Quality Enhancement Specialist

The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) has an immediate opening for a Quality Enhancement Specialist. The selected candidate will work under the Office of Quality Enhancement (OQE) Regional Director in providing technical assistance to service providers & promoting and monitoring the human rights of consumers.

The Quality Enhancement Specialist will evaluate services and supports according to established standards espoused in the DDS Mission Statement, service principles, goals, and regulations. The ideal candidate will compile findings and formulate evaluation reports, make recommendations, and use results of QE findings to determine certification and enhance the quality of life of individuals. The incumbent will evaluate services provided to individuals in the DDS service delivery system using instruments established in DDS policies and procedures and based on regulation.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

- Coordinates and conducts OQE survey process to ensure services are provided to consumers as mandated through State and federal regulations, policies, and procedures.

- Determine compliance with Quality Enhancement licensure and certification indicators, guidelines, measures, and standards.

- Write and submit reports that include recommendations to the OQE Regional Director for review and approval.

- Participate in survey team feedback sessions to review findings and present recommendations.

- Reviews and analyze reports and other data to evaluate trends and make sound recommendations.

- Coordinate and conduct interviews and surveys to gain information from individuals, families, and providers on the quality of and satisfaction with services.

- Participate in regional trainings for service providers, consumers, families, and management.

- Provide training, consultation, and technical assistance to consumers, families, and providers in all aspects of quality enhancement.

- Share information with Investigators, Quality Enhancement, Legal, Contracts, and Operations staff to develop an accurate and thorough picture of the impact of services on the quality of life of individuals served.

- Review patterns and trends across different agencies, programs, services, and supports and bring these collective issues/concerns to the attention of the Region and Department.

- Make recommendations for specific and/or system-wide policies and procedures related to individual rights based upon patterns of incidents, complaints, restraint, behavior management technique implementation, etc.

- Affirm, promote, protect, and monitor the human rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and acquired brain injury.

- Conduct Active Treatment reviews for individuals with Intellectual Disability/Developmental Disability (ID/DD) residing in nursing facilities.

- Collect and maintain accurate and current information as directed.

- Enhance professional development through workshops, seminars, conferences, self-paced learning texts, etc.

- Make independent decisions about agencies' compliance w/Department regulations and OQE outcomes and measures.

- Act ethically and according to Department policy and procedure in relation to confidentiality, reports, information sharing, and accountability.

Required Qualifications

- Excellent communication abilities, both written and verbal.

- Superior leadership experience, particularly in cultivating high-performing teams, and developing and maintaining excellent working relationships with others.

- Knowledge of DDS Mission and goals, applicable Federal and State regulations, policies, and procedures.

- Familiarity with the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, specifications, standards, and guidelines applicable to Quality Enhancement activities.

- General understanding of current philosophies and methods of service delivery in the field of developmental disabilities.

- Skilled in information gathering through interviewing, observation and examination of individuals records and documents.

- Demonstrated ability to establish rapport and deal tactfully with persons of varying abilities as well as persons from different ethnic, cultural, and/or economic backgrounds.

- Adept at providing technical assistance to consumers, providers, family members, citizens, and agency personnel specific to quality enhancement.

- Experience in assembling items of information per established QE procedures and maintaining accurate records.

- Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to maintain a calm manner in stressful situations.

- Capacity to exercise discretion in handling confidential information and/or raw data.

- Proven organizational and prioritizing skills; ability to prepare reports as appropriate.

- Ability to adapt to varied work situations, hours, and work independently.

- Enhanced ability to initiate projects and perform competent word-processing and computer data entry tasks.

- Must be able to travel independently for job-related purposes.

- Willingness to work varied shifts and/or irregular hours and be subject to flexible work status.

Preferred Qualifications

- In-depth knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, specifications, standards, and guidelines governing DDS and Quality Enhancement.

- Knowledge of the types and uses of Quality Enhancement measures/tools.

- Demonstrated understanding of the principles, practices, and techniques of supervision.

- General knowledge of the theory and practice of effective teams.

About the Department of Developmental Services

The mission of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is to create innovative and genuine opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorder to participate fully and contribute meaningfully to their communities as valued members. DDS serves over 43,000 vulnerable individuals throughout their lifetimes, providing a spectrum of day, employment, and residential supports. The agency directly oversees and manages $3 billion in public funds ($2.7B operating budget) and approximately 5,500 staff, the largest state employee workforce of any agency in the Massachusetts executive branch of government.

For more information about our agency and programs visit: www.mass.gov/dds

To Apply: Please upload a cover letter and resume for the Quality Enhancement Specialist, Metro requisition.