Information & Referral Specialist

AgeSpan

Formerly Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley/North Shore

About Us: Since 1974 our agency has strived towards supporting an individual's desire to make their own decisions, secure their independence and remain living independently in the community. We are proud of our employees who make this possible every day. Our agency is a thought-leader, a nationally known generator of new ideas, because it welcomes creativity, your ideas. It is an outstanding place to work stimulating, friendly, collaborative. We offer competitive salaries, generous vacation time, and an excellent work/life balance. We value diversity and encourage career growth. If you have a passion for improving the lives of the elderly community and enjoy working in a diverse team driven by its mission, you've found the right place!

At AgeSpan, you'll find a work environment that combines:

• A refreshing culture that is supportive, collaborative, and encouraging of diverse perspectives and backgrounds.
• A focus on innovation with a team recognized for developing and implementing innovative programs and novel solutions.
• Encouragement of your development through opportunities to get involved, use your voice, and gain new knowledge and skills.
• A satisfying balance between your work and personal life, including a flexible workplace, generous paid time off, and wellness programs.

Depending on your role and your hours, we offer:

• Flexible schedule and hybrid work opportunities
• Competitive salaries
• Healthcare (medical, dental)
• 403b Retirement Plan with agency match
• 20 Vacation Days, 12 Sick Days, and 12 Paid Holidays
• Social Work Licensing Program
• License Renewal Paid by agency for RN's and Social Workers
• Mileage reimbursement
• Free parking
• Employee Referral Bonuses
• Employee Assistance Program
• Tuition Remission Program
• Agency subsidized gym membership (on-site in Lawrence)
• Commitment to promoting within

Position Summary: The Information and Referral (I&R) Specialist provides information on a wide variety of resources, programs, and services in response to inquiries from members of the community such as elders, persons with disabilities, caregivers, and professionals. I&R Specialists assess for program eligibility and link those in need of information and/or services to appropriate resources within and outside of the agency.

Essential Functions:

• Develop a working knowledge of agency programs and services, public benefits, community resources, and other relevant information.
• Respond to all telephonic, in person and electronic requests in a professional, timely and accurate manner.
• Process referrals for applicable agency programs through consumer needs assessment, preliminary eligibility determination, interdisciplinary consults, accurate and timely data entry and referrals to alternate resources as appropriate.
• Complete all documentation required by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and agency procedures and adhere to current AgeSpan Quality Assurance standards.
• Comply with HIPAA regulations and agency policies to ensure the privacy of protected health information (PHI).
• Participate in I&R customer satisfaction processes and tracking of statistical data.
• Seek peer input or management guidance on complex, atypical or time sensitive consumer situations.
• Provide referral sources, consumers, and caregivers with information regarding next steps in the process.
• Participate in professional development to enhance knowledge and skills, maintain certifications, and adhere to I&R training requirements as outlined by EOEA.
• Work collaboratively with other agency departments to ensure the highest level of customer service to both internal and external customers.
• Represent the agency in the community at meetings, fairs, trainings, and other events.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Associate's degree with experience in the elder, disabled or customer service fields
• Significant, relevant work experience may be able to be substituted for the degree requirement.
• Strong computer skills and proficiency with Microsoft products
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced call center environment while accessing information from a variety of sources.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate in a professional and empathetic manner.
• Strong organizational skills, ability to prioritize tasks, problem solve, and proactively identify and report concerns.
• Supportive telephone manner and active listening and communication skills
• Ability to interact comfortably with people with various levels of familiarity with the aging network, at various levels within the agency and positions in the community.

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field
• AIRS certification
• Proficiency working with web-based databases.
• Experience providing information and referral and performing eligibility assessments.
• Familiarity with the elder network including Councils on Aging, Aging Service Access Points (ASAP's) and Area Agencies on Aging (AAA's)
• Bilingual capacity in Spanish required.

Hours: 37.5 per week

AA/EOE

AgeSpan is strongly committed to fostering a professional environment that recognizes, respects, and encourages the unique contributions of a broad spectrum of qualified employees. It is important that our employees reflect the diverse communities we serve. We maintain a work atmosphere that allows people of varied backgrounds to grow professionally and contribute to our mission by promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and work-life balance.