Employment Opportunities

Jobs Openings:

Ombudsman

Deaf/HoH Community Organizer (PT)

Communications Associate

My Ombudsman, a Program of the Disability Policy Consortium, is seeking an Ombudsman to join our team! 

My Ombudsman exists to help people with and without disabilities get the care they need from their MassHealth health plans. The Ombudsman will work under the direct supervision of My Ombudsman’s Team Manager. This is a full-time position with a salary between $50,000 to $52,000 per year. 

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.  

The Ombudsman serves as a complaint response and investigatory interface for people contacting the Ombudsman Office by phone, email or in person. This position provides ombudsman services, facilitates communications, investigates and seek remedies for, · and provides information and assistance as necessary regarding concerns and issues raised by MassHealth Health Plan enrollees and other interested individuals. The Ombudsman 1-Lead then categorizes and documents these issues and concerns in a secured database system and submits required reports as necessary. The Ombudsman operates in a manner to preserve the privacy and confidentiality of those seeking services and maintains an independent, neutral/impartial position with respect to the concerns raised. 

The Ombudsman is part of a team that will be trained in the Independent Living Philosophy; Eligibility and enrollment process for all MassHealth Health Plans; Each Health Plan's services and benefits, rights and responsibilities, each Health Plan's resolution and appeals processes; and other informational resources. The Ombudsman will also have access to the “Health Plan" database to facilitate accurate and timely delivery of program specific information. 

The Ombudsman is also responsible for supporting and assisting other ombudsmen should the OOM or Project Director be unavailable. The Ombudsman operates under the general direction of the Ombudsman Operations Manager and in accordance with contractual requirements. 

JOB DUTIES: 

General Duties 

• Provides information and referral to contacts regarding MassHealth, MassHealth Health Plan programs, program services and related concerns or issues 

• Research (as necessary) and provides information to inquiry requests 

• Listens and understands issues while remaining neutral with respect to the facts attempting to understand the issue from the perspective of the individual. 

• Assists in reframing issues and helps complainants focus attention on and evaluate potential options. Helps individuals to understand the interests of various parties related to their issue(s) 

• Guides or coaches individuals as required to work directly with MassHealth health Plans, and other parties, including the use of, and/or referral to, informal and formal resolution. 

• Facilitates mediations and resolution processes, including resolving issues between parties through various types of informal mediation. 

• Enters data into, and accesses information from, the Case Management and Health Plan databases in accordance with the security and confidentiality policies and requirements established by and contractual obligations 

• Supports MassHealth Health Plan enrollees throughout grievance and appeals processes. 

• Obtains consent from a complainant before: 

• Proceeding with the investigation 

• Releasing the identity of the complainant 

• Informs potential and current MassHealth Health Plan enrollees as to how to obtain services from MassHealth Health Plan contractors and from the Ombudsman Office 

• Serves as an informal liaison between the Office and Interested Parties, enrollees, MassHealth Health Plans and stakeholders 

• Requests information and assistance from MassHealth Health Plan contractors and MassHealth as necessary in order to carry out the discharge of its responsibilities. 

• Keeps the Ombudsman Operations Manager informed regarding the overall status clientele and activities 

• Identifies new issues and opportunities to respond to systemic change in the State's MassHealth Health Plan programs. Provides unfiltered information in order to produce insight into issues and resolutions. Serves as a source for detection and early warning of new issues. Suggests systemic changes to improve MassHealth Health Plan services, benefits and processes. 

• Provide the Outreach Manager with stories of MassHealth Health Plan programs and  clientele that can be helpful to MassHealth Health Plans and  marketing and outreach campaigns 

• Complies with Ombudsman Position Contractual Requirements Appendix A 

• Other duties as assigned. 

  Protected Information Security 

• Ensures paper copies of personally identifying information (PII) or other sensitive information are only kept in locked filing cabinets and/or offices identified by DPC and third parties are not allowed access to physical or electronic data or records 

• Ensures and maintains the privacy and confidentiality of information and records. Is responsible for maintaining the privacy, integrity and storage of personal identifying information, including the accurate and timely reporting of any actual or potential security or PII breaches as contractually required. 

