Director of Quality Assurance in Poughkeepsie, New York at ABILITIES FIRST, INC

Abilities First, Inc. has been making a difference in the lives of people with developmental disabilities for sixty years. We offer a wide variety of services including school and preschool programs, day habilitation, residential habilitation, community habilitation, and employment services.

Abilities First recognizes the value of diverse experiences, identities, and backgrounds and does not discriminate in hiring. We are inclusive, welcoming and supportive of people of varying abilities, races, ethnicities, religions, socio-economic status, gender and gender identities. Abilities First is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Position Summary

Abilities First is seeking a Director of Quality Assurance. The Director of Quality Assurance provides leadership and oversight of Abilities First, Inc.’s Quality Assurance, Incident Management, and Corporate Compliance functions. The Director is designated to oversee the agency’s Corporate Compliance Plan and serves as the Compliance Officer for Abilities First.

The Director is responsible for maintaining effective systems of internal monitoring and audit to assess regulatory compliance, quality of services, and organizational risk, and to support agency readiness for external reviews conducted by OPWDD and other state oversight and regulatory agencies. The Director provides leadership, supervision, and support to the Quality Assurance team and works collaboratively with program and administrative leadership to proactively identify opportunities to strengthen service quality, regulatory compliance, operational practices, and outcomes for the people supported by Abilities First.

The Director of Quality Assurance reports to the Chief Administrative Officer regarding routine functions and maintains direct communication with and access to the Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors regarding compliance, incident management, organizational risk, and other matters requiring independent reporting or escalation.

Position Standards

• Provides leadership, supervision, training, professional development, and ongoing support to Quality Assurance staff.
• Provides oversight of the agency’s Incident Management Program, including assigning and monitoring investigations, ensuring investigations are timely, thorough, objective, and compliant with applicable requirements, and supporting the development and monitoring of corrective actions and recommendations.
• Conducts or participates in incident investigations when necessary or appropriate.
• Oversees the agency’s internal audit and monitoring processes to evaluate regulatory compliance, quality of care and services, operational effectiveness, and readiness for external surveys and reviews.
• Identifies trends, systemic concerns, and areas of organizational risk through analysis of incident, audit, compliance, and quality data and communicates findings and recommendations to appropriate leadership.
• Leads the development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of policies and procedures related to Corporate Compliance, HIPAA, FERPA, and other applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and standards.
• Leads the development and implementation of the agency’s Quality Improvement Plan in collaboration with program, administrative, and executive leadership.
• Reviews and updates the Corporate Compliance Plan to reflect changes in agency operations, applicable laws and regulations, governmental requirements, and third-party payer expectations.
• Serves as Chairperson of the Corporate Compliance Committee and chairs or participates in other agency committees as assigned.
• Provides guidance and technical support to program and administrative leadership regarding changes in applicable laws, regulations, regulatory guidance, and oversight requirements.
• Reports compliance concerns, significant risks, and identified vulnerabilities to the Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Executive Officer and recommends actions to improve service quality, strengthen compliance, and reduce the risk of fraud, waste, abuse, or other organizational exposure.
• Provides reports to the Board of Directors at least annually regarding Corporate Compliance, Incident Management, quality trends, organizational risk, and related activities, and provides annual Corporate Compliance training to the Board.
• Collaborates with Training and other departments to ensure appropriate education and training related to Corporate Compliance, HIPAA, FERPA, and other applicable requirements and promotes workforce understanding of relevant federal and state standards.
• Leads or coordinates investigations of suspected compliance violations, privacy concerns, HIPAA/FERPA matters, security breaches, fraud, waste, abuse, or other potential misconduct and coordinates resulting corrective actions with appropriate departments, providers, contractors, and other parties.
• Develops and maintains policies, practices, and reporting mechanisms that encourage employees and other stakeholders to report suspected violations or improprieties without fear of retaliation.
• Oversees the agency’s compliance reporting system and hotline and ensures appropriate review, investigation, documentation, escalation, and response to reported concerns, complaints, and questions.
• Develops, updates, and implements the agency’s annual Corporate Compliance training program and monitors completion with a goal of 100% compliance.
• Ensures required professional trainings and certifications applicable to the position and Quality Assurance function remain current and pursues additional education and training as necessary to maintain expertise in relevant regulatory and quality standards.
• Promotes a culture of continuous quality improvement in which audit findings, incidents, complaints, compliance concerns, stakeholder feedback, and performance data are used to identify opportunities for systemic improvement and measure the effectiveness of corrective actions.
• Maintains effective working relationships with program leadership and staff, balancing independent oversight and accountability with a collaborative approach to quality improvement and regulatory compliance.
• Follows all agency policy and procedures and demonstrates continuous regard to personal safety and the safety of others.
• Performs other appropriate job-related activities as requested by his/her supervisor or as circumstances warrant.
• Adhere to agency Standards of Conduct, which require all employees, consultants, board members, volunteers and affiliates to perform their responsibilities according to ethical and legal standards with honesty, integrity, fairness, good faith and respect for others and the law.
• Will incorporate core concepts of person-centered excellence by respecting people’s concerns and responding accordingly and will use “teachable moments” to assist people in understanding and exercising their rights.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities consistent with the position as assigned by the Chief Administrative Officer or as circumstances warrant.

This is a full-time position with an annual salary range of $88,600–$97,500, commensurate with experience, and includes the following benefits:

• Vacation, sick, personal, and holiday time off
• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance options
• 403(b) plan with employer contribution
• Employer paid life insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• On Demand Payment – access your earnings as early as the next day
• Discounts with Verizon, AT&T, Royal Carting, etc.
• And More!

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience within an OPWDD-regulated or similar human services organization required, including experience in a leadership or oversight capacity.
• Demonstrated experience conducting or overseeing audits, investigations, and corrective action processes required.
• Extensive knowledge of applicable federal and New York State laws, regulations, and oversight requirements, including OPWDD NYSED, and others as applicable.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret regulatory requirements, identify organizational risk, analyze trends, and develop practical recommendations for corrective action and quality improvement.
• Strong leadership and management skills, including experience supervising, coaching, and developing professional staff.
• Demonstrated sound judgment and the ability to manage sensitive, confidential, and high-risk matters with discretion and professionalism.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate complex regulatory and compliance matters clearly to staff, leadership, and the Board of Directors.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a complex regulatory environment.
• Valid New York State driver’s license deemed acceptable by the agency’s insurance carrier.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee in order to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, and visit various offices and agency locations.