Disability Rights Washington (DRW) is hiring! We are searching for an Investigator/Advocate to join our Rights Investigation Accountability Program (RIAP). DRW seeks an Investigator to uncover and stop possible financial exploitation and other forms of abuse.
Disability Rights Washington values the knowledge and perspectives that can only be gained through lived experiences. People with disabilities, African American, Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and those from other oppressed groups and all protected classes are strongly encouraged to apply.
Disability Rights values Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. All employees are expected to participate in DRW’s daily attempts to apply Disability Justice and race equity principles to our work.
This position will be based in our Seattle office, but remote work the entire week is typical due to current COVID protocols. Once current COVID protocols are lifted, remote work will likely continue for much of the work week.
Please note, the first review of applications will take place on January 3, 2023, with the hope of contacting selected applicants that week and starting interviews the following week.
Reasonable Accommodation availability
DRW is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are applicants or employees. Applicants for DRW employment seeking reasonable accommodations for the application process should contact the HR & IT Manager by calling (800) 562-2702 or (206) 324-1521 or by emailing info@dr-wa.org.
Job Overview
Disability Rights Washington seeks an investigator in its Rights Investigation and Accountability program. The job includes an extensive examination of whether people in formal “helping” positions respect, protect, and facilitate the expressed interests of the people they support. The program’s primary focus is on whether people who receive Social Security benefits are being financially exploited, neglected, or abused by the people assigned to manage their funds.
Currently, investigators conduct their investigations remotely via phone and computer due to concerns about COVID-19. Once it is safe, investigations will revert to their typical form in which the investigator will travel across Washington to meet with people in their homes or the facilities in which they reside. The investigator will ask them about how well their rights are respected and protected by the professionals supporting them. The investigator will also meet with the people who manage the money of those people with disabilities and thoroughly review their financial records for accuracy, appropriate use of funds, and compliance of expectations set by the U.S. Social Security Administration. The investigator will be responsible for conducting detailed investigations and reporting findings in a clear manner. The investigator will compile and document pertinent information, report the information in a standardized format, and submit that report and their investigative conclusions to the U.S. Social Security Administration. The investigator’s records will inform subsequent advocacy carried out by the U.S. Social Security Administration, our Rights Investigation and Accountability program, or one of Disability Rights Washington’s other programs to address any suspected financial exploitation, neglect, abuse, or civil rights violations. The investigator will also assist individuals they meet with to become better self-advocates by providing them with information about their rights and methods for enforcing those rights.
Essential job duties and responsibilities
Advocacy
- Advocate to address rights violations and to protect people with disabilities from abuse and/or neglect
Investigation
- Travel to meet with people in their homes or the facilities in which they reside to complete representative payee reviews
- Conduct monitoring visits of facilities
- Maintain Social Security Administration clearance and suitability status
- Willing to work occasional evenings and weekends due to travel
- Conduct investigations into abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and rights violations
- Document investigations using a combination of standardized forms, written narratives, and financial worksheets
- Cross-check financial statements, ledgers, and other financial documents and identify inaccuracies
- Perform other fact-finding duties related to the work of the program
- Collect accurate and sufficient information regarding complaint allegations, as well as relevant written policies, regulations, directives, and client record information
- Interview representative payees, beneficiaries, witnesses, and other involved parties as necessary to ascertain facts and complete documentation
- Willingness to become knowledgeable about local and statewide resources
Records Management
- Maintain case progression in Social Security Administration’s computerized Representative Payee Monitoring Tool (RPMT)
- Maintain strict confidentiality and follow destruction of personally identifying information protocols
Timely paperwork and reporting
- Submit all required reports, timesheets, and other documentation in an accurate and timely manner
Work conditions
- Work in an office environment and remotely. Also has extensive local and statewide work-related travel to meet with people in their own homes and offices.
- The Investigator works a standard workweek, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (unless an alternative schedule is approved), but must be willing to work evenings, weekends, or extended hours when necessary.
- Up to date COVID-19 vaccination is a condition of employment at DRW. DRW considers all medical and sincerely held religious beliefs reasonable accommodation requests. In addition to vaccinations, DRW staff will be required to observe public safety standards, including mask wearing, social distancing, and sanitizing of workspaces.
Workload monitoring
- Maintain a reasonably ambitious workload and keep their immediate supervisor informed when there is insufficient work to perform and when there is a risk that work won’t be completed on a timely basis.
