Ombudsman - Long Term Care Patient Advocate

About the role

As an Ombudsman, you'll advocate for residents in long-term care settings, ensuring their rights are respected and their concerns are heard. This role blends compassionate service with meaningful impact supporting individuals and their families, building trusted relationships across the care community, and helping strengthen programs that improve quality of life throughout ETCOG's fourteen-county region.

Responsibilities

• Advocate for residents in long-term care settings
• Ensure residents' rights are respected and concerns are addressed
• Support individuals and their families
• Build trusted relationships within the care community
• Help strengthen programs that improve quality of life

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree in public administration, gerontology, sociology, psychology, or long-term care administration is preferred
• Equivalent combinations of education, training, and experience will be considered
• A minimum of three years' experience in social service programs, communication skills, casework, complaint resolution, and interventions required
• Prior experience with the elderly population strongly preferred
• Must become a certified ombudsman before fully participating in this position
• Must maintain independence from long-term care facilities; recent employment (within the past 12 months) in such settings may present a conflict of interest

About the organization

East Texas Council of Governments is a voluntary association of counties, cities, school districts, and special districts within the fourteen-county East Texas region. We assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit, and coordinating for sound regional development. Either directly or through our contractors, ETCOG provides programs and services for East Texas seniors, employers, and job seekers. We also build the 9-1-1 emergency call delivery system, provide peace officer training and homeland security planning services, and deliver rural transportation services, business finance programs, grant writing services, and environmental grant funding for the region.