Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING

Position Number:  50702826

Description Activated On:  12/22/2025 8:08:06 AM

Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. 

 This employee is a principal liaison between the Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) and the Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) regarding the administration and implementation of Pennsylvania's Older Adults Protective Services Act (OAPSA). This employee is responsible for ensuring that quality protective services are consistently available to older adults across the commonwealth and are in accordance with the law, related regulations, and departmental policy. This employee also provides statutory and regulatory interpretation, policy development, training, technical assistance, strategic planning, grants management, data collection and analysis, and plays a key role in facilitating and coordinating the Elder Justice Multidisciplinary Team (EJMDT), ensuring that all responsibilities are conducted and implemented professionally and consistent with policies and goals of PDA.

Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor.

Technical Assistance, Policy and Procedure:

Provides technical assistance and guidance to the AAAs on Aging policies and procedures, implementation of the State and Federal statutes and/or regulations pertaining to OAPS as well as providing technical analysis to management and executive staff on current and/or proposed legislation.
Provides technical assistance to aide AAAs in resolving non-compliance identified during quality assurance compliance monitoring reviews.

Collaborates with PDA's Bureau of Quality Assurance to deliver technical assistance and training to internal and external data system users to ensure compliance and accurate data collection in PDA's protective services electronic database system.

Reviews and responds to protective services inquiries and complaints from a variety of sources.

Develops and implements policy, procedure and/or regulations regarding protective services and/or guardianship program areas.

Regularly reviews existing policies and procedures for impact on program area and recommends changes consistent with statute and regulations.

Supports and assists with identifying training needs and the development and implementation of training curricula for the older adult protective services program.

Represents PDA on committees, workgroups, taskforces, etc., concerning elder abuse, guardianship, legal services, sexual abuse, domestic violence, victim services, and fulfill public speaking assignments for other governmental agencies, professional organizations and the general public.

Performs legislative technical analysis reviews of proposed changes to legislation, recommends revisions to legislation and provides comments on impact to program.

Responds to written requests for information regarding older adult protective services and/or guardianship programs. Interprets OAPSA related regulations, policies and/or procedures as needed or requested.

Communicates PDA objectives, goals and policies through written and oral presentations to various entities including AAAs, state agencies and other stakeholders.

Supports the processing of informal appeals filed by alleged perpetrators of elder abuse. Collects information and reviews evidence, interviews investigators and appellants and assists in a written finding and proposed appeal resolution.

Reviews and approves annual protective services plans that fulfill requirements of the regulations and notify the AAA of any revisions needed. Reviews and draft responses to protective services Administrative Waiver submissions.
Designs, develops and implements standardized forms to be used for receiving and investigating reports of elder abuse. Develops public education materials for elder abuse awareness, prevention, identification and reporting.
Provides assistance, as directed, to the Bureau of Quality Assurance, Monitoring and Compliance Division. These tasks include but not limited to reviewing protective services cases using PDA's protective services electronic database collection system to determine compliance with the OAPSA and related regulations, policy documents and guidance documents issued by PDA; providing technical assistance to aide AAAs in resolving non-compliance identified during compliance monitoring visits; reviewing and accepting/denying plans of correction; and ensuring plans of correction are implemented to correct any quality deficiencies identified.

Grants and Contracts:

Manages the training contract to ensure all deliverables are timely and effectively met.

Searches and applies for grants and other funding opportunities that involve protective services and associated grants and projects.

Assists with grant and contract planning, oversight and management including preparing, submitting, managing deliverables to ensure all steps are completed timely and in accordance with budget and submission of required reports and deadlines.

Data Collection and Analysis:

Use PDA's protective service electronic database system to review PS cases and data. Identify trends and quality concerns within protective services and guardianship cases and make recommendations.

Run and analyze a variety of reports to provide data specific to AAA(s) for the purposes of ensuring the consistent implementation of OAPSA.

Responds to requests for data, information and input regarding the older adult protective services from executive management, director and supervisor.

Provide both routine and ad hoc status reports and updates to the executive staff, director or supervisor regarding the performance of the AAAs. Manages data collection, development and analysis of benchmarking reports to monitor activities of AAA protective service programs.
Reviews, analyzes and recommends revisions to data collection systems to ensure efficient and effective program accountability and oversight. Elder Justice and Advocacy:
Engages in elder justice advocacy efforts on various issues such as fraud prevention, elder abuse awareness, guardianship, financial scams awareness, and agism/discrimination.
Lead PDA efforts to arrange adequate supports for people with complicated mental and physical health needs who have completed their corrections sentence.

Engage in elder justice advocacy efforts in conjunction with other departments and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). Work with other departments to develop guardianship policy and best practice recommendations for the AAA network.
Work with PDA legal counsel, Ombudsman, legislative, and policy staff to provide technical assistance to AAAs on guardianship matters. Other Related Duties:
Perform other related duties as assigned.

Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature.

Decisions regarding the detailed implementation and timing of day-to-day job duties are nearly always made independently by the incumbent. The employee also makes recommendations regarding the direction and advocacy of Protective Services project efforts and engages in consultation with the supervisor, Bureau Director and others in the Department of Aging and Aging network.

Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License

Experience:



Licenses, registrations, or certifications:

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Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.
 
 1. Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
 2. Effectively organize and plan work.
 3. Write program policies, technical assistance documents, analytical reports, correspondence and other materials.
 4. Analyze written material, data and case-acceptable clinical practices.
 5. Interpret laws, regulations and directives.
 6. Develop comprehensive reports.
 7. Travel throughout the Commonwealth to areas that may not be accessible by public transportation.
 8. Prepare and make formal presentations.
 9. Analyze/use data in working with AAAs.
 10. Use Microsoft Office Suite and other analytical systems.