PROGRAM COORDINATOR - FAMILY CARE

Program Coordinator - Family Care

To oversee the Family Care Program and to expand the program in NYC and Long Island. To ensure the Family Care Program meets OPWDD regulatory guidelines.

Specific responsibilities include :

• The Program Coordinator of Family Care will oversee, manage, and supervise all aspects of the Family Care Program including but not limited to the individuals in the program (intakes, screenings, and placement); the recruitment, certification / recertification, and training of all Family Care Providers; supervision of Family Care staff; agency representative at various regional Family Care Coordinators meetings and Advisory Councils.
• Respond to OPWDD Requests for Proposals for program expansion in Family Care.
• Completes monthly billing to the finance department for the Family Care Program.
• Interview and hire new staff as necessary.
• Develop and maintain relationships with outside agencies and state offices.
• Be available to department staff for general support, guidance, and crisis management.
• Attend individual team meetings when necessary.
• Conduct home visits when necessary.
• Comprehensive completion and review of the 238 Family Care Home Evaluation and Survey & 239 Family Care Program Monthly Checklist.
• Ensuring compliance with written policies and procedures relative to obtaining, reviewing, evaluating, and verifying the background of, and information provided by applicants on LS22 Application for Family Care Home Certification.
• Ensuring that providers receive copies of all regulations, a copy of the Family Care Manual, any updated policies, an original copy of the operating certificate, and other information pertinent to the Family Care Program, as well as satisfying all requirements for training, physical plant, fire, safety, the State Central Registry and the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).
• Ensuring a quarterly nursing visit to the Family Care home in conjunction with completing program audits, medical reviews, physical plant inspections, and other reviews to maintain a standard of compliance.
• Ensuring that written recommendations are provided to non-Family Care certification staff on initial certification and on homes being evaluated for recertification.
• Ensuring the timely recertification of all existing Family Care homes and providing a recertification packet to certification staff.
• Ensuring that a current record is maintained for each Family Care provider. The Family Care Coordinator must ensure that the record is accurate and updated as needed, and reviews are documented.
• Monitoring, and approving all payments made to providers, or investigating inquiries regarding late and missing checks.
• Working with the DDSO Business Office to ensure that payments for home modifications, provider, and other reimbursements are made in a timely manner.
• Ensuring that the monthly DDSO Family Care census is accurate, and all corrections are entered into the Tracking and Billing System (TABS) in a timely manner including addresses and Social Security numbers.
• Ensuring that each prospective Family Care provider receives thirty hours of training prior to issuance of the operating certificate.
• Ensuring that each Family Care provider receives ongoing training as required and training based on the specialized needs of the individual or needs of the provider.
• Monitoring and approving trial visits, substitute provider services, and therapeutic leave.
• Ensuring that the Residential Habilitation Plan / Staff Action Plan is updated and is focused on the positive aspects of the individual, as well as identifying specific behavioral and / or medical needs and concerns.
• Ensuring that the goals, objectives, outcomes, and preferences of the individual are outlined in Residential Habilitation Plan are being carried out, and ensuring the collaboration of interested parties to make any necessary modifications to the Residential Habilitation Plan.
• Monitoring as appropriate with the sponsoring agency the spending of the Family Care Appropriations.
• Ensuring that procedures are followed when the operating certificate is limited, temporarily suspended, revoked or terminated, and, in conjunction with the Family Care Home Liaison, notifying the provider of the status of the proceedings, and ensuring due process for decertification or limitations placed on the operating certificate.
• Ensuring that potential and certified providers are informed of their rights pertaining to an OPWDD license to sponsor a Family Care home.
• Ensuring that Family Care Home Liaisons have been trained and have knowledge of the administration and program requirements of the Family Care Program.
• Providing training, as needed, to Family Care Home Liaison staff to ensure that staff are knowledgeable of current regulations and policies and that all staff are consistently following policy.
• Providing information and / or assistance to central office staff regarding policies, requests for information.
• Must understand the concept of confidentiality and understand and be capable of dealing with diverse personalities, ethnic, and religious situations.
• Must be able to intervene when there are unresolved issues between the Family Care provider and the individual or a family member.
• Must be capable of advocating for Family Care providers in terms of additional substitute services of justifying the need for additional funding under special circumstances based on the expressed needs of the individual.
• Provide support during a crisis in the family (death of a provider's family member, death of the individual, or a serious illness of the provider, individual, or provider's immediate family). Including the process of relocating a person supported in an emergency.
• Travel throughout the New York City and Long Island areas as needed to meet the program's requirements.
• Step in as the home finder as deemed necessary.
• Other duties required as noted by administration.

Qualifications include :

The Program Coordinator of Family Care must have good communication and interpersonal skills. The position requires the ability to form and nurture positive relationships with individuals, families, staff, and outside agencies and service providers. The Program Coordinator of Family Care must be comfortable with public speaking in order to present the Family Care Program to outside agencies as well as training of staff and Family Care Providers in a classroom setting. The Program Coordinator of Family Care must be able to mediate fairly in all situations and must be available to staff as needed. They will embrace the department's mission and philosophy of SCO and be able to guide staff in it.

In addition, employees need to possess the following characteristics :

The Program Coordinator of Family Care is based in Dix Hills and must be available to respond to emergencies and be on call 24 hours 7 days a week. Ensure that family care providers have access to the Program Coordinator via the agency's cell phone.