Patient Advocate & Recipient Rights Advisor - Michigan

Lifepoint Health • Marquette, MI

19h • Onsite

About The Position

UP Health System Marquette is seeking a Patient Advocate & Recipient Rights Advisor to join their team. This role is crucial for ensuring patient and recipient rights are protected and that the organization operates in compliance with relevant laws and standards. The position involves investigating complaints, conducting monitoring visits, providing training, and serving as a liaison between patients, families, and healthcare staff. The goal is to make communities healthier by upholding the rights and well-being of patients.

Requirements

• Minimum 1–3 years in healthcare, human services, behavioral health, advocacy, or investigative work.
• Knowledge of the Michigan Mental Health Code preferred.
• Strong communication, interviewing, and conflict resolution skills required.
• Valid Michigan driver’s license.
• MDHHS Basic Skills I & II certification required within 90 days of hire.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in human services, public administration, social science, healthcare, or related field preferred.
• Relevant experience may substitute for educational requirements.

Responsibilities

• Ensure operation of a Recipient Rights System compliant with the Mental Health Code, including Chapters 7 and 7a.
• Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and standards related to patient and recipient rights.
• Identify practices that may pose risk for rights violations and communicate concerns to leadership.
• Ensure contracted services include required Recipient Rights language and complete training.
• Collaborate with MDHHS-ORR, Disability Rights Michigan, law enforcement, and accrediting agencies.
• Receive, log, acknowledge, and investigate all complaints, grievances, and suspected or apparent violations.
• Conduct thorough investigations including interviews, record review, policy evaluation, and observation.
• Determine whether a violation occurred and recommend corrective action.
• Assist complainants with internal and external appeals, including Step 2 appeals to MDHHS.
• Ensure adherence to due process requirements and statutory timelines.
• Conduct announced and unannounced monitoring visits annually at all service sites.
• Review deaths, injuries, and incidents for potential rights implications.
• Monitor corrective action plans for compliance and closure.
• Maintain a comprehensive complaint log with investigations, outcomes, and reports.
• Prepare required quarterly, semiannual, and annual reports for leadership and MDHHS.
• Provide required Recipient Rights training to all employees, contractors, volunteers, and students.
• Deliver additional training based on complaint trends or regulatory changes.
• Support patient experience training programs such as RELATE and Standards of Performance.
• Serve as liaison between patients, families, and healthcare staff.
• Conduct patient rounding to validate best practices and identify needs.
• Assist with resolving communication or care-related concerns.
• Analyze complaint and grievance trends to identify improvement opportunities.
• Support advisory councils and engagement initiatives.
• Serve as staff liaison to the Recipient Rights Advisory Committee.
• Participate in quality, safety, and patient experience committees.
• Attend the Annual Recipient Rights Conference and maintain RROAM membership.
• Maintain ongoing professional education in advocacy and rights protection.

Benefits

• Multiple levels of medical, dental and vision coverage for full-time and part-time employees.
• Life, accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity insurance, short- and long-term disability, paid family leave and paid time off.
• Higher education and certification tuition assistance, loan assistance and 401(k) retirement package and company match.
• Mental, physical, and financial wellness programs (free gym memberships, virtual care appointments, mental health services and discount programs).
• Ongoing learning and career advancement opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees