LONG-TERM CARE SPECIALIST

DEFINITION

This is professional social service work for the Department of Health and Senior Services in providing care coordination to adults with complex medical, social, and mental health needs.

This description may not include all of the duties, knowledge, skills, or abilities associated with this classification.

EXAMPLES OF WORK

Performs social work to address the needs of older and/or disabled adults with the most complex medical, social, and mental health needs.

Provides leadership in staffing of complex cases with other staff and agencies, assessing social, medical, and mental health needs, monitoring client needs, determining medical/functional level of care, and performing crisis intervention, case management, counseling, and information/referral services.

Coordinates, at the regional level, overall complex medical and mental health programs for older and/or disabled adults.

Performs crisis intervention and stabilizes potentially dangerous situations.

Prepares case documentation, testifies in court guardianship and conservatorship hearings, and utilizes the standard rules for providing testimony and case histories.

Performs assessments to determine client's needs and functional level of care.

Develops individualized care plans by coordinating with the client and support system.

Assists clients and families to attain and maintain independence through identification and resolution of problems.

Secures and coordinates community services to enable clients to remain in the least restrictive environment.

Coordinates care plans with providers to assure adequacy and timeliness of services according to medical and social needs of the client.

Maintains case records and prepares all required reports.

Provides and/or assists in obtaining legal intervention on behalf of eligible adults.

Acts as liaison on behalf of eligible adults who need intervention through the Office of General Counsel.

Assists individuals in accessing available agency and community resources.

Represents the Department of Health and Senior Services by making formal presentations to area, state, and local agencies.

Exercises significant independence and initiative in the performance of responsibilities; receives general administrative direction.

Performs other related work as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs)

Comprehensive knowledge of gerontology and individual, family, and group dynamics.

Comprehensive knowledge of social work practices, techniques, and ethics as they apply to intervention programs for adults.

Comprehensive knowledge of available community resources.

Comprehensive knowledge of the principles and methods of interviewing.

Comprehensive knowledge of the provision of state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to alternative services programs for adults.

Intermediate knowledge of the social, emotional, and financial effects of disease and physical and mental disability on adults, their families, and the community.

Intermediate knowledge of Missouri's guardianship and conservatorship statutes and knowledge of the requirements necessary to document the need for guardianship or conservatorship.

Intermediate knowledge of purchased services, standards of provider conformance, and provider monitoring.

Intermediate knowledge of basic medical terminology.

Intermediate knowledge of court procedures.

Intermediate knowledge of investigation techniques and procedures.

Ability to provide protective services to adults according to established rules and procedures.

Ability to work independently.

Ability to express ideas clearly and to interpret and apply laws and regulations.

Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with staff of state and local agencies, attorneys, law enforcement, and medical professionals.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

(The following requirements will determine merit system eligibility, experience and education ratings, and may be used to evaluate applicants for Missouri Uniform Classification and Pay System positions not requiring selection from merit registers. When practical and possible, the Division of Personnel will accept substitution of experience and education on a year-for-year basis.)

Two or more years of professional experience in the delivery of social services at the level of Social Service Worker II, Children's Service Worker II, Medicaid Technician, Health Program Representative II, Clinical Casework Assistant II, or Habilitation Specialist II with the Missouri Uniform Classification and Pay System.

OR

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 15 earned credit hours in Social Work, Gerontology, Human Development, Sociology, Psychology, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Elementary or Secondary Education, Speech or Language Pathology, Occupational or Physical Therapy, or Nursing; and,

Two or more years of professional experience above the entry-level in a public or private agency in the delivery of social services to older or disabled adults, children or families; including the coordination and monitoring of the delivery of social, protective, medical, mental health, or legal services.

(Earned graduate credit hours from an accredited college or university in the specified areas may substitute on a year-for-year basis for the required experience at a rate of 24 earned graduate credit hours for one year of experience.)

(Revised 6/1/06)