• At the direction of the Project Director or OOM and accordance with State and  policies and procedures provides EOHHS with access to  program data 

• Complies with all applicable laws, regulations and contractual provisions and abides by the procedures and requirements to maintain privacy and confidentiality as outlined in the EOHHS contract Appendix B  

General Program Support 

• Perform day-to-day program tasks such as documenting contacts, preparing meeting notes and reports and internal support materials; following operational, programmatic, operations, reporting and financial policies and procedures; faxing; copying; following established protocols for paper and electronic files and filing system; processing forms and paperwork; assists with compiling, completing and distribution of reporting  documents 

• Conducts themselves in a professional manner at all times. Answers and fields telephone calls. Responds to and fields emails. Provides information within protocol parameters to the general public, clientele, grant representatives and subcontractors, and others as directed by answering questions and responding to informational requests in an appropriate, accurate and timely manner. 

• Documents required grant activities and prepares and submits all required reporting paperwork in a timely manner 

• Ensures the professional quality, technical accuracy, and timely completion and delivery of duties and responsibilities of their position 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Demonstrated Competencies in the following: 

• Strong interpersonal communication skills, including an ability to listen objectively but with empathy to people of varying levels of education and abilities 

• Experience using computers and ability to navigate the internet 

• Excellent problem solving and conflict resolution skills 

• Ability to work effectively in a team environment 

• Ability to multitask and work independently 

• Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication skills; demonstrated organizational skills 

• Demonstrated ability to remain calm in a crisis, nonjudgmental and maintain confidentiality 

• Demonstrated ability to convey complex information in a simple, clear, and understandable manner 

• Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication skills 

• Demonstrated organizational skills 

PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS 

Experience: 

• At least one year customer service 

• At least three years of experience working in a customer service, health care setting or related field with supervisory experience is preferred. 

• Prior knowledge of ombudsman programs, disability civil rights policy, and the health care environment in Massachusetts is a plus, but not required 

• Experience with customer or client services preferred 

• Prior experience with state or federal health care programs for people with disabilities preferred 

• Ability to work effectively with diverse populations, with a strong preference for someone with a lived experience or extensive cultural knowledge of disabilities 

• Preferred experience working with MassHealth programs and services 

• Ability to properly maintain proprietary and confidential information 

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

Candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to hr@dpcma.org 

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community Organizer

(part-time)

The Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) is an independent organization run by and for people with disabilities that provides 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. 

DPC is seeking a part-time Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community Organizer to support our advocacy efforts and policy work. This organizer will work on a variety of campaigns, but their focus will be on issues at the intersection of communication and disability. This 20-hour-per-week position works within our Advocacy Department and reports to the Director of Advocacy.

Responsibility will include:

State House Communication Access

• Co-coordinate and co-facilitate meetings for State House Communication Access advocacy coalition

• With consensus of SHCA coalition, make and carry out strategic decisions to advance communication access in the legislative process

• Maintain relationships with relevant parties, including legislators, state house staff, MCDHH, and partner organizations

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Advocacy Workshops

• Put on several legislative advocacy workshops per year for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community

• Coordinate and facilitate meetings to plan workshops

• Work with planning committee on all other aspects of workshop planning: creating developing presentations and materials, outreach to the community, and presenting content.

Community Engagement and Mobilization

• Work with other members of the community to track bills in MA state house that are of particular interest to the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community.

• Notify community members when a hearing or other major development on a tracked bill is occurring, and mobilize them to take action.

• Build and maintain relationships with community members, partner organizations, state agencies, and public officials to garner engagement and support on advocacy priorities.

Other Responsibilities

• Attend weekly DPC Advocacy Team meetings.

• Collaborate with Advocacy Team on collaborative DPC events and projects.

• Advocate and provide testimony for bills and budget items that DPC supports, when needed.

The starting salary range for this position is $25,000 to $30,000 per year. Benefits include fully paid dental, life and long-term disability insurance, paid vacation time, paid sick time, 13 paid holidays as well as a 403B Retirement plan with employer match.

 Candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to: hr@dpcma.org

Communications Associate

Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) is an independent, not-for-profit 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 DPC's staff have disabilities, and DPC’s credo is “About Us, By Us”—the belief that when decisions are being made about people with disabilities, people with disabilities should play a leading role in making them. DPC is deeply committed to intersectional social justice and anti-racism, and the organization strives to be a place where all team members can bring their full selves to work.

