Assistant General Counsel

About the role

Vinfen is a nonprofit, health and human services organization and a leading provider of community-based services to individuals with mental health conditions, intellectual and developmental disabilities, brain injuries, and behavioral health challenges. Established in 1977, Vinfen’s 3,500 dedicated employees deliver supportive living, health, educational, and clinical services across over 550 sites in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Responsibilities

• Provides advice and counsel to the Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, senior management, Real Estate, Operations, Finance, Compliance, Quality, other administrative departments, and company employees on a wide range of legal, business, risk management, healthcare regulatory compliance, real estate/facilities, and corporate governance matters.
• Conducts research and provides advice related to compliance with state and federal laws, including healthcare laws, HIPAA and other privacy and security laws, federal and state funder regulations, and regulatory inquiries involving agencies such as the Attorney General, OCR, OSHA, OIG, and other regulators.
• Serves as counsel for real estate and facilities-related matters, including obtaining zoning and municipal approvals, HUD-related issues, landlord/tenant issues, and facility-related compliance requirements.
• Drafts, reviews, and negotiates contracts and other agreements, including residential and commercial leases, third-party payor agreements, provider agreements, merger and acquisition agreements, and affiliation agreements.
• Conducts research and provides advice related to business issues, including potential new business ventures, state and federal grant matters, mergers, acquisitions, affiliations, partnerships, due diligence, transaction structuring, negotiation of related agreements, and related regulatory approval processes.
• Addresses general corporate matters, including corporate governance matters for all Vinfen affiliated entities.
• Oversees litigation matters as assigned, including coordination with outside counsel to pursue client evictions when needed.
• Conducts research and provides advice regarding mental health law issues, including confidentiality, guardianship and representative payee issues, and interfacing with law enforcement and/or the civil and criminal justice systems.
• Supports or oversees directed investigations, including internal quality, operational, regulatory, or employee relations concerns.
• Drafts and edits Vinfen policies and procedures and other company policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Addresses risk management issues related to assigned healthcare regulatory, real estate/facilities, licensing, credentialing, transactional, and operational matters, and supports insurance-related matters as assigned.
• Prepares and delivers training to management personnel on legal topics such as healthcare regulatory requirements, mental health law, privacy matters, real estate/facilities requirements, licensing and credentialing requirements, and other assigned legal topics.
• Develops ongoing training to inform managers of updates and key changes in relevant laws and regulations.
• Supports administration of information to general and professional liability insurers regarding insurance claims under company policies and interfaces with insurance broker regarding property-related claims and risk management matters.
• Provides direct or dotted-line supervision, legal work direction, and performance input to attorneys and legal professionals in the Legal Department.
• Complies with internal and external documentation and reporting requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A minimum of 4–6 years of relevant experience.
• Admission to the Massachusetts Bar required; admission to the Connecticut Bar preferred.
• Juris Doctorate required.

Skills

• Knowledge of mental health, health care, HIPAA (including privacy and security legal frameworks), real estate, contracting (development, drafting, reviewing, revising, negotiation), corporate governance, litigation, mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, due diligence, and related regulatory approvals.
• Healthcare regulatory compliance, licensing and credentialing, and real estate/facilities compliance.
• Ability to negotiate and solve problems.
• Ability to facilitate and conduct education/training sessions.
• Leadership skills and experience.
• Ability to provide direct or dotted-line supervision, work direction, and performance input for legal staff.
• Organizational and analytical skills.
• Excellent and proven verbal and written presentation and communication skills.
• Ability to make sound judgments and decisions efficiently and effectively.
• Ability to work in a professional and confidential capacity.
• Sensitivity to cultural, religious, racial, disability, and gender issues.
• Ability to balance many competing priorities.
• Knowledge of personal computer applications and equipment.

Physical Effort

• Ability to lift at least 25 pounds using proper lifting techniques.
• Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment such as a calculator, copier, and printer.
• Ability to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time as needed.
• Ability to bend, reach, file, sit, stand, and move around the facility.
• Ability to speak, hear, and communicate with clients, staff, and external representatives.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Pay

USD $165,000.00 – USD $175,000.00 per year.