA compliance.
Evaluate leave requests and supporting documentation for completeness, content, and eligibility; analyze and apply organizational leave policies and procedures and applicable federal and state laws.
Inform employees by telephone or written correspondence about required documentation and timeframes, leave status, the leave process, and employee responsibilities; provide eligible employees with a leave checklist.
Ensure compliance with return-to-work protocols, including scheduling Occupational Health Department appointments and notifying employees of appointment details.
Monitor leave reports for expired leaves and distribute communications regarding leave status and expected return-to-work dates.
Recommend leave resolutions, provide current information about FMLA regulations, and communicate as appropriate with employees, supervisors, cost center managers, Labor Relations, Payroll, Benefits, outside agencies, and health care providers.
Provide weekly and quarterly absence reports to help identify absences requiring monitoring, intervention, training, or education; prepare weekly leave metric and trending reports.
Compile medical information for clinician review to validate leave based on the Official Disability Guidelines for employers and health care providers.
Refer complex questions and cases to higher-level staff as appropriate.
Maintain individual employee leave files containing information from various sources, including time-off data, medical certifications, legal opinions, office notes, and out-of-work rosters.
Ensure timely processing and required documentation of employee transactions, including FMLA eligibility, civil service leave reporting, and terminations under Section 73 of the New York State Civil Service Law.
Recommend and participate in departmental quality improvement activities and collaborate with other departments on leave-process quality initiatives.
Provide quality customer service and proactively identify and resolve customer issues.
Ensure protocols, policies, and procedures comply with organizational policies and procedures, collective bargaining agreements, Workers' Compensation Board requirements, accreditation standards, New York State Department of Health requirements, federal laws, and other applicable regulations.
Use automated systems effectively to perform work assignments.
Perform related duties as assigned.