Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)
4000 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 8501

Salary: $130,000.00 - $154,197.68 

Grade: 29

Closing Date: March 20, 2026

Would you like to be part of an amazing team that helps Arizonans thrive? At the Department of Economic Security (DES), we strengthen individuals, families, and communities for a better quality of life. DES is looking for individuals that are committed to service, community, and teamwork. To learn more about DES please visit des.az.gov; or click on the link here to view ‘Our DES’ video. Come join the DES Team!

The Department of Economic Security, Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), is seeking an experienced and highly motivated individual to join our team as an Extraordinary Care Team Manager. DDD provides individuals with developmental disabilities, and their families, services and supports that are flexible, high quality, and member driven. These services provide individuals with opportunities to exercise their rights and responsibilities of independent decision-making and engagement in the community.

Applicants for this position cannot be licensed or certified by the DDD Office of Licensing Certification and Regulation, cannot have a principal interest in or have a spouse or close family with principal interest in a DDD Qualified Vendor Agreement, and cannot be employed or subcontracted by a DDD Qualified Vendor.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Trains and supervises a broad variety of necessary clinical staff in adult and