Tribal Liaison

Job Summary:

This position serves as the Tribal Liaison between AHCCCS, Indian Health Services (IHS), Tribal 638 providers, Urban Indian Organizations, Tribes and other interested parties, representing AHCCCS on various work groups and in meetings addressing the provision of health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives. This position is responsible for tribal consultation between AHCCCS and the American Indian Tribes in Arizona.

This position will identify health care challenges and opportunities among AHCCCS eligible American Indians and Alaska Natives through development of policies, processes, forums and recommendations, as well as monitoring of communications relating to AHCCCS and American Indians and Alaska Natives. This may include interaction with federal, state, and local governmental officials, multiple departments within AHCCCS and external stakeholders. The position supervises one direct report and works closely with teams across the agency to successfully build and strengthen services for American Indian AHCCCS members.

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Meet with IHS and Tribal officials, other state and local agencies, and advocacy groups; Review and update the Tribal Consultation policy. Liaise with the Arizona Governor's office, health care providers, and other stakeholders interested in health care for American Indian AHCCCS members.
• Respond by phone or email to requests for information and assistance from Tribes, IHS, CMS and other interested parties.
• Participate on stakeholder committees and represent AHCCCS as required in other forums.
• Read, research, and analyze Medicaid-related issues affect American Indians and develop recommendations for consideration by AHCCCS and Tribal stakeholders.
• Supervises the Tribal Relations Coordinator and related work. Responsibilities including but not limited to training, counseling and managing performance, assigning and monitoring work-flow, setting goals and expectations, approving ETE's, leave requests, completing appraisals, and issuing disciplinary actions if needed.
• Monitor legislative, regulatory or policy activity via publications, memoranda, letters, meeting, etc., to identify actual or potential issues related to health care as it affects American Indians and Alaska Natives.
• Provide technical assistance and/or advisement to internal workgroups to ensure that agency actions consider potential impacts to Tribal members.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge of:
• Health care issues that impact American Indians and Alaska Natives
• Familiarity with the cultural diversity of the various Tribes and able to interact with Tribal leaders/ representatives, federal/state officials, and other interested parties effectively and sensitively
• Medicaid and health care delivery systems, including but not limited to 638 healthcare systems, that provide services to American Indians and Alaska Natives both on-and off- reservation
• Federal and state laws/regulations that affect health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives
• Research techniques and ability to effectively locate source material
• Budgeting principles and developing budgets
• Computer word processing and spreadsheets
• Tribal government operations

Skills in:
• Management and behavioral skills
• Demonstrated skills in management of professional staff
• Excellent verbal skills for oral presentations
• Excellent written skills to present material in clear and logical format
• Project management skills
• Organize and facilitate large stakeholder events
• Zoom and Microsoft Teams

Ability to:
• Provide public presentations and/or coordinate with others in the agency
• Research complex policy issues, analyze material and present written and verbal results
• Work independently with minimum supervision
• Superior organization and interpersonal relationship skills, including facilitation of group interaction
• Understand the unique characteristics of issues that impact health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives
• Present and recommend solutions for issues that will arise with health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives
• Understand the culture diversity of the Tribes and interact with sensitivity
• Perform under pressure within tight time frames
• Represent AHCCCS in the highest professional manner

Qualifications:

Arizona Driver's License.

Minimum:
• Bachelor’s degree in health care or a related field, and two years of experience in tribal relations (or equivalent experience), and familiarity with Medicaid and health care delivery to American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Preferred:
• Master’s degree or higher.

• Two or more years experience in researching, analyzing and preparing reports about health care and American Indians and Alaska Natives.

• Familiarity with AHCCCS eligibility categories.

Pre-Employment Requirements:

• Successfully pass fingerprint background check, prior employment verifications and reference checks; employment is contingent upon completion of the above-mentioned process and the agency’s ability to reasonably accommodate any restrictions.

• Travel may be required for State business. Employees who drive on state business must complete any required driver training (see Arizona Administrative Code .)

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply:

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Benefits:

Among the many benefits of a career with the State of Arizona, there are:
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Paid Vacation and Sick time off (13 and 12 days per year respectively) - start earning it your 1st day (prorated for part-time employees)
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child. Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here.
• Other Leaves - Bereavement, civic duty, and military.
• A top-ranked retirement program with lifetime pension benefits
• A robust and affordable insurance plan, including medical, dental, life, and disability insurance
• Participation eligibility in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (must meet qualifications)
• RideShare and Public Transit Subsidy
• A variety of learning and career development opportunities

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program . For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our

Retirement:

Lifetime Pension Benefit Program
• Administered through the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS)
• Defined benefit plan that provides for life-long income upon retirement.
• Required participation for Long-Term Disability (LTD) and ASRS Retirement plan.
• Pre-taxed payroll contributions begin after a 27-week waiting period (prior contributions may waive the waiting period).

Deferred Retirement Compensation Program
• Voluntary participation.
• Program administered through Nationwide.
• Tax-deferred retirement investments through payroll deductions.