Requirements
Education/Experience
- Whether demonstrated through formal education or lived experience, the candidate must have the skills necessary to perform the job. These positions have been filled by people with bachelors, masters, and juris doctorate degrees, but Disability Rights Washington is enthusiastic about considering anyone with the right skills and believes a degree is not necessary for this position.
- An investigator should have demonstrated experiences that will help them:
- manage and review large volumes of written documentation, especially financial documentation; and
- have computer literacy for document reviewing, recording findings, and communication with others; and
- interview people you have never met before in various settings.
- Many of the people being interviewed may have disabilities that impact their ability to communicate or process information, and it is important to have experience in communicating and building a rapport with people who have various communication styles and ways of processing information.
- The interviews often take place in a variety of locations ranging from offices to personal homes, and it is helpful to have experience navigating the respect and safety issues involved with both.
Transportation
- Given the investigations occur in communities all over the state, the investigator must be able to get to various locations around the state, many of which are not served by public transportation and some of which may not have access to taxi or ride-hailing services.
Background Check
- This position involves unsupervised contact with vulnerable adults and children.
- DRW conducts background checks of conviction and arrest records on final candidates prior to extending offers. The hiring process will be conducted in compliance with Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17 and Washington’s Fair Chance Act, RCW 49.94. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain and correct background information. A criminal background does not automatically eliminate candidates from consideration. If a criminal background exists, the nature of the offense will be considered in the context of the essential functions of the position.
- This position requires completion of a Social Security Administration (SSA) suitability clearance. SSA clearances often take several months to complete; therefore, an offer for this position will be extended and employment will begin before DRW receives clearance results. Offers are contingent upon eventual clearance from the SSA.
About Disability Rights Washington (DRW)
DRW is a private nonprofit organization that advances the dignity, equality, and self-determination of people with disabilities. We are designated by the governor of Washington as the independent federally mandated protection and advocacy system for Washington State. We work to pursue justice on matters related to human and legal rights. Our Board of Directors that is majority Black, Indigenous, people of color, and majority disabled and they set the priorities of our work in consultation with two advisory councils and input from the community as they believe in leadership by the most impacted and the saying, nothing about us without us.
DRW is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. DRW encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including individuals of all races, colors, religions, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, ages, national origins, marital statuses, disabilities, and veteran status backgrounds.
For information about us, please visit: http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/.
Hiring process
Please fill out the online application below and include a cover letter, resume, and three contacts for employment verification. You may also mail your application to: Disability Rights Washington, 315 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 850, Seattle, WA 98104 Attn: Jodi Rose.
In an effort to promote universal accessibility and fairness, Disability Rights Washington asks the same questions of all applicants, provides applicants with the actual questions that will be asked in their interview and information about who will be interviewing them three business days before the scheduled interview, and has captioning turned on for online interviews. We also know that other efforts to make our process more accessible may be needed based on individual needs and we will provide reasonable accommodations for any portion of the application or interview process. You can request them by contacting Jodi Rose, HR & IT Manager, using the information provided above. If you are not sure if you would benefit from an accommodation, you can review the Job Accommodations Network which provides many ideas about possible accommodations that have worked for others, and you are more than welcome to call Jodi to discuss ideas you have or what we have done in the past.
Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will be accepted until the position is filled. The first review of applications will take place on January 3, 2023, with the hope of contacting selected applicants that week and starting interviews the following week. Applicants will only be contacted if they are selected for an interview. The interview process will include two rounds of interviews. If selected as a finalist, references will be contacted to verify employment, but will not be inquiring about subjective impressions of the candidate. In order to begin processing Social Security clearance paperwork, the start date for this position will be approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the applicant accepts the position.
- Position Title: Investigator
- Company Name: Disability Rights Washington (DRW)
- Location: Mostly remotely
- Posted: November 11, 2022
- Start Date: 4 to 6 weeks after hiring decision is made
- Education and Experience required: 0 years employment experience required; necessary skills include document review and/or interview skills, see full description for more detail.
Job Category: Program
Job Type: Full-time, Non-Exempt
Salary: This is considered an entry level position for someone who has less than 1 year or no work experience in an equivalent position. The salary for this entry level position is $56,470. For purposes of illustration a successful applicant with one year of equivalent work experience would start at $58,107 while a successful applicant with five years of equivalent work experience would start at $62,942. An example of equivalent experience would be someone who has worked for one of the 50+ entities that operate a Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries with Representative Payees (PABRP) program throughout the country. A successful candidate from such a program would receive a $2,500 signing bonus and help with moving expenses.
Generous benefits including 401k contribution, health, dental, vision care, transit benefit, vacation, sick, other types of leave and a 35-hour work week.