Personal Choices Counselor

South Alabama Regional Planning Commission•Mobile, AL

About The Position

The Personal Choices Counselor enrolls clients and counsels and educates them about their rights and responsibilities. The counselor consults with and assists clients as they develop their support plan and budget, assesses service quality and whether services should continue, maintains detailed service records, and prepares reports for the Alabama Department of Senior Services. The role also assists with other projects as needed. The position receives general supervision from the Team Lead Personal Choices Counselor. The supervisor sets overall objectives, while the employee and supervisor jointly develop deadlines, projects, and work to be done. The employee plans and carries out assignments, with work reviewed from an overall standpoint. Work is primarily sedentary, though it can involve walking, standing, bending, carrying light items, and regular driving. Some walking may be over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces. The position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Social Work, Behavioral Sciences, Psychology, Geriatric Studies, or a related field.
At least two years of work experience in home health or aging programs.
Valid driver’s license and good driving record.
Knowledge of community resources and support networks available to the clientele served.
Knowledge of HIPAA.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Ability to relate to elderly people and their unique problems.
Knowledge of and ability to operate office equipment, including a telephone, copy machine, fax machine, computer, and calculator.
Knowledge of basic arithmetic and budgeting.
Ability to read and interpret guidelines and regulations and apply them to the job.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of social work programs and processes.

Responsibilities

Receive referrals from Medicaid Waiver team leads or case managers.
Contact potential clients to discuss program requirements and client responsibilities and, when appropriate, arrange an in-home enrollment session.
Visit clients’ homes to provide orientation and training about Personal Choices program requirements and responsibilities.
Assist and guide clients in developing personal support plans addressing personal assistance and related health care needs, including backup supports.
Evaluate and approve personal support plans when service and safety measures comply and the budget establishes a spending plan based on reasonable costs and allocation of funds.
Forward personal support plans to the Personal Choices Program Manager at the Alabama Department of Senior Services for approval.
After an application is approved, notify the team lead and/or Financial Management Service Agency (FMSA).
Monitor monthly budget expenditure reports from the FMSA for adherence to the approved Personal Support Plan and spending patterns that may indicate care, health, or safety issues.
Call each client as required to assess the quality of self-directed care, provide support, and ensure essential needs are met.
Conduct semiannual in-home visits to assess quality of care and client safety.
Collaborate with the client’s case manager to support the client’s continued health and safety and protect client rights under HIPAA.
Develop organizational knowledge of aging and adult resources.
Provide training and program updates to case managers.
Collaborate with the management team to develop and improve case manager processes.
Assist with programs, health fairs, and other public events to publicize and educate the community about available aging programs.
Prepare work-activity and other required reports.
Perform other duties as assigned.