Care Transitions Specialist - Jewish Association for Services for the Aged

Shift Schedule: Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM

Hours Per Week: 35

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

JASA’s Care Transitions Specialist (CTS) will coordinate, screen and facilitate the provision of home and community-based support services to improve hospital to home care transitions to avoid preventable 30-day readmissions. The CTS, an International Medical Graduate, must have the capacity to work across home, community and clinical settings, including in-hospital.

The CTS must be available to meet patients/caregivers and the hospital discharge team on-site to enable a warm hand-off. The Care Transitions Specialist also will conduct in-home assessments with the following objectives:

• Identify home-based issues that may be linked to readmission risk

• Provide direct services and referrals to support stable home based functioning, focusing on:

  • Medication/DME (other supplies): Ensure patient has medication, supplies and equipment and understands prescribed use

  • Patient Education: Ensure patient is aware of their health conditions and how to manage them, and understands red flags and health risks

  • Health Care Provider Communication and Coordination: Ensure patient has a primary care provider (PCP), update PCP on patient status, assist patients with follow up appointments

• Screen for and identify social and mental health needs of patients and provide closed-loop referrals

This position will be responsible for:

• The provision of in-hospital (or other clinical setting and, in-home assessments of the social and emotional needs of the older adult client and their family, utilizing prescribed standardized assessment instruments;

• The provision of a full range of social services for the older adult client(s) and family, including:

  • Education and support to improve disease self-management and prevent avoidable hospital use

  • Screening of client eligibility, application for, and advocacy in securing benefits and entitlements

  • The arrangement for direct provision of services such as transportation, homecare services, meals on wheels/nutrition services, public assistance, Medicare, Medicaid, emergency cash relief, legal aid, protective services, medical and psychiatric examination and therapy, housing, etc.

  • Referral, development of relationships and cooperative work with other community agencies, to meet the needs of clients

• Informing supervisors of situations of crisis or circumstances where the worker requires further guidance.

• Participating in training and team meetings.

• Collecting and inputting patient data into JASA’s Electronic Health Record system and assisting with analytics, reports and statistics, utilizing computers.

• Performs such other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• International Medical Graduate or equivalent.

• Graduate of an Accredited College or University with B.A./B.S. degree

• Good writing/record keeping skills.

• Ability to read, write, speak, understand English.

• Ability to read, write, speak, understand Spanish (preferred).

• Must be computer literate, including ability to learn and use program-specific software.

• Ability to travel to clients' homes using mass transit, however, driving may be required for certain home visits.

• Able to negotiate any steps and barriers in clients' residences.

• Hospital discharge planning or other health care experience preferred.

• Understanding and appreciation of the roles of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual preference, and individual values as they relate to serving clients and families.

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