Texas Health Action (THA) is a community-informed non-profit organization dedicated to providing access to culturally affirming, quality health services in a safe and supportive environment, with expertise in serving LGBTQIA+ people and those impacted by HIV. Kind Clinic proudly serves Texas with four vibrant locations: two in Austin, one in San Antonio, and another in Dallas plus virtual care services available to all residents across Texas. Bolstered by Waterloo Counseling Center and a passionate team of over 250 dedicated employees and volunteers, THA is at the forefront of promoting healthcare equity and accessibility throughout the state. Read more about THA here: http://texashealthaction.org.
The Patient Advocate Supervisor is responsible for the supervision of the patient advocate team, including providing on-the-job training and technical support, and identifying areas for process improvement to support the advocacy team across multiple clinic locations. The Supervisor will coordinate workload and day-to-day delivery of care coordination and referral services. Under the direction of the Advocacy Program Manager, the Supervisor maintains oversight of program operations to ensure clients receive services that are strength-based and culturally sensitive and adhere to program rules and regulations.
Core Functions:
- Provides regular staff supervision to ensure the timely flow of supportive services and program activities to meet program goals and objectives.
- Maintains responsibility for enhancing employee performance through establishing and communicating clear expectations and evaluating performance in a fair and professional manner. Makes recommendations to address employee performance issues when indicated.
- Monitors team capacity, and optimally and equitably distributes workloads among advocacy staff.
- Under direction of the Advocacy Program Manager, initiates a variety of supervisory tasks including creating and revising employee scheduling, reviewing timesheets and managing PTO approvals, and assisting in the review of hiring and related personnel actions.
- Maintains communication with advocacy teams across locations, providing direct assistance as needed.
- Ensure that patient advocates continuously monitor and evaluate patient service needs; follow through on daily tasks, assignments, care plans, documentation, and referrals.
- Allocates time to provide direct assistance to staff across locations on outstanding patient cases.
- Monitors communication from patients, pharmacies, and outside organizations, and assists with sorting incoming voicemails and routing faxes to the appropriate department.
- Advises patient advocates on best practices and appropriate use of technology and maintain documentation and related administrative record keeping in reporting systems, as required by contracts.
- Develop and revise process plans, as needed.
- Use motivational interviewing to offer support and mentoring to Patient Advocates in both clinic and administrative settings to engage and retain patients in services.
- Addresses client concerns and complaints and escalates situations as appropriate.
- Works collaboratively with Clinic, Outreach, and Care Navigation staff to meet program goals and performance targets.
- Supports oversight and process improvement of Patient Advocate workflows related to revenue cycle management (RCM), including review of patient insurance, income, and eligibility to determine coverage, payment options, and need for financial counseling based on defined criteria.
- Ensures adherence to standardized workflows for financial counseling, insurance navigation, and assistance program eligibility, including use of system tools (e.g., alerts, worklists, and scheduling protocols);
- Audits staff documentation to ensure accurate recording of eligibility determinations, billing plans, and financial counseling outcomes in the electronic health record.
- Coordinates with patient support, front desk, and clinical teams to support financial workflows and patient flow, including appropriate visit sequencing and timing.
- Supports quality improvement by reviewing worklist use, patient routing accuracy, and counseling outcomes to ensure efficient use of advocate resources.
- With support from the Advocacy Program Manager, collects and analyzes programmatic data and makes recommendations for quality and programmatic improvements and policies and procedures.
- Prepares and submits reports with quantitative and qualitative data including, but not limited to, outcomes and successes with patient engagement, effectiveness of new and established patient follow-up procedures, medication and adherence follow-up, and appointment reminders.
- Assist with the administration of grants and financial assistance programs.
- Trains and supports staff on financial assistance workflows, insurance benefits basics, and use of system tools (e.g., alerts, forms, and worklists) to promote consistency across locations.
- Assists the Advocacy Program Manager with presentations, orientations, in-service programs, and trainings for program staff.
- Interprets program guidelines, and other policies and procedures for operations.
- Actively participates in patient- and program-related meetings and trainings.
- Attends program-related community, coalition, and committee meetings as assigned.
