Intake Coordinator

My Ombudsman exists to help people with and without disabilities get the care they need from their MassHealth health plans. The Intake Coordinator’s role is to respond to inquiries and complaints from MassHealth members with guidance, information, and referrals in English or their primary language. The Intake Coordinator (IC) will work under the direct supervision of My Ombudsman’s Program Director.

The Intake Coordinator (IC) receives and responds to inquiries from the general community via phone and email. They conduct intakes for members of MassHealth health plans when they have a complaint or need help accessing their plan’s benefits and services. The IC documents all correspondence and communications with members in our electronic database. They may also help the Director flag and track potential trends in member needs.

Our My Ombudsman team has a “no wrong door” approach, meaning that even if the issue is outside the scope of My Ombudsman, they will provide referrals to other organizations that can help. When engaging with anyone who reaches out to My Ombudsman for support, the Intake Coordinator must communicate respectfully, compassionately, and with accessibility in mind. Overall, My Ombudsman strives to provide culturally competent support to people of all races, genders, sexualities, nationalities, and disabilities.

My Ombudsman is a program of the Disability Policy Consortium, an independent organization run by and for people with disabilities that provides civil rights advocacy, community-based research, and healthcare ombudsman services across Massachusetts. More than 80% of our staff have disabilities, and our credo is “About Us, By Us”—the belief that when decisions are being made about people with disabilities, they should play a leading role in making them. We are committed to social justice and strive to be a place where all our employees can bring their full selves to work. Candidates of color, LGBTQ+ candidates, multilingual candidates, and candidates with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

This is a full-time position with a salary between $42,000 to 48,000 per year. Candidates can work remotely but must be based in New England.

Areas of Responsibility:

Inquiry/Complaint Documentation and Data Collection:

• Via phone, email, or in-person, answer inquiries from the public, particularly Spanish, Portuguese, or Mandarin-speaking members of MassHealth health plans.
• Provide accurate and thorough answers (conducting research as necessary) in response to member requests for information.
• Provide members with referrals and “warm hand-offs” to external organizations when appropriate.
• Determine when it is appropriate to open either an inquiry or a complaint and label it with the correct theme or trend.
• Collect member data and document pertinent information in My Ombudsman’s database in accordance with program policies.
• Forward relevant case files or information to the assigned Ombudsman and/or Team Director in accordance with program policies.
• Flag emerging urgent or time-sensitive cases and alert the appropriate parties in accordance with program policies.

My Ombudsman, DPC, and MassHealth Knowledge:

• Learn the mission, philosophy, background, and operations of My Ombudsman and the Disability Policy Consortium.
• Build and maintain a strong foundation of MassHealth and health plan knowledge.
• Stay current with new MassHealth policies and health plan updates.

Member Communication and Support:

• Interact with all members compassionately and respectfully while remaining professional and impartial.
• Apply principles of disability rights, independent living, and accessibility when listening to and responding to member concerns.
• Employ active and mindful listening techniques while maintaining healthy, professional boundaries.
• Communicate with all members in an approachable, professional, and easy-to-understand manner.

Privacy and Confidentiality:

• Maintain the privacy, integrity, and storage of personal identifying information in accordance with program policies.
• Keep paper copies of personally identifying information (PII) or other sensitive information in locked filing cabinets and/or offices identified by DPC.
• Ensure that third parties are not allowed access to physical or electronic data or records.
• Comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and contractual provisions and abide by the procedures and requirements to maintain privacy and confidentiality, as outlined by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

General:

• Perform day-to-day program tasks such as documenting, writing, typing, faxing; copying; following established protocols for paper and electronic files and filing system; processing forms and paperwork; and assisting with compiling, completing, and distributing reporting documents.
• Participate in team meetings and discussions.
• Prepares and submits all required documents in a timely manner.
• Ensures the professional quality, technical accuracy, and timely completion and delivery of the responsibilities of the position.

Qualifications:

Skills:

• Fluency in spoken and written English with additional languages as a strongly preferred and valuable skill.
• Direct experience providing customer support via phone and ease of working with people of various backgrounds, levels of education and abilities.
• Effectively able to convey complex information in a simple, clear, and understandable manner.
• Demonstrated ability to remain calm and nonjudgmental in a crisis.
• Excellent problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills.
• Excellent notetaking, organizational, and multitasking skills.
• Strong command of the phone, computer, and navigating the internet.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to properly maintain proprietary and confidential information.

Experience:

• At least one year of experience working in the customer service industry, healthcare settings, social services field, or related areas.
• Strong preference for someone with lived experience or extensive cultural knowledge of a given culture/community, the disability community, or other communities we serve.
• Prior experience with state or federal health care programs for people with disabilities is preferred.
• Preferred experience working with MassHealth programs and services.
• Prior knowledge of ombudsman programs, disability civil rights policy, and the healthcare environment in Massachusetts is a plus, but not required.

Upon hire, the successful candidate must be cleared through the state's Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) service.

The DPC encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply. The DPC is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, military service, genetic information, receipt of free medical care, or any other category protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.