Leave of Absence Specialist

Acadia Healthcare•Franklin, TN

About The Position

The Leave of Absence Specialist administers leave of absence and disability programs for Acadia employees, ensuring leaves comply with applicable laws, regulations, and policies. The specialist advises employees on leave eligibility, benefit programs, and claim procedures; coordinates leave forms, HR notifications, and timely return-to-work procedures; and informs employees on leave about benefit payment obligations while ensuring payments are received by the corporate office. The role serves as a resource to employees and managers on FMLA, personal leave, short- and long-term disability, and military leave. It also collaborates with employees, HR representatives, facilities, and disability vendors to manage leave cases and maintain current knowledge of applicable leave requirements. This is a temporary position needed through Spring 2027, located in Franklin, Tennessee.

Requirements

One to three years of Human Resources experience supporting leave administration and HRIS maintenance and reporting for a multi-location, multi-state organization.
Two years of HRIS experience.
Excellent communication and organizational skills.
Advanced computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively and professionally with people at all levels, both internally and externally.
Knowledge of office administration procedures and the ability to operate most standard office equipment.
Ability to handle sensitive and proprietary information professionally while maintaining confidentiality.
Sound judgment in responding to inquiries and knowing when to route inquiries to the next level.
Self-motivation, strong organizational skills, and superior attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously within inflexible time frames and adapt to frequent priority changes.
Ability to work within organizational policies, procedures, and practices.
Knowledge of federal and state regulations affecting employee benefit programs, including FMLA, state leave laws, ADA, and ACA.
English proficiency sufficient to provide and receive instructions and directions.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
UKG HRIS experience.
PHR or CLMS certification.

Responsibilities

Provide accurate and timely consultation to employees before a leave of absence about leave policies, applicable leave protections, paid time off, and short-term disability benefits.
Track leave-of-absence cases in an electronic absence management system.
Distribute leave information and FMLA documentation to employees and HR representatives.
Build relationships with HR teams at assigned facilities and serve as a subject matter expert on leave issues.
Coordinate employees’ return to work among relevant parties on a need-to-know basis.
Act as the main liaison between employees and the short- and long-term disability vendor.
Identify and communicate benefit premiums employees must pay to continue coverage during unpaid leave.
Arrange and communicate benefit premium collection with employees and ensure payments are processed by the corporate office.
Maintain current knowledge of leave guidelines under applicable federal and state laws.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Comply with organizational policies, procedures, performance improvement initiatives, and confidentiality requirements.
Communicate clearly and effectively with service recipients, family members, guests, and other members of the health care team.
Develop and maintain constructive, cooperative working relationships and encourage trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Maintain regular and predictable attendance.