- Adheres to the clinic’s policies and procedures as it relates to the use and protection of confidential information.
- Adheres to professional ethics in the care of others.
- Seeks out additional tasks and opportunities from Advocacy Manager and/or Programs Director, when time permits.
- Performs additional related duties and fulfills responsibilities, as required.
Compensation
Based on the position’s duties and requirements, this role has a starting hourly rate of $24.84. The initial hourly rate will be determined by the selected candidate’s qualifications and relevant experience.
Requirements
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in public health, humanities, social services, health education, or related field required; or relevant professional experience may be substituted in lieu of educational requirements.
Experience
- 2+ years of professional experience in public health, mental health, substance use, HIV prevention and care, social services, and/or health education is required.
- 1+ year professional experience in a lead or supervisory role.
- 1+ year of work experience as a patient advocate, case manager, health navigator, community health worker or equivalent.
- Must be compassionate and extremely knowledgeable about the healthcare system.
- Demonstrated understanding of safety net facilities, population health and special population care.
- Experience with LGBTQIA+ and/or other marginalized communities.
Additional Requirements
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities
- Must have basic PC skills that include a combination of working in a Windows Operating System and Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
- Understands the importance of maintaining confidentiality; able to maintain confidentiality under HIPAA standards.
- Must have the ability to exercise a high degree of diplomacy and tact; excellent customer services and interpersonal communication skills; Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work with diverse people groups.
- Well-developed verbal and written communication skills in English; Additional language abilities desirable.
- Ability to work well under pressure with minimal supervision.
- Ability to effectively interact with persons of widely diverse roles, backgrounds, cultures, and socio-economic classes, those in crises or resistant or negative toward organizations.
- Ability to apply time management practices to prioritize, schedule and complete work effectively to comply with mandated policies and deadlines.
- Ability to work on multiple tasks or parts of tasks simultaneously to ensure timely completion of work activities.
- Must be able to work productively with other departments and employees.
- Ability to work with professionals from various partners and organizations.
- Usually works forty (40) hours per week, some weekends may be required.
- Ability to successfully manage conflict, negotiating “win-win” solutions.
- Must be able to multi-task, prioritize with strong time management skills.
- Exceptional follow-through on tasks and assignments
- Must possess leadership qualities and be able to supervise and secure the cooperation of staff
Physical Requirements/Environmental Conditions
Perform the following with or without reasonable accommodations:
- Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, stand, walk, push, pull, lift, grasp, and be able to perceive the attributes of objects such as size, shape, temperature, and/or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of the fingertips.
- Ability to express and exchange ideas via spoken word during activities in which they must convey detail or important spoken instructions to others accurately, sometimes quickly and loudly.
- Hearing to perceive the nature of sound with no less than 40 db loss @ Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz with or without correction; ability to perceive detailed information orally and make fine discriminations in sound.
- Perform repetitive motions with wrists, hands, and fingers. Individual must be able to exert up to 100 pounds of force occasionally and to be able to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
- Work requires a minimum standard of visual acuity with or without correction that will enable people in the role to complete administrative and clerical tasks, as well as inspect and analyze.
- Must be able to work and concentrate amidst distractions such as noise, conversation, and foot traffic; ability to handle interruptions often and be able to move from one task to another.
- While worker may possibly be subjected to temperature changes, the worker is generally not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions as the work is predominantly inside.
Benefits
- Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Retirement Plan (403b)
- Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
- Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Holidays)
- Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
- Training & Development
- Parental Leave
- Longevity Pay
Applicant Information
- Submitting official transcripts, diplomas, certifications and licenses may be required prior to final offer. Unofficial transcripts and copies of other relevant documents may be attached to the application for consideration in advance.
- Information regarding employment history as it relates to the qualifications of the position may be needed for employment verification.
- The applicant selected for employment is subject to a pre-employment background check. A history of conviction may not automatically disqualify an applicant. Applicants with a history of conviction may be considered on a case-by-case basis, after individualized assessment of factors including the nature of the conviction, the job duties and responsibilities, the length of time since the conviction, and evidence of mitigation or rehabilitation. If required for the position, a physical, motor vehicle record evaluation, and additional background checks may be conducted.
EEO Statement: Texas Health Action is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.