DPC is seeking an empathetic and ethical storyteller who embraces a growth mindset; values diverse partnerships; and solves problems with agility, proactivity, and verve. In close collaboration with DPC’s Development and Communications Director, this individual will employ a versatile skillset to create print and digital content, manage DPC's social media and external communication platforms, and support the engagement and expansion of DPC’s donor base through project management and program impact reporting. The Communications Associate position is a full-time role (40 hours per week) with a flexible schedule and the option to work in a hybrid/remote environment.

 Position Accountabilities: 

·Social Media Content Generation and Pipeline Management (30%): Design and implement an organization-wide social media strategy and campaign calendar to align with strategic growth goals; generate, edit, publish, and share engaging earned media and original content on the organization’s active social media platforms; collaborate with program teams to ensure brand and messaging consistency; communicate with followers by responding to queries in a timely manner and monitoring online community member feedback; oversee social media accounts’ design; suggest and implement innovative features to develop brand awareness; and stay up to date with current technologies and trends in social media, design tools, and applications.

· Website Development and Maintenance (25%): Plan, organize, and manage the workflow of the organization’s website redesign and brand refresh project, in partnership with DPC’s Executive Director, IT Director, Development and Communications Director, program teams, and external contractors.

· Brand Management and Program Communications (25%): Write, edit, and distribute media releases, newsletter updates, blog posts, articles, educational materials, and recruitment or promotional flyers that support programmatic initiatives, messaging, and outreach campaigns; partner with program leads on supporting external events and speakers (e.g., preparing content and materials for external meetings and speaking engagements, such as research briefings, speeches, PowerPoint presentations, talking points, minutes, etc.); support organizational branding and program messaging efforts through the creation, dissemination, and maintenance of social media, website, video, and other digital and print communications collateral.

· Strategic Advancement (10-15%): Develop and implement a diverse array of multi-media fundraising campaigns for the organization’s various donors, in line with the organization’s fundraising strategy and calendar; support the planning, execution, and backstopping of fundraising events; deliver regular reports on fundraising activities and organizational progress and impact; and operating, maintaining, and enhance the use of DPC’s donor database, including gift entry and acknowledgement, tax receipt processing and mailing, analytics and reporting, and records management and review.

· Miscellaneous Support (5-10%): Includes, but is not strictly limited to, documentation, logistics, and photography for fundraising and advocacy events; coordination with the My Ombudsman team’s Community Outreach Lead of cross-platform marketing efforts; and attendance and participation at regular team, committee, and all-hands meetings and professional development opportunities. 

Requirements: 

• Excellent knowledge of social media platforms (particularly Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram).

• Ability to multi-task and effectively manage competing priorities under time and resource constraints.

• Skilled at working both independently and within and across teams.

• Excellent written, research, oral, and visual communication skills for various audiences.

• Familiarity with project and social media management software that offers multi-platform posting, scheduling, content management, analytics, and integration capabilities (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Asana, etc.), preferred.

• Familiarity, interest, and/or experience with graphic design, photo editing, filmmaking, etc., preferred.

• Experience and familiarity with best practices for accessibility on social media, preferred.

• Experience with online spreadsheet and database tools (e.g., Microsoft OneDrive, Monday.com, Network for Good, Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge, Soft Edge Congress Plus, Foundation Directory Online, Instrumental, etc.), preferred.

• Multi-lingual capabilities in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, French, American Sign Language, or other commonly used languages in Massachusetts, preferred.

• Geographical proximity to the Greater Boston Area, preferred.

• Permanent U.S. work authorization.

The starting salary range for this position is $40,000 to $45,000 per year. Benefits include medical insurance premium reimbursement; fully paid dental, life, and long-term disability insurance; three weeks per year of accrued paid vacation time; two weeks per year of accrued paid sick time; 13 paid holidays; and a 403(B) retirement plan option with an employer match. 

Candidates should submit a statement of interest, resume, and brief professional writing sample OR online portfolio link to dev@dpcma.org. No phone calls, please. Due to the anticipated volume of applications, only short-listed candidates may be contacted. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled, and DPC hopes to move quickly in the recruitment and onboarding process for this position.