DSHS HCLA Nursing Home Allied Health Field Manager

State of Washington • Thurston County – Tumwater, WA

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Division of Residential Care Services (RCS) within the Home and Community Living Administration (HCLA) is seeking a Nursing Home Allied Health Field Manager for region 3 (Tumwater). This leadership role is responsible for overseeing regulatory compliance, quality assurance, and staff management for licensing and certifying nursing homes to ensure quality care for vulnerable residents. The position involves supervising complaint investigators and surveyors, managing a field unit covering multiple counties, and overseeing the administration and delivery of quality assurance services including ongoing evaluations and quality improvement activities. This role offers the potential for remote work up to three days a week after training completion.

Requirements

• Knowledge of state and federal regulations pertaining to Long-term care settings
• Ability to work with a wide variety of individuals and groups in areas of conflicting management diplomacy, diversity, and negotiating and influencing.
• Ability to convey the missions and goals of the department in clear, timely, persuasive messages that positively influence the thoughts and actions of others and help accomplish the desired outcome for the department.
• Ability to effectively communicate with management, peers, clients, and the public using the principles of equity, diversity, access and inclusion.
• Ability to communicate complex law or policy to diverse groups of people (people from varying cultures, primary language groups, or/and sophistication).
• Ability to assess situations and determine the best course of action to take to protect and further the goals and objectives of the department; make timely/responsive decisions using a logical rational approach.
• A master’s degree in Social Work, Speech Pathology, Physical or Occupational therapy, Psychology, Special Education, Sociology or other allied health field and three years’ experience in administrative, supervisory, consultant, or teaching capacity.
• OR A bachelor’s degree in one of the above-mentioned fields has been achieved with five years of qualifying professional experience as described above.
• OR Nine years of qualifying professional experience as described above; of which 4 years may substitute for the years of educational requirements.
• Master’s or Bachelor’s prepared: Demonstrated experience in supervision and management of professional staff.
• Demonstrated experience in working with the vulnerable adult population.
• Demonstrated experience in the delivery and monitoring of social and health service programs.

Nice To Haves

• Employees driving on state business must have a valid driver's license.
• Employees driving a privately owned vehicle on state business must have liability insurance on the privately owned vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Plan, lead, and organize the unit’s workload.
• Ensure complaint investigations and other department activities are conducted accurately and timely in accordance with state requirements.
• Ensure staff members collect data and write reports that are outcome-based, with solid/accurate observations and the use of “plain talk” language in all written reports.
• Assess, evaluate and exercise clinical judgment regarding health care finding of long-term care facilities submitted by field staff.
• Recommend enforcement actions for nursing homes when applicable to ensure resident safety.
• Plan workload and staff assignments using critical thinking to prioritize the unit’s work based on risks to residents.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for complaint investigations and inspections in the region.
• Assist and fill in for other Field Managers or the Regional Administrator as needed.
• Evaluate the performance of staff and give supportive feedback for improvement.
• Represent the Department in administrative hearings.
• Conduct frequent observational field visits with staff to ensure consistency of implementation of procedures and state program regulations.
• Train and work with staff in the region to develop complaint investigation skills.
• Interview and recommend staff selection; support the State’s goals for a diverse workforce.
• Involved in hiring and on-boarding of staff.
• Actively promote a healthy and positive working environment for staff.

Benefits

• Potential for remote working up to 3 days a week once training is completed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager