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State of Washington Classified Job Specification

LONG TERM CARE SURVEYOR

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LONG TERM CARE SURVEYOR
Class Code: 283E
Category: Health Care


Definition

Positions conduct quality assurance and monitoring activities such as surveys, licensing, and investigates complaints at licensed and certified long term care facilities including but not limited to: Nursing Homes (NH), Assisted Living Facilities (ALF), Adult Family Homes (AFH), Enhanced Services Facilities (ESF), Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID), and the Certified Community Residential Support (CCRS) to ensure compliance to federal and state standards.

Typical Work

Serves as a member of a survey team conducting on-site inspections of facilities and vendor performance in program areas to determine compliance with requirements for state and federal certification or licensing; observes clients on-site and off-site; conducts interviews of residents, staff, family and/or guardians and other community representatives to obtain information regarding practices of long-term care providers; reviews case records, files and resident progress; meets with facility administrators during survey process to keep them advised and/or to obtain further information; 

Evaluates ICF/IID and Nursing Home facilities for conformity to state and federal standards in areas of active treatment services, client protection, facility staffing, client behavior and facility practices, health care services, physical environment, dietetic services and governing body and management; 

Gathers medical and non-medical complaint information that includes, but not limited to allegations that infringe on residents’ rights; poor delivery of services, staffing shortages, alleged failure to arrange residents’ medical appointments, facility did not provide transportation for appointments; 

Reports any medically related issues to an on-site nurse or nurse supervisor, while investigating non-medical complaints. 

Reviews programming for residents; checks appropriateness of environment; reviews health issues and client needs; 

Notes deficiencies; documents survey and investigative activities; prepares reports and documentation for enforcement actions such as monetary fines, cancellation of federal certification, state decertification, and/or license revocations or suspension; 

Represents the department in administrative hearings and other civil actions and testifies on findings as required; 

Obtains corrective action plans; conducts follow-up visits and post surveys for compliance with corrective action plans; 

Serves as team coordinator/member on a multidisciplinary survey team as assigned by manager; coordinates surveys and provides main line communication during survey process at the facility; facilitates entrance and exit conferences; conducts survey status meetings with facility administrators during the survey process; facilitates consensus process among survey team members; reviews final report and is responsible for final product and accuracy and completion of correction plan; is responsible for completion of federal paper work; 

Makes recommendation to unit manager on enforcement actions and sanctions against providers regarding certification or licensure standards; 

Investigates complaints against NH, AFH, ALF, CCRS, ICF/IIDs, and ESF facilities; notes deficiencies and obtains corrective action plan; conducts follow-up visits; 

May conduct detailed field investigations using effective interview methods of victims, residents/clients, agency staff and other individuals possessing relevant information and gathers and reviews evidence from various sources, including but not limited to: resident/client information, medical and financial records and long term care facility’s personnel records; 

Evaluates, identifies and communicates, verbally and in writing, the elements of failed provider practice or non-compliance with state and/or federal requirements; 

Participates in validation surveys; maintains activity reports and program finance charges; participates in special projects; participates in planning, development and decision making activities of section, unit and office; 

Participates in training, orientation and evaluating new long-term care surveyors in area of his/her expertise; provides cross-training to staff members in individual specialty area; 

Prepares and presents summary of inspection to facility administrative personnel; provides necessary follow-up to ensure that facilities will achieve compliance with standards; 

Performs other duties as required.

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of: principles and practices in field of expertise of long-term care services; social skills; time management skills; investigative and interviewing techniques; report writing. 

Ability to: respond in an emergency impacting the care of residence in long term care; evaluate long-term care services; exercise judgment; establish, promote and maintain effective relationships with multi-disciplines and agencies involved in long-term care services; speak and write clearly and effectively; interpret rules; interview.

Legal Requirement(s)

There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position.

Persons legally authorized to work in the U.S. under federal law, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, are eligible for employment unless prohibited by other state or federal law.

Desirable Qualifications

A Master's degree in social work, speech pathology, occupational or physical therapy, psychology, special education, nutrition, sociology, or an allied field  

AND 

Two years of professional experience in planning, administering, licensing, monitoring or delivering social or health service programs.   

Two additional years of qualifying experience will substitute for the Master’s degree provided a Bachelor’s degree in one of the above mentioned fields has been achieved. 

Note: For selected positions required to successfully complete the federally required basic certification surveyor training, the basic and advanced state investigator training and completion of approved interviewing technique course. 

Note: Employees in positions surveying nursing homes will be required to participate in the Basic Long Term Care Surveyor training provided by the federal government and must successfully complete the Surveyor Minimum Qualification test and all required federal training prior to being certified.

Note: A degree in Social Work must be from an educational program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Class Specification History

New class: 4-15-94
Revised minimum qualifications: 1/12/96
Revised new class code: (formerly 52648) effective July 1, 2007
Revised desirable qualifications, effective December 23, 2011.
Revised definition adopted on an emergency basis 2/8/2018, effective 2/9/2018.
Revised definition, typical work, knowledge and abilities, desirable qualifications; (adopted February 8, 2018; effective February 9, 2018.
Revised definition adopted 5/17/2018, effective 5/18/2018.
Base range salary adjustment adopted 6/13/2019, effective 7/1/2019; from range 53 to 57.

 

Revised Legal Requirements; effective June 6, 2024, due to adopted legislative action.