Patient Rights Advocate Manager- Texas Behavioral Health Center

UT Southwestern Medical Center • Dallas, TX

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Rights Advocate Manager will play a crucial role in establishing and managing the patient rights program at the new Texas Behavioral Health Center, the first state psychiatric hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth. This facility, operated by UT Southwestern Medical Center, aims to provide state-of-the-art, patient-centered care in a modern and healing environment. The manager will ensure the protection of patient rights and promote ethical, equitable care, supporting compliance with various regulatory standards. As part of UT Southwestern, this role offers an opportunity to contribute to a world-class academic medical center with a mission-driven culture and competitive benefits.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Administration, Social Work, Nursing, Psychology, Public Health, or related field.
• 3 years of experience in healthcare, behavioral health, patient advocacy, risk management, compliance, or related area.
• Knowledge of patient rights regulations, including HIPAA, CMS Conditions of Participation, and The Joint Commission standards.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.

Nice To Haves

• Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW), Healthcare Administration (MHA), Public Health (MPH), Nursing, Psychology, or related field.
• Experience in an academic medical center or inpatient behavioral health setting.
• Training in trauma-informed care and/or crisis intervention.

Responsibilities

• Educate patients, families, and caregivers regarding patient rights and responsibilities, including rights specific to behavioral health and psychiatric care.
• Establish and enforce standardized intake, classification, investigation, and resolution protocols for complaints and grievances.
• Receive complaints/allegations of violation of rights or inadequate provision of services.
• Investigate patient complaints and grievances in accordance with UTSW and regulatory requirements.
• Facilitate resolution of concerns through mediation, collaboration, and escalation when appropriate.
• Ensure timely documentation, tracking, trending, and reporting of complaints and grievances.
• Support patients in understanding informed consent, advance directives, privacy (HIPAA), and decision-making rights.
• Monitor compliance with federal and state laws related to patient rights, including Texas Mental Health Code (as applicable), CMS regulations, and The Joint Commission standards.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, Quality, and Behavioral Health leadership to address systemic issues.
• Participate in survey readiness activities and assist with regulatory audits related to patient rights.
• Identify trends and recommend process improvements to enhance patient experience and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to ensure a safe, therapeutic, and recovery-focused environment.
• Serve as a liaison between patients, families, clinical teams, and administration in complex behavioral health situations.
• Represent the expressed desires of patients by advocating for the resolution of their grievance and informing them of results of investigations, when appropriate.
• Provide training to staff on patient rights, complaint and grievance processes, and ethical standards.
• Support initiatives that enhance patient engagement, equity, and inclusion.
• Prepare reports and dashboards for leadership review.
• Analyze complaint trends to identify opportunities for quality improvement.
• Provide direct supervision to assigned staff, including oversight of daily operations, performance management, and staff development.
• Review all policies, procedures, behavior therapy programs, and rules which affect the rights of persons receiving services.

Benefits

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer

What This Job Offers

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