DSHS ALTSA Compliance Specialist

Description

Our team with Residential Care Services (RCS) within the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA), is looking for a Compliance Specialist.

Residential Care Services (RCS) oversees licensing and certification for facilities like nursing homes, assisted living centers, adult family homes, and other residential care providers in Washington State. They also ensure compliance with federal Medicaid and Medicare standards for certain facilities. RCS manages over 3,800 facilities and safeguards the well-being of around 67,000 residents daily, making sure providers meet state and federal requirements.

The Compliance Specialist plays a key role in enforcing regulations consistently across the state, focusing on long-term care compliance. This position involves collaborating with RCS teams, field staff, and the Attorney General's office, providing expertise, recommendations, and managing enforcement decisions. The role is based at RCS Headquarters but handles statewide responsibilities, including developing policies, training staff, and improving processes to ensure care quality and compliance. It’s a position requiring strong knowledge, coordination, and leadership skills in a highly regulated environment.

• Serve as ALTSA’s clinical subject matter expert for regulatory compliance/enforcement decisions and implementation statewide for Certified Community Residential Services and Support (CCRSS/Supported Living) and ICF/IID providers and facilities under all applicable federal and/or state statutes and rules. This position is considered back up to the Nursing Home compliance specialist in their absence. General responsibilities include:
  • Exercise delegated authority from the Headquarters Operations Office Chief to make enforcement decisions based on reports of care and service deficiencies in long-term care programs statewide; programs include nursing home, assisted living facilities and adult family homes. Make enforcement and program recommendations to the Headquarters Operations Office Chief.
  • Analyze, research, and review enforcement action documents, including the statement of deficiencies to ensure that they are legally defensible.
  • Ensure that the Department’s enforcement actions are consistent, timely and accurate, in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations.
  • Monitor ongoing state and federal litigation, and represents the Department/field staff and/or testifies at administrative hearings related to enforcement actions statewide. Testify in other litigation as necessary.
  • Review enforcement document recommendations with the field managers, headquarters quality improvement coordinator, and track and trend for changes needed or training purposes.
  • Coordinate settlement agreements with multiple Attorney General Offices. Ensure Department implementation of terms of settlements or hearing final orders issued through the Office of Administrative Hearings or the Board of Appeals.
  Serve as point of contact to communicate and coordinate with the Office of the State Fire Marshal for survey and certification activities in ICF/IID programs and certified group training homes (GTH).
  
• Serve as professional resource and disseminate specialized knowledge and expertise about federal and/or state laws and regulations, and processes and procedures related to long-term care program compliance. Some responsibilities include:
  • Provide individualized technical assistance regarding interpretations to the IDR Program Managers.
  • Give clear and concise oral and written presentations at internal statewide meetings related to the CCRSS and ICF/IID programs.
  • Provide training and orientation to new staff on enforcement and legal aspects of compliance decisions.
  • Collaborate and coordinate professional workgroups and meetings (e.g. with provider organizations, other regulatory entities, the long- term care ombudsman, Medicaid fraud, etc.).
  • Active participant providing subject matter expertise in compliance issues related to change of ownership and troubled providers and facilities during scheduled meetings with internal and external customers.
  • Review enforcement notices and make recommendations to upper management.
  • Provide regulatory centered presentations and education to external audiences as requested by the Headquarters Operations Office Chief.
  Closely collaborate with the Policy Unit by contributing to policy development, providing input, and reviewing changes in policy and regulations, and determining impacts to RCS staff and analyzing best practice applications related to enforcement and compliance issue.
  
• Special projects and other duties as assigned. Responsibilities include:
  • Research and respond to logged assignments from the Governor, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Director and Headquarters Operations Office Chief.
  • Develop, implement, and monitor internal procedures and processes. Analyze and integrate the information.

• You will make both tactical and strategic decisions. The face of long-term care is changing and you have to be aware of and implement related regulatory and process changes. This requires that you do a considerable amount of analysis and research before making decisions or taking recommendations to management. Under most circumstances you can make decisions without taking them to a higher level.

• Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) AND
• Must have at least three years of post-degree experience in clinical field AND
• Must have at least two years of experience reading, writing, and analyzing documents in determining areas of compliance AND
• Must have at least two years of experience working with vulnerable individuals in a community or a facility based setting in a professional level.

• Bachelor’s degree in related field as described above; AND five years’ experience in a setting that supports individuals with disabilities, mental health needs, vulnerable adults, or similar; AND five years of experience in implementing state legislature initiatives.

• Experience in the above areas will substitute year for year for the educational requirement.

• Master's degree in Nursing
• Program management skills and abilities.
• Ability to work well independently and as part of a team with initiative, discretion, tact and sound independent judgment.
• Ability to act as fair and impartial evaluator if citations/findings.
• Ability to synthesize, analyze and evaluate complex issues and multiple perspectives in order to make critical decisions, and problem solve.
• Ability to analyze laws, regulation and statements of deficiencies.
• Ability to understand intent of regulations within the legal parameters, as specified by state law and regulations.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to organize findings and develop a detailed written report.

• Chronological resume
• A cover letter explaining why your skills and experience make you the best person for the job
• Three professional references with current contact information

The Department of Social and Health Services’ (DSHS) vision that people find human services to shape their own lives requires that we come together with a sense of belonging, common purpose, shared values, and meaningful work. It is crucial to our agency’s vision that you bring an equity, anti-racism, and social justice commitment to your work with DSHS. We strive to create greater access and affirming representation of the communities we serve, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, people with physical, behavioral health, and intellectual disabilities, elders, LGBTQIA individuals, immigrants and refugees, and families building financial security.

Supplemental Information