Early Intervention Coordinator (Program Specialist 2)

County of Chester; West Goshen (Chester County); On-site; USD 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The County of Chester seeks a full-time Program Specialist II to support the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities programs. This administrative role requires strong management oversight and compliance with state regulations, while also engaging with community partners to enhance service delivery. The ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree and relevant experience, adapting to the needs of the dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Three years of professional-level experience in the appropriate field.
• Ability to follow office protocols.
• Strong time management skills.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Administrator to fulfill the legal and professional requirements of the programs.
• Oversee compliance with administrative agreements and monitoring requirements.
• Conduct or assist with negotiations and monitoring of contracts with provider agencies.

Skills

Customer service

Time management

Professional ethics

Education

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university

Tools

Intermediate Office Suite Skills (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint)

Job description

Chester County Mental Health/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is looking to fill a full-time administrative level position in Infant Toddler Early Intervention. The incumbent in this position will assist the Administrator to fulfill the legal, administrative and professional requirements of the community intellectual and developmental disabilities/Early Intervention programs.

The Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Program Specialist II/EI IDD Program Specialist II is responsible for assisting the Administrator to fulfill the legal, administrative and professional requirements of the community intellectual and developmental disabilities/Early Intervention programs. This position will coordinate the review, analysis and evaluation of programs and processes, both within the Administrator’s office and the Chester County service delivery system.

A person in this position is expected to demonstrate the system of care practice model, which maximizes all resources around an individual or family. This system of care includes child and adult serving agencies and community partners that join with an individual or family to meet their goals.

• Interpret rules, regulations, policies and procedures to program staff, contract providers and other interested parties.
• Develop program plans, policies and procedures and conduct needs assessments.
• Provide or supervise the provision of technical assistance to contract providers.
• Conduct or assist with the conduct of negotiations and the monitoring of contracts with provider agencies.
• Assist with the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of community programs and/or training programs.
• Assist with the preparation and revision of the Annual Quality Improvement Plan.
• Meet with representatives from private and public provider agencies; community service organizations; and federal, state and county agencies.
• Accompany or provide staff to participate in state licensing reviews of provider agencies.
• Supervise and train professional and sub-professional staff.
• May represent the agency on task forces or advisory boards of other community agencies.
• Prepare correspondence, studies and reports.
• Perform other duties, tasks and special projects, as required.

ID Program Specialist II – Analysis/Monitoring/Evaluation of SCO Operations:

• Oversee compliance with activity identified in the Administrative Entity Operating Agreement (AEOA).
• Oversight of ongoing AE monitoring requirements.
• Supervision of ID PS I(s), as assigned.
• Development of oversight and implementation procedures to support ODP initiatives.
• Liaison to County Assistance Office and State ODP.
• Attend training as it pertains to implementation and ongoing activities of the AEOE.
• Liaison with Supports Coordination Organization (SCO) to assure compliance with Supports Coordination requirements, including but not limited to service preference, PUNS, service plan development updates, monitoring, and external reviews.
• Oversee intake and SCO choice for all individuals requesting ID eligibility determination.
• Oversee SCO compliance in regard to pre-service and ongoing training requirements.
• Provide technical assistance to SCO and other agency staff providers.
• Assure that Plans of Correction are submitted and implemented for any areas of non-compliance.
• Assure contract monitoring is complete and appropriate Plan of Correction is developed and implemented as needed.
• Assure adherence to ongoing reporting and monitoring expectations for Pennhurst, Embreeville and Federal Waivers.
• Responsible for representing the department on departmental, local, regional and state-wide committees, workgroups and projects as assigned.
• Oversee coordination of need of transportation services.
• Provide ID Delegate services.
• Review provider qualifications as needed.
• Any other duties as assigned.

ID Program Specialist II - Fiscal Management/HCSIS/Authorizations/Contracts:

• Review all ISP approvals/Service Authorizations for both HCSIS and County MIS system.
• Maintain good working relationships with internal units, i.e., Supports Coordination, Fiscal, MIS and other ID Program staff.
• Complete all contract amendments/update all necessary paperwork.
• Manage Update HCSIS Services and Supports Directory to ensure accuracy of all data including rates.
• Serve as liaison with providers of services on authorization/ contracting/billing issues.
• Responsible for planning and program development as indicated by County and State policies.
  • serve as liaison with County Assistance, State ODP, HCSIS Help Desk, Promise billing, etc.
  • serve as liaison with Regional ODP in regard to Waivers, HCSIS requirements, court orders, etc.
  • attend and develop training sessions and meetings regarding HCSIS, authorizations, contract
  • requirements/ monitoring, etc.
  • make recommendations to the ID Director regarding budget development, rebudget requests and allocation tracking.
    • Interface with County MIS and Fiscal staff on systems and network issues.
    • Assist with the statistical analysis of individual budgets, coordinate with Fiscal staff to achieve consistency with
• Individuals’ plans and authorizations.
  • Provide consultation and technical assistance to Supports Coordination, other administrative staff and agency Providers on an as needed basis.
  • Assist the ID Director in any other projects as assigned.

