DEFINITION:
Under the direction of the Director of Client Services, the Fair Hearing Specialist responds to all appeals and administrative hearing requests, including service requests and eligibility determinations. This position will represent NBRC at every appeal level including informal meetings, mediations, and fair hearing matters, unless claimant retains their own legal counsel. In addition, the position is responsible for receiving and responding to all Section 4731 complaints, including coordination of all follow-up activities necessary to comply with DDS requirements, including submission of written responses signed by the Executive Director. This position will also be responsible for tracking and analyzing fair hearing trends and will consult with NBRC legal counsel as needed.
NATURE OF WORK:
Under the direction of the Director of Client Services, the Fair Hearing Specialist position is accountable for effectively handling job functions associated with all informal meetings, mediation, and appeal requests. In addition, this position is responsible for receiving and responding to all Section 4731 complaints, including speaking with all involved parties, NBRC staff members, and NBRC legal counsel, as needed. The candidate will receive, prepare, and respond to all appeal requests sent by DDS and coordinate with the necessary staff to conduct these processes. The successful candidate must work closely and cooperatively with a variety of internal staff including intake clinicians, supervisors, and Service Coordinators. The candidate will be responsible for researching relevant legal regulation and law to support the decision, will prepare all appeal materials, and will represent NBRC at each stage of the appeal process. Devise appropriate tracking system and monitoring of documentation to ensure compliance with state and federal requirements. Provides training to the appropriate personnel regarding appeals issues, provisions of service and the procedure to be followed in the event of service denial. Also, analyzes appeals and fair hearings, prepares statistical and analytical reports to determine trends and offers recommendations to position the agency to be proactive and maximize overall effectiveness in this area. Ensures compliance with agency standards, policies, and procedures.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
The candidate must have demonstrated experience in writing high-quality legal letters, such as Notice of Action and/or legal court reports or other high-level communications. They must have strong knowledge of developmental disabilities, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, Title 17 regulations, internal policy and procedures and must demonstrate a strong knowledge of current values and practices in the field of developmental disabilities, including services, and eligibility criteria for children and adults. The candidate will also have strong critical thinking and conflict mediation skills and the ability to establish and maintain working relationships with all members of the North Bay community.
The successful candidate will possess the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. They will provide a supportive and non-threatening forum for individuals and families to pursue the appeals process, recognizing cultural and language differences. The candidate will be able to prepare, and present clear, accurate, and concise documents related to all steps of the appeals process, including the analysis and interpretation of regulation, law and internal policy and procedure and provide plain language accommodation as needed. The candidate must possess strong public-speaking skills, create, and facilitate presentations and trainings, manage multiple projects, and work effectively in a fast-paced environment. The candidate must possess strong organization and time management skills and have strong computer skills including but not limited to MS Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.
MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
The successful candidate will have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, public health, law/political science, or another related field of study, and at least 3 years of experience working at a regional center. Experience and formal education in the subjects of negotiation, mediation, communications, and conflict resolution, are desirable, as well as legal/paralegal experience.
A master’s degree may be substituted for one year of the required experience.
A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is a requirement for this position, however, other minimum qualifications may be waived depending on the agency’s need for specialized skills (such as language abilities).
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
· Fluency in a language in addition to English is desirable.
· Ability to provide personal automobile transportation, or access to another form of reliable transportation, during and after working hours. Provide minimum automobile liability insurance as required by California Law.
· Flexibility in work hours is required to meet needs of the regional center constituency.
· This position will be primarily based in the office, however, a hybrid arrangement of remote and in-office work may also be available.
Benefits
At NBRC, we offer our employees a comprehensive benefits package, including:
- CalPERS Retirement Plan
- CalPERS Medical Insurance Plans, with generous employer contributions
- Dental Insurance, with zero cost for employee only coverage
- Vision Insurance, with $5/month employee cost share for employee only coverage
- Flexible Spending Accounts for Medical and Dependent Care
- 100% Employer Paid Life Insurance
- Generous vacation and sick accrual policies
- Employee Referral Reward Program
- 15 Paid Agency Holidays/year
- CalPERS 457 Supplemental Retirement Plan
Bi-lingual language differential:
- For those speaking , reading and writing other than English - $200 per month
- For those speaking a language other than English - $150 per month
- For those using American Sign language - $200 per month
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $65,988.00 - $88,476.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- AD&D insurance
- Dental insurance
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Free parking
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid sick time
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Referral program
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
- 8 hour shift
- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
Education:
Ability to Commute:
- Napa, CA 94558 (Required)
Ability to Relocate:
- Napa, CA 94558: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Napa, CA 94558