Behavioral Health Quality Improvement Specialist

Evergreen Treatment Services & REACH•Seattle, WA

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Work at Evergreen Treatment Services and make a difference in our community! ETS has been working to transform the lives of individuals and their communities through innovative and effective addiction and social services in Western Washington for over 50 years. Learn more about our mission and values. Change begins within. We strive to foster and sustain a diverse and inclusive community within our organization. Find out how we are working to achieve racial equity, health equity, and community justice. Our Clinic Services and REACH teams bring critical professional expertise and heartfelt compassion to the work they do every day to serve our most vulnerable community members. Check out the compelling stories told by our participants, and staff members that provide more information and a clear picture regarding our organization’s essential work. This dynamic position plays an important role in helping ETS accomplish our mission! Job Summary: The Quality Improvement (QI) Specialist role is part of the Quality Improvement & Risk Management team that supports ETS’ mission by supporting and participating in oversight of behavioral health services provided in both Clinic Services and REACH through inspecting and evaluating processes, procedures, reported adverse events and adherence to applicable regulations and guidelines This role makes a critical difference at ETS by participating in the development and ongoing implementation of Quality Management work plan activities related to quality reviews, adverse event management, and compliance The QI Specialist reviews data, identifies trends, and communicates all adverse events to the Clinical Quality Improvement Program Manager (CQI PM). Additionally, this role assists in training teams to reduce service quality related problems and increase awareness and understanding of culture of quality and participant safety The QI Specialist adheres to expectations of assignment and project ownership, and this position is expected to stay current with trends in quality improvement, patient safety and behavioral health practice transformation and integration The QI Specialist is expected to follow and champion principles of just culture, by creating an environment of psychological safety, impartiality, and system focused approach to adverse event reviews and situations What you contribute to this role – Responsibilities: Help ETS succeed in carrying out our mission through working together with other staff to transform systems of harm and inequity to create different approaches to improving community health and safety through addressing substance use and homelessness Assist with the organization-wide initiative to reimagine our interconnectedness within our community to overcome the aspects of our society and organizational culture shaped by white supremacy and settler colonialism

Requirements

Washington State Department of Health Licensed Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) certification, other relevant licensure or educational experience preferred
Academic training in the social services field and in the areas of chemical dependency treatment is preferred
Minimum 5 years’ experience of working in direct patient care, public health or a related field
An understanding of racial justice and social equity and a commitment to helping create an equitable environment for all ETS participants as well as fellow staff.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with participants, and staff from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds
Ability to read and interpret general business correspondence, policies, and procedures, referral information, financial documentation, and applicable government regulations
Ability to write business letters, uncomplicated reports, instructions, and procedures
Ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from participants, staff, referral sources, and the general public
Ability to propose practical and compliant solutions and practice alternatives based on data obtained in audits and adverse events reports.
Ability to observe and detect clinical patterns in adverse events and relate them to review (audit) findings.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, schedule, or diagram format o Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where standardization may be limited. o Strong interpersonal skills and verbal/written communication skills
Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload, work independently, and complete tasks timely and efficiently.
Dependable, able to work under pressure, receptive to change, willingness to learn, cooperative approach to problem solving.
Flexible, respectful, team player, with excellent attention to detail. o Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when handling highly sensitive information.
Ability to set boundaries, resolve conflict, and de-escalate issues. o Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and proactive in adopting new technologies

Responsibilities

Quality Improvement & Clinical Reviews
Enhance quality and services through data-driven evaluation and recommendations aligned with performance metrics ?
Create and maintain relevant policies and procedures
Support Quality Committees and facilitate related processes and reporting
Conduct and manage audits (internal and external) across service lines, including data entry, tool development, and tracking corrective actions
Participate in interrater reliability assessments and scoring standardization
Execute internal reviews for documentation and quality compliance with regulatory and contractual standards
Oversee and support external audits (on-site and hybrid) for licensing and regulatory adherence per internal audit support guidelines and agreements with internal stakeholders.
Provide project management for patient safety initiatives, under the oversight and guidance of CQI PM
Prepare and deliver formal reports, supports regulatory responses and reporting.
Adverse Event Reporting
Provides specialized support in patient safety and adverse event evaluation
Manage adverse events and grievances via paper and third-party platforms
Conduct Root Cause Analyses, Event Learning Reviews, and produce Critical Incident Reviews and investigative reports
Develop, implement, and monitor corrective action plans in collaboration with ETS leadership
Analyze adverse event data to identify and prioritize issues requiring action
Coordinate response workflows for serious clinical events, including issue escalation and protocol adherence.
Support patient safety initiatives through project coordination, reporting, and regulatory compliance.
Customer Service & Team Behaviors
Work independently and collaboratively in evolving systems with minimal supervision
Exercise impartiality and diplomacy in interactions with internal and external stakeholders
Apply time management and communication skills to meet deliverables
Foster a positive, collaborative work environment and serve as a Just Culture ambassador.
Lead change management and stakeholder engagement through strategic communication and training.

Benefits

Medical and Dental benefits, as well as voluntary Vision benefits.
403b Retirement Plan with employer match starting at 2% at 1 year, and Roth IRA.
Basic Life/ADD/FSA tax saving accounts for health and dependent care.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP), voluntary long-term disability coverage.
Vacation (2 weeks/year, access at 6 months), Sick leave (24 days/year, access at 30 days).
Mental health leave (12 days/year, access at 30 days).
Holidays (12 days/year) and one Floating Holiday per year.
Wellness stipend ($50/month) to use for wellness benefits such as massage, fitness classes, gym membership, meditation, therapy, park passes, etc.
Transportation stipend or pass and mileage and parking reimbursement when traveling for work.
License renewal reimbursement and tuition/training assistance.
Referral bonus ($100/$250) and sign-on bonuses for some positions at certain times.
Longevity awards ($50 - $750 over milestone anniversaries, and for REACH programs).
Discounts for Woodland Park Zoo, Verizon Wireless, and Corporate Shopping.
Professional development: ETS is committed to supporting all staff in fulfilling their continuing education requirements and on their career paths so that ETS is a place to thrive long-term.