ID Program Specialist II – Provider Risk Screening:

• Write the provider risk screening process for Chester County to identify potential systemic issues that place the health and welfare of ID/A Waiver participants at risk.
• Implement the provider risk screening process which is required by the AEOA to include:
  1. Annual desk review of all provider agencies assigned.
  2. Review of EIM reports, IM4Q data, QA&I results, Provider profiles, SC individual monitoring findings, ODP licensing results, and QM data.
  3. Site visits to provider agencies to assess physical environment.
  4. Face to face meetings with providers to review risk screening results.
• Act as the liaison with providers regarding provider risk mitigation.
• Face to face meetings with all newly qualified residential providers to review expectations of qualified ODP providers.
• Conduct announced and unannounced site visits to provider agencies and provide written feedback on findings in the form of a corrective action plan or directed corrective action plan.
• Report out on provider risk screening findings to the regional ODP office
• Participate on regional and statewide workgroups to implement provider risk screening process.
• Attend and develop trainings to meet the needs of provider agencies regarding risk mitigation.
• Interface with all levels of county staff and community stakeholders.
• Review individual plans and service authorizations.
• Use provider risk screening process results to inform QM plan goals.
• Provide consultation and technical assistance to supports coordination, other administrative staff and agency providers on an as needed basis.
• Manage ID/A incidents entered into EIM through incident closure as needed.
• Investigate ID/A incidents entered into EIM as needed.
• Assist the ID Director in any other projects as assigned.

Early Intervention Program Specialist II

• Perform analysis and make recommendations for Early Intervention Services supports/services program budgets.
• Review Early Intervention Services supports/services to assure programs are following County contract requirements.
• Provide administrative coverage and assist the MH/IDD Administrator in the EI Director’s absence.
• Responsible for Early Intervention Services support/services planning and program development as indicated by county, state and federal policies. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Maintain/enhance a child find system to identify children eligible for Early Intervention Services, including coordination with Service Coordination, collection of statistical data from Department of Health and outreach among community and human service agencies.
  • Review and approve IFSP Service Authorizations within Pelican system.
  • Maintain good working relationships with all professional organizations, i.e., Service Coordination, Administrative staff, Providers.
  • Oversee the implementation of Early Intervention Training Plan to staff and providers to ensure that compliance to regulatory requirements is met.
  • Interpret rules, regulations, policies and procedures to contracted providers through regularly scheduled provider meetings.
  • Provide oversight to Waiver enrollment procedures. Serve as the Qualified Professional in processing Infant and Toddler Waiver applications and maintaining active participants as well as providing technical assistance to Service Coordination in waiver regulatory practices, including the Supplemental Grant Agreement. Administrative oversight to federal regulation/requirements compliance.
  • Serve as liaison with Service Coordination Unit and the Intermediate Unit to coordinate referrals to Early Intervention and Intermediate Unit programs and develop program plans and procedures to assure compliance with both systems.
  • Provide technical assistance for compliance with Incident Management (state and county) policies.
  • Supervisor process of procedural safeguards as requested by families and coordinating with state and local agencies to be in compliance, as required
  • Conduct administrative reviews, when necessary.
  • Attend hearings, when necessary, in compliance with the dispute resolution process.
    • Conduct negotiations, completion of and the monitoring of contracts with provider agencies and provides technical assistance as indicated. This includes the revisions in contracts when required.
    • Supervise Program Specialist 1(s) to effectively carry out the administrative early intervention tasks, including but not limited to routine supervision and annual evaluations.
    • Represent Early Intervention on Board Committees, other internal/external committees, at state and local community groups, parent workshops, provider trainings as indicated.
    • Any other duties, as assigned.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Three years of professional-level experience in the appropriate field; or
• One year as a Program Specialist I or equivalent in the appropriate field; or
• An equivalent combination of experience and training.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and use of a private vehicle.

Clarification of Requirements: You may substitute related education for the required experience or appropriate experience for the required education. Unrelated experience or education will not be accepted.
Preferred Skills, Knowledge & Experience:

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Human Services or a related field.
• Knowledge of state regulations.
• Strong professional ethics.
• Ability to follow office protocols.
• Customer service experience.
• Able to use common sense understanding to carry out written or verbal instructions.
• Ability to handle and resolve recurring problems.
• Strong time management skills.
• Ability to establish priorities (remain focused on daily operations).
• Able to carry tasks to completion.
• General knowledge and understanding of County of Chester policies and procedures.

Relevant background checks, clearances, physicals, drug tests, and any other assessments or evaluations will be conducted after an offer of employment is given per County policy.

Computer Skills:
To perform this job successfully, an individual should have:

• Intermediate Office Suite Skills, (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Explorer)
• Basic OutLook skills (Email and Calendar)
• Basic Microsoft Project skills

Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, climb stairs, drive a vehicle, and talk or hear. Occasionally, the employee will need to reach above shoulder height and work with office machinery. On rare occasions, the employee will need to work with arms above shoulder height; bend, twist or rotate at the waist; kneel, stoop, crouch or squat; push, lift or carry up to five pounds; and taste or smell.
The specific vision requirements for this position are as follows:

• Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less)
• Color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors)

Work Environment:

• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

Other:

• Ability to work extended hours, as necessary.
• Confidentiality is crucial to this position.
  • This position requires professionalism.