DSHS HCLA Community Field Manager

State of Washington; Yakima (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Washington is seeking a Community Field Manager to lead a team overseeing regulatory compliance for long-term care facilities. You will guide staff in interpreting regulations, managing complaints, and conducting investigations to protect vulnerable adults.

You will build relationships across teams and partners, provide training, and ensure timely decisions on quality-of-care issues. The role emphasizes independent judgment and ongoing learning in a field-based leadership capacity.

Qualifications

• Master's degree plus 3 years supervisory experience in administrative, supervisory, consultant, or teaching capacity.
• Bachelor's degree in listed fields plus 3 years supervisory experience.
• 9+ years delivering social and health services in supervisory role with vulnerable adults.
• At least two years of demonstrated experience working with vulnerable adults.
• At least two years of demonstrated experience supervising and managing professional staff.
• At least two years of demonstrated experience delivering and monitoring social and health service programs.
• Regulatory work and complaint investigations preferred.
• Geriatrics, developmental disabilities, and mental illness knowledge preferred.
• Interpreting data and developing plans to address areas of concern.
• Civil and criminal law and professional regulations related to abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults.
• Understanding state and federal regulations relating to adult family homes, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise a team of up to 12 professionals conducting regulatory oversight of long-term care facilities.
• Ensure providers meet licensing and regulatory requirements protecting vulnerable adults.
• Monitor workloads, deadlines, and initiation of compliant investigations.
• Interpret regulations and policies to guide staff decisions.
• Review legal documents, including statements of deficiency, and provide feedback.
• Guide staff through complex situations, identifying resources and next steps.
• Make timely decisions on quality-of-care and quality-of-life issues.
• Communicate complex requirements clearly to staff, providers, management, and partners.
• Build cross-team relationships with agencies and providers.
• Facilitate meetings and trainings to support consistent practices.

Skills

Team leadership

Regulatory oversight

Communication

Decision making

Training facilitation

Policy interpretation

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Master's degree in social work or allied field

Bachelor's degree in listed fields + 3 years experience

9+ years supervisory experience in social/health services

Job description

Description

Protecting vulnerable adults depends on people who can turn regulatory requirements into meaningful oversight.

Description

Protecting vulnerable adults depends on people who can turn regulatory requirements into meaningful oversight.
As a Community Field Manager supporting assisted living facilities, you'll lead a team of up to 12 staff responsible for ensuring long-term care settings meet licensing and regulatory requirements. The work helps protect resident rights, prevent abuse and neglect, and support safe care for vulnerable adults.
This is a field-based leadership role that requires sound judgment. You'll help staff interpret regulations, assess compliance, navigate complaints and investigations, and document findings clearly. When the answer isn't obvious, you'll help your team find the right resource, determine the next step, and recognize when additional expertise is needed.
We encourage you to apply if you're a people leader who is curious, adaptable, and comfortable making independent decisions. You can manage competing priorities, communicate clearly with people at all levels, and remain objective when situations are complex or perspectives differ.
You don't need to know every answer.
You do need to know how to find reliable information, apply it thoughtfully, and ask for help when needed. Regulatory or complaint investigation experience will be useful, but continued learning is part of the job. You can expect extensive training as regulations, procedures, and practices evolve.

Your first 90 days

are about learning the program and building relationships. You'll get to know your team, the regulations and operating procedures that guide the work, the provider types you oversee, and the processes used to manage complaints, investigations, deadlines, and compliance decisions.
As you build that foundation, you'll take on greater independence in supporting staff and making decisions. Within your first year, success means understanding the program well enough to lead confidently, locate answers, apply requirements consistently, and know when to involve others.

Some Of What You'll Do

• Lead and support a team of up to 12 professional staff responsible for regulatory oversight of long-term settings.
• Help ensure providers meet licensing and regulatory requirements designed to protect vulnerable adults.
• Monitor workloads, deadlines, annual expectations, and the timely initiation of compliant investigations.
• Interpret regulations, policies, and operating procedures to assess compliance and guide staff decisions.
• Review and provide feedback on legal documents, including statements of deficiency.
• Help staff navigate complex or ambiguous situations, identify appropriate resources, and determine next steps.
• Make timely decisions involving quality-of-care and quality-of-life concerns.
• Communicate complex requirements clearly to staff, providers, management, and other stakeholders.
• Build effective working relationships across teams, agencies, providers, and other partners.
• Facilitate meetings and training that support consistent practices and continued learning.

Who Should Apply

You meet the minimum qualifications through one of the following pathways:

• A master's degree in social work, speech pathology, occupational or physical therapy, psychology, special education, nutrition, sociology, or an allied field, and at least three years of experience in an administrative, supervisory, consultant, or teaching capacity

OR

• A bachelor's degree in one of the fields listed above, and at least three years of experience in an administrative, supervisory, consultant, or teaching capacity

OR

• At least nine years of total professional/practical experience delivering social and health services in a supervisory role of professional staff, with demonstrated experience working with vulnerable adults and monitoring social and health services.

In addition, the role requires:

• At least two years of demonstrated experience working with vulnerable adults.
• At least two years of demonstrated experience supervising and managing professional staff.
• At least two years of demonstrated experience delivering and monitoring social and health service programs.

Preferred knowledge/experience:

• Regulatory work and complaint investigations.
• Geriatrics, developmental disabilities, and mental illness.
• Interpreting data and developing plans to address areas of concern.
• Managing staff responsible for quality-of-care and quality-of-life issues.
• Civil and criminal law and professional regulations related to abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults.
• Communicating complex laws or policies to people with varied backgrounds, cultures, primary languages, and levels of familiarity with the subject matter.
• State and federal regulations and their interpretation as they relate to adult family homes, assisted living facilities, enhanced services facilities, and nursing homes.

Department of Social and Health Services’ (DSHS) vision

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 a fairness, access, and social justice commitment to your work with DSHS. We stride to support all Washingtonians, 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

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history may be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the job. This