Managing Consultant - Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)

Managing Consultant - Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)

About Mathematica:
Mathematica applies expertise at the intersection of data, methods, policy, and practice to improve well-being around the world. We collaborate closely with public- and private-sector partners to translate big questions into deep insights that improve programs, refine strategies, and enhance understanding using data science and analytics. Our work yields actionable information to guide decisions in wide-ranging policy areas, from health, education, early childhood, and family support to nutrition, employment, disability, and international development. Mathematica offers our employees competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits package, as well as the advantages of being 100 percent employee owned. As an employee stock owner, you will experience financial benefits of ESOP holdings that have increased in tandem with the company’s growth and financial strength. You will also be part of an independent, employee-owned firm that is able to define and further our mission, enhance our quality and accountability, and steadily grow our financial strength. Read more about our benefits here: https://www.mathematica.org/career-opportunities/benefits-at-a-glance. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

Mathematica is seeking a managing consultant who is committed to advancing opportunities for people with disabilities and older adults to live in and actively engage with their communities. The successful candidate should have expertise with long-term services and supports (LTSS) policy and implementation work, including home and community-based services (HCBS), institutional-based long-term care, or both.

Through our HCBS practice, we collaborate with government agencies, providers, and community organizations to improve programs for older adults and those with behavioral health needs or intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities. We work to address a range of LTSS needs: program design and implementation, service access and delivery, Olmstead planning and compliance, payment strategy, community engagement, and more. Our staff are also experts in adjacent programs such as  vocational rehabilitation, workforce development, and care integration for individuals who receive both Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

We are soliciting candidates with experience with HCBS or LTSS programs within a state’s Medicaid or HCBS administrative agencies such as health, human services, area offices on aging, behavioral health, or other appropriate entity. Experience managing public aging, disability, or behavioral health programs within state agencies or applicable managed care, provider, or third-party consultants is preferred. 

The successful candidate will have a working understanding of federal authorities relevant to HCBS such as section 1915 waivers, 1115 demonstration authorities, and programs such as Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and Money Follows the Person. Understanding and engagement with current issues related to HCBS delivery including person-centered planning, community-based housing, the direct care workforce, quality monitoring, and program integrity is also preferred. Experience using Medicaid claims, assessment, case management, housing, experience of care or other programmatic data for monitoring and improvement is preferred, but not required.

Duties of the position:

• Lead or participate actively and thoughtfully in multidisciplinary teams to improve, implement, monitor, and advise on state policy and programs.
• Provide consulting services to state and local clients, support the development of new health policies, assist with the development of reimbursement policy to support health objectives, advise on the preparation of submissions to CMS and other approving entities, as appropriate, and support clients with the negotiations of new policies and programs when needed.
• Provide the energy, direction, and organization needed to help keep projects on time and on budget and facilitate communications across and between internal and external stakeholders.
• Author client memos, technical assistance tools, issue briefs, chapters of analytic reports, and webinar presentations.
• Conduct research that applies impartial data collection, analysis, and reporting using quantitative or qualitative techniques.
• Lead and help develop proposals for new projects.
• Represent the company's expertise through various mechanisms, such as publications, conferences, and technical communications.
• Interact directly with state officials to implement and assess programs.
• Contribute to the growth, expertise, and institutional knowledge of other state health and Medicaid staff.

• Master’s degree in public policy, public administration, public health, healthcare administration, business, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• At least five years of experience managing complex projects or tasks related to healthcare or health policy 
• Strong understanding of community LTSS programs, including HCBS waivers such as 1915(c), 1915(i), 1915(j), and 1915(k), along with Medicaid State Plan benefits, PACE, SNFs, and ICF-IID. Knowledge must include federal laws and regulations governing the programs.

• Experience in/ability to navigate complex federal regulations and requirements for community long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs, including HCBS waivers, PACE, and transitions and diversions from nursing facilities (NF), intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF-IID), and other institutional settings.
• Demonstrated ability to lead activities and manage tasks through the project lifecycle, including delegation and mentoring in a highly collaborative environment
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an ability to explain observations and findings to diverse stakeholder audiences including program administrators and policymakers

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working at or with a local, state or federal agency, a foundation, a healthcare provider, a Medicaid managed care plan or another policy research firm is highly desirable.
• Strong analytic skills and ability to make strategic decisions about issues relating to management, such as financial analysis, as well as policy implementation and program operations.
• Experience analyzing state or federal Medicaid claims (e.g., MMIS or T-MSIS/TAF), assessment or case management data, and other programmatic data is also preferred but not required.

Application information:

Please submit a resume and cover letter, and, if possible, a work product that demonstrates your understanding of complex policy-related challenges facing the healthcare system. In your cover letter, please identify the extent of your knowledge of the various LTSS programs listed in the Qualifications section through the identification of your role to lead, plan, or execute on the creation, oversight, or implementation of these programs.

Compensation information:

This position offers an anticipated annual base salary of $100,000 - $135,000. This position is eligible for an annual bonus opportunity based on individual and company performance. 

At Mathematica, we understand the importance of building relationships with colleagues. If you’re not located near one of our offices but would like opportunities to meet up with co-workers, we offer coworking spaces where available. Ask your Talent Acquisition partner for more information about this opportunity and whether it’s an option in your area.

Any offer of employment will be contingent upon passing a background check. Various federal agencies with whom we contract require that staff successfully undergo security clearance as a condition of working on the project. If you are assigned to such a project, you will be required to obtain the requisite security clearance. Additionally, if you participate in/complete the application process and are denied, Mathematica may choose to terminate your employment.

We take pride in our employees and in their commitment to excellence. We encourage staff to collaborate in developing creative solutions to difficult problems and to share the responsibility and enjoyment of carrying out complex projects. This collegial spirit has helped us earn our reputation for innovative and high quality work.