VOLUNTEER RISK AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PROJECT VOLUNTEER ROLES

VOLUNTEER RISK AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PROJECT VOLUNTEER ROLES

Project Challenges • We had several really significant challenges in approaching this risk and volunteer management project for SMPs • Large diversity of: – Programs – Program sizes – Services offered – Program/service structures – Partnerships and delivery models

Project Challenges • How could we manage risks related to SMP volunteers and their work when volunteers were being organized via so many different systems? • Which were “our” volunteers? Which were not? • How much control did we have over volunteers “managed” by third party partners? How much should we have? • What might the courts say if something were to go wrong in work “done in our name”?

Our Work – Our Volunteers • We decided early on that the only way to make sense of this … and to truly make a reasonable effort to control the risks related to the SMP program, nation-wide, was to take the approach: • If they’re doing “our” work, then they are “our” volunteers for the purposes of risk management • And they are therefore subject to policies that govern SMP volunteers

Diversity of Roles • The next hurdle was to sort out how to write policies for such a wide range of volunteer roles • For example, the risks related to volunteers doing public presentations are quite different from the risks related to volunteers who deliver pamphlets; and those risks are quite different from those encountered and generated by volunteers who are doing one to one counseling, some of which might involve handling complex inquiries

Managing Diversity of Roles • The practical implications for example, are easy to see in areas such as screening and training • For example, if all a volunteer is going to do is literally drive pamphlets to various locations, the extent to which we need to screen them is obviously far less than what we would have to know about a volunteer who is applying to handle complex inquiries in the SMP program

Managing Diversity of Roles • Similarly, the extent of knowledge about Medicare, fraud and abuse would need to be far greater for the on one counseling volunteer than for the pamphlet distributor • Skill sets vary as well – the driver has to be able to drive; the counselor does not necessarily have to drive • The public educator needs to be able to speak in front of a group, the receptionist needs to have an excellent telephone manner

Managing Diversity of Roles • So risks vary from position to position as do management responsibilities • Policy development needed to account for these variables

Taxonomy • The approach we settled on was to develop a “taxonomy” – a classification system – of SMP volunteer roles that accounted for varying types of responsibility, access to confidential information, access to vulnerable people, need for technical knowledge, and inherent risks in the work itself

Introduction • The advance release document includes a pivotal policy on volunteer roles that sets out the taxonomy • Look at page 4 – Volunteer Role Classifications SMP VOLUNTEER RISK AND PROGRAM

Volunteer Roles 1. SMP Information Distribution Volunteers transport and disseminate SMP (hard copy) information to sites and at events; volunteers read or present prepared copy or perform scripted activities for outreach.

Volunteer Roles 2. Administration Volunteers assist the SMP through administrative work but do not interact with the public or answer questions about specific issues or situations. Any requests for information that might be received by administrative volunteers are referred to SMP Counselors or other qualified personnel. This volunteer role includes office assistance, data entry and other administrative work connected to the operation of the SMP.

Volunteer Roles 3. Simple Presentations Volunteers give presentations about SMP related topics but the presentations are limited in timeframe, scope and degree of interaction with the audience. Content is of a general nature only. Simple presentations might be formal or via staffing of an information kiosk at an event. The distinguishing factor of this role is that volunteers do not engage in individual discussions regarding personal information or situations but are limited to provision of general information regarding the SMP, and fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. No counseling is provided. Specific questions are referred to an SMP Counselor who is appropriately trained to respond to individual inquiries.

Volunteer Roles 4. In-depth presentations Volunteers give substantive presentations regarding SMP topics to audiences. These presentations offer opportunity for interaction with audience members. In-depth presentations are typically longer, and include delivery of more complex information and opportunity for Q & A with audience. These volunteers still are limited to provision of general information regarding SMP, Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse and do not engage in discussions of personal information or situations. Requests for counseling are referred to qualified SMP Counselors either on-site (when available) or at the SMP counseling service.

Volunteer Roles 5. Counseling SMP Counselor volunteers engage in direct discussion of the individual situations of beneficiaries but do not collect information from consumers regarding personal information such as finances, SSNs or medical conditions. Inquiries that would involve receipt of such personal information are referred to SMP volunteers or staff qualified to field complex issues inquiries. Counseling discussions may occur either in-person or via telephone and may occur in locations other than SMP offices.

Volunteer Roles 6. Complex issues and referrals Complex issues volunteers engage in in-depth interactions with individual beneficiaries. This SMP volunteer role requires higher standards of screening, training and experience. Factors that may require such higher standards include: – exposure to confidential information of consumers – finances, SSN, medical information – possibility of fraud investigation – home visits – specific cultural sensitivity and/or capacity – discussion of more complex Medicare topics or issues – referrals of complex issues for future action

Volunteer Roles 7 Other roles Other volunteer roles may be created from time to time and as needed in the SMP. …

Volunteer Roles Continuum of Risk/Responsibility Not risky -Low skill -Low exposure -Low degree of trust Quite risky -High skill -High exposure - High degree of trust Degree of management oversight

Let’s Apply the Taxonomy Principle to Volunteer Management • Apply the principle to: – Screening – Training – Supervision Discuss how the kind and degree of management (screening, training, supervision) would vary from position to position You have 20 minutes

Debrief • Observations, thoughts, comments, questions

Thank You