Quality Improvement Specialist - South Georgia

Who is Gateway Foundation?

Gateway Foundation, Inc. is a national non-profit dedicated to helping individuals with substance use and mental health disorders. Established in 1968, Gateway provides essential tools and knowledge for recovery, positively impacting hundreds of thousands of lives. Operating through its Community Services, Corrections Divisions, and Corporate Headquarters, the organization is recognized for innovative, effective treatment approaches and maintaining high standards.

Why join us?

We also pride ourselves on being a great place to work! Gateway provides a culture of collaboration and mutual respect. We aim to develop our staff by providing the training and clinical supervision hours you need to pursue a career in substance use counseling! Gateway will help you get a certification by reimbursing for all costs, and provides a growth path for employees to advance.

We are honored to offer behavioral healthcare services in Corrections

Perks of working in correctional healthcare:

• Opportunity to make a positive impact on a marginalized population
• Exposure to diverse patient demographics
• Focus on driving change, tracking progress, and improving care
• Development of skills in a unique healthcare setting

The Quality Improvement Specialist is responsible for:

• Candidates must reside in the South Georgia area (Valdosta, Bainbridge, Hawkinsville, Sycamore, Garden City) or surrounding areas.
• Mandatory travel at a minimum of 3 days weekly throughout the region: Valdosta, Bainbridge, Hawkinsville, Sycamore, Garden City
• Conducts site visits on a regular basis and reviews client records and evaluate the adequacy and appropriateness of care in accordance with the established standards and medical necessity. 
• Compiles audit data and document findings for review with site management.
• Develops detailed reports of the sites strengths and areas of necessary improvement and shares the findings of the report with funder in a timely manner.
• Identifies trends and issues within programs and/or involving clients at the direction of the State Director or State Clinical Director and provides input into resolution and communicates audit findings.
• Facilitates a minimum of a monthly meeting for each site that scores less than a  70% on their QA report. The meeting shall consist of QIS, State Director,  Program Director, and the Administrative Assistant. The outcome of the solution-focused collaborative meeting will be reported to Inmate Services within 5 days.
• Develops detailed reports containing risk areas, strengths, improvements needed and suggested actions plans; shares any identified issues with the State Director in a timely manner. In conjunction with the management team, develops a weekly Action Plan and conducts weekly visits for sites that score less than 70% on RRS QA Report or as deemed necessary by Inmate Services.
• Monitors program activities to ensure adherence to Gateway’s clinical procedures and standards.
• Completes reports and summaries to ensure  improvements progress in all areas identified.
• Works with funder, State Clinical Director, State and Program Director at assigned sites to develop a minimum of a quarterly training tailored to the needs of the individual facilities.
• Assists in developing reporting mechanisms to evaluate standards of compliance and quality of care, establishing review criteria, recommending standards and measures and selecting methodologies for data retrieval.
• Collaborate with on-site and off-site GDC Leadership.
• Complete administrative tasks as directed (i.e. client documentation, payroll/PTO approval, weekly MDT/staff meetings, program schedules)
• Conduct additional site visits at assigned/unassigned programs (as needed at the direction of leadership).
• Provide clinical supervision in the absence of an on-site clinical supervisor (i.e. group observations, clinical chart auditing, individual supervision, clinical training).
• Working schedule:  Monday - Thursday:  7am - 5:30pm

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in helping profession
• Must be licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed  Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) or have Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor certification from one of the three Certification boards: Georgia Addictions Counselors Association(GACA), the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) and from the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (ICRC)
• Five (5) years of relevant experience, preferably in the Chemical Dependency/Substance Abuse field, with some supervisory experience
• Valid local driver’s license, insurance and good driving record
• Basic knowledge of health administration regulations and standards
• Strong knowledge in quality improvement within the substance use disorder/ addiction and recovery field, project management, auditing, clinical supervision and provision of formal training preferred
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Word, Excel
• Strong analytical and program evaluation skills; ability to summarize qualitative data
• Strong documentation skills, attention to details
• Working knowledge of state and federal standards governing treatment/policies, experience in working with incarcerated populations with substance use disorders
• Ability to work independently, display initiative, professionalism, and ability and willingness to solve problems
• Ability to organize, evaluate, plan work day and priorities
• Ability to express self adequately in written and oral communication and to communicate effectively in an interdisciplinary, culturally diverse setting with clients, families, staff and regulatory agencies.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and responsibilities and complete duties in the allotted time with minimal supervision
• Business Acumen.  Strong work ethic, high degree of diplomacy, tact

Physical Requirements:

• Sedentary work involving sitting most of the time. Walking and standing are required only occasionally.
• Proofreading and checking documents for accuracy on a continual basis
• Ability to use a keyboard and video display terminal to receive, retrieve, and/or audit information and data
• Must possess sight/hearing/speech sense, or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately so that the requirements of this position can be fully met
• Normal or corrected vision in order to read and audit files

Benefits at Gateway Foundation:

Health and Wellness:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
• Employee wellness program promoting health and fitness and offering cash-saving premiums
• Employee assistance programs focused on mental health

Financial Wellbeing:

• 403(b) Retirement Plan with 3% employer match 
• Short-term and Long-term Disability and Life and AD&D Insurance paid for by Gateway
• Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) 

Flexibility and Time Off:

• 18 paid time off days per year – accrual rates increase with years of service
• 9 paid company holidays
• Work-life-balance

Personal Development:

• Training & Development Programs
• Tuition Reimbursement - up to $5,250 per calendar year
• eLearning access to online courses that provide CEU’s and job-related training
• Clinical Supervision: Formal and informal guidance

Gateway Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Race/Color/Sex/Sexual Orientation/ Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Vets. Please view Equal Employment Opportunity Posters provided by OFCCP here.