- Salary
- $45k – $49k/yr
- Location
- Boston, Massachusetts, US
- Type
- Full-time
- Source
- BetterTeam
Description
My Ombudsman exists to help people with and without disabilities get the care they need from their MassHealth health plans.
The Outreach Liaison will support our work in two ways:
- They will receive and respond to inquiries from the general community via phone and email. They conduct intakes for members of MassHealth health plans when a member contacts My Ombudsman for help with issues accessing their healthplan’s benefits and services. The Outreach Liaison documents all correspondence and communications with members in our electronic database. They may also help the Director flag and track potential trends in member needs.
- They will participate in community outreach events in the areas served by My Ombudsman.Outreach Ombudsman devotes approximately 50% of their time to community engagement efforts (in-person and virtual).
Our My Ombudsman team has a “no wrong door” approach, meaning that even if the issue is outside the scope of My Ombudsman, they will provide referrals to other organizations that can help. When engaging with anyone who reaches out to My Ombudsman for support, the Intake Coordinator must communicate respectfully, compassionately, and with accessibility in mind. Overall, My Ombudsman strives to provide culturally competent support to people of all races, genders, sexualities, nationalities, and disabilities.
Areas of Responsibility:
Member Intakes:
Inquiry/Complaint Documentation and Data Collection:
- Via phone, email, or in-person, answer inquiries from the public, particularly Spanish, Portuguese, or Mandarin-speaking members of MassHealth health plans.
- Provide accurate and thorough answers (conducting research as necessary) in response to member requests for information.
- Provide members with referrals and “warm hand-offs” to external organizations when appropriate.
- Determine when it is appropriate to open either an inquiry or a complaint and label it with the correct theme or trend.
- Collect member data and document pertinent information in My Ombudsman’s database in accordance with program policies.
- Forward relevant case files or information to the assigned Ombudsman and/or Team Director in accordance with program policies.
- Flag emerging urgent or time-sensitive cases and alert the appropriate parties in accordance with program policies.
Community Outreach:
- Develop and implement a plan to visit My Ombudsman’s partner organizations and provide in-person Ombudsman services.
- Attend outreach events and give presentations to introduce My Ombudsman to new partners and members.
- Provide community education on MassHealth member benefits and rights.
- Participate in outreach meetings, event planning meetings, and other meetings related to community outreach.
My Ombudsman, DPC, and MassHealth Knowledge:
- Learn the mission, philosophy, background, and operations of My Ombudsman and the Disability Policy Consortium.
- Build and maintain a strong foundation of MassHealth and health plan knowledge.
- Stay current with new MassHealth policies and health plan updates.
Member Communication and Support:
- Interact with all members compassionately and respectfully while remaining professional and impartial.
- Apply principles of disability rights, independent living, and accessibility when listening to and responding to member concerns.
- Employ active and mindful listening techniques while maintaining healthy, professional boundaries.
- Communicate with all members in an approachable, professional, and easy-to-understand manner.
Privacy and Confidentiality:
- Maintain the privacy, integrity, and storage of personal identifying information in accordance with program policies.
- Keep paper copies of personally identifying information (PII) or other sensitive information in locked filing cabinets and/or offices identified by DPC.
- Ensure that third parties are not allowed access to physical or electronic data or records.
- Comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and contractual provisions and abide by the procedures and requirements to maintain privacy and confidentiality, as outlined by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
General:
- Collect member data and document pertinent information in My Ombudsman’s database in accordance with program policies.
- Participate in team meetings and discussions.
- Prepare and submit all required documents (such as inquiry notes, supervision worksheets, etc. in a timely manner).
- Ensure professional quality, technical accuracy, and timely completion and delivery of the responsibilities of the position.
- The Outreach Ombudsman will also work on the program’s outreach efforts, such as giving presentations or attending community events on the program’s behalf. This may involve some travel (expenses are fully reimbursed) and/or occasional weekend/evening work (with flex time offered).
Qualifications:
- Cleaning driving record and current driver's license. Must be able to drive to outreach events via personal car or employer-provided vehicle/transportation. Mileage reimbursement applies for the use of the personal car.
- Previous professional experience with costumer/consumer support via phone and/or email.
Skills:
- Strong verbal and written communication skills in English; strong verbal and written command of another language (especially Mandarin, Cantonese, Haitian-Creole, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese) is a plus.
- Demonstrated interpersonal communication skills with people of various backgrounds, levels of education, and abilities.
- Effectively able to convey complex information in a simple, clear, and understandable manner.
- Demonstrated ability to remain calm and nonjudgmental in a crisis.
- Excellent problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills.
- Excellent note-taking, organizational, and multitasking skills.
- Strong command of the phone, computer, and navigating the internet.
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
- Ability to properly maintain proprietary and confidential information.
Experience:
- At least two years of experience working in the customer service industry, healthcare setting, social services field, or related areas working directly with people.
- Strong preference for someone with lived experience or extensive cultural knowledge of the disability community or other communities we serve.
- Prior knowledge of ombudsman programs, disability civil rights policy, and the healthcare environment in Massachusetts and/or MassHealth is a plus, but not required.
Benefits include fully paid Dental, Life, and Long-Term Disability insurance, monthly Health Insurance premium stipend, 13 Paid holidays per year as well as 120 Hours of Paid Vacation and 80 Hours of Paid Sick time per year. Upon hire, the successful candidate must be cleared through the state's Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) service.
My Ombudsman is a program of the Disability Policy Consortium, an independent organization run by and for people with disabilities that provides civil rights advocacy, community-based research, and healthcare ombudsman services across Massachusetts. More than 80% of our staff have disabilities, and our credo is “About Us, By Us”—the belief that when decisions are being made about people with disabilities, they should play a leading role in making them. We are committed to social justice and strive to be a place where all our employees can bring their full selves to work. Candidates of color, LGBTQ+ candidates, multilingual candidates, and candidates with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
This is a full-time position with a salary between $45,000 to 49,000 per year. Candidates can currently work remotely but must be based in New England.
Skills
Customer Service
