Recipient Rights Officer (Non-Union)-26-24

Sanilac Brand•Sandusky, MI

25d•Onsite

About The Position

The Recipient Rights Officer will provide or coordinate the protection of recipient rights services for all directly operated or contracted agency services. This includes, but is not limited to, investigating complaints, providing recipient rights training, ensuring reports and statistics are prepared, and assisting with advisory committees. The Recipient Rights Officer shall have no direct clinical service responsibility.

Requirements

High school diploma plus familiarity with the CMH system, organizational skills, and strong interpersonal skills.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.
Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.
Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format.
Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
Intermediate Skills: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, and percentages. Has the ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
Ability to define problems collects data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Has the ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Valid Driver’s license.
To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Word Processing and Excel software.
Typing speed of 45 wpm is recommended.
Candidate must be able to demonstrate communication and judgment skills via written format through testing or other means requested.

Nice To Haves

B.A. degree in social service-related field and experience with recipient rights preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide or coordinate the protection of recipient rights for all directly operated or contracted services.
Ensure that recipients, parents of minor recipients, and guardians or other legal representatives have access to summaries of the rights guaranteed by Chapter 7 and 7a of the Mental Health Code and are notified of those rights in an understandable manner, both at the time services are initiated and periodically during the time services are provided to the recipient.
Ensure that the telephone number and address of the office of recipient rights and the names of rights officers and rights advisors are conspicuously posted in all services sites.
Maintain a record system for all reports of apparent or suspected rights violations received, including a mechanism for logging in all complaints and a mechanism for secure storage of all investigative documents and evidence.
Ensure that each service site is visited with the frequency necessary for protection of rights but in no case less than annually.
Develop Recipient Rights trainings for both new staff and refresher classes for all individuals employed by the agency or by contract providers.
Ensure that all individuals employed by the agency or contract agencies receive training related to recipient rights protection before or within 30 days after being employed and annually thereafter.
Review the recipient rights policies and the rights system of each provider of mental health services under contract with Community Mental Health to ensure that the rights protection system of each provider is in compliance with the Mental Health Code and is of a uniformly high standard.
Serve as consultant to the CEO and staff in matters related to recipient rights.
Ensure that all reports of apparent or suspected violations of rights within the community mental health system are investigated in accordance with Section 778 of the Mental Health Code and that those reports that do not warrant investigation are recorded in accordance with the Code.
Semi-annually and annually prepare and provide summary complaint data on the Rights System and operation of the Rights Office consistent with the requirements of Section 755, subsection (6) of the Mental Health Code, to the Department of Community Health, the Recipient Rights Advisory Committee, Executive Director, and the Sanilac CMH Board.
Be readily accessible to recipients, family members, guardians and staff regarding matters of recipient rights.
Be familiar with Mental Health Code, MDHHS Administrative Rules and agency policies and procedures.
Provide assistance and materials for summary of rights for recipients, parents or guardians.
Distribute complaint copies to appropriate persons.
Responsible for receiving annual training in recipient rights protection.
Review and process all agency Incident Reports. Each Incident Report is to be coded by the type of incident and date received and then processed for a monthly report that is submitted to clinical and supervisory staff.
Responsible for tracking all potential Sentinel and Critical Events and presenting data to the Quality Improvement Committee for review. Also responsible for submitting Critical Event data to the Dept. of Health and Human Services, as required.
Prepare and/or review agency policies, procedures and standards required by statute or rule relating to the rights of recipients.
Supervise the functions of Rights Advisors to ensure that mental health services are provided in a manner that guarantees and protects the civil, constitutional and treatment rights of all recipients.
Report on Rights Office activity to the Recipient Rights Advisory Committee bi-monthly or as required under their by-laws.
Attend all Behavior Management Committee meetings as an ex-officio member to review and provide comment on restrictive and/or aversive treatment plans.
Perform other duties as assigned