Full-Time and Non-Exempt Employee, Reports to the Director of Rights Investigation and Accountability Program
Disability Rights Washington (DRW) seeks an Investigator to uncover and stop possible financial exploitation and other forms of abuse.
DRW understands the importance and contribution of candidates with lived experience. People with disabilities, African American, Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and LGBTQ+ people are particularly encouraged to apply. Disabilities include, but are not limited to, mental health conditions, physical and sensory disabilities, learning and intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, and chronic health conditions.
Candidates must be dedicated to participating in DRW’s daily attempts to apply Disability Justice and race equity principles to our work. Information about Disability Justice can be found here: https://www.sinsinvalid.org/blog/10-principles-of-disability-justice. DRW is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and expects employees to participate in DEI-related work and trainings. Information about DRW and DEI can be found here: https://www.disabilityrightswa.org/diversity-equity-inclusion/.
This position will be based in our Spokane office. Full time remote work is typical for much of the workweek. Periodic statewide travel to do outreach or meet in person will be necessary.
We have an ongoing need for Investigators and will be reviewing resumes no sooner than October 1, 2023. If we are interested in an interview, we will notify you after that date.
Reasonable Disability Accommodations
DRW is committed to providing reasonable disability accommodations at all steps of the hiring process. If you are unsure about what may be considered a disability or what accommodations may work for you, the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) provides information about potential accommodations that are searchable by disability, work-related function, and accommodation. Applicants for DRW employment seeking reasonable disability accommodations for the application and hiring processes can contact Jodi Rose, DRW’s HR & IT Manager, by calling (800) 562-2702 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.
Investigators conduct their investigations by travelling 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.
This position requires the employee to obtain and maintain Social Security Administration clearance and suitability status.
This position requires unsupervised contact with vulnerable adults.
Salary Range: The position is intended for someone with 0-5 years of experience with a salary range of $54,825-$62,942.
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 Recording
- 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 am – 4:30 pm (unless an alternative schedule is approved), but must be willing to work evenings, weekends, or extended hours when necessary.
Workload Monitioring
- 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.
About Disability Rights Washington (DRW)
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.
DRW is a private nonprofit organization that advances the dignity, equality, and self-determination of people with disabilities. We work to pursue justice on matters related to human and legal rights. We are designated by the governor as the independent federally mandated protection and advocacy system for Washington State. As such, DRW promotes, expands, and protects the human and civil rights of people with disabilities.
For information about us, please visit: http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/.
To Apply
Please fill out the online application below and include a cover letter and resume. You may also mail your application to: Disability Rights Washington, Attn: Jodi Rose, 315 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 850, Seattle, WA 98104
DRW is committed to promoting universal accessibility and fairness in our interview process. At least three business days before an interview, DRW will tell applicants the names, pronouns, and titles of DRW interviewers and will provide the interview questions, which will be the same for all applicants. During interviews, DRW will provide a visual description of the interviewers and turn on captions 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, DRW’s 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 (JAN) website, 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. JAN is located here: https://askjan.org/soar.cfm.
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 after October 1, 2023. 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, DRW may ask the applicant for contacts to verify previous employment.
- Position Title: Investigator
- Company Name: Disability Rights Washington (DRW)
- Posted: September 1, 2023
- Education and Experience required: Document review and/or interview skills to conduct investigations, 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 $54,825. For purposes of illustration a successful applicant with one year of equivalent work experience would start at $56,470 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, vacation, sick, long-term disability, other types of leave and a 35-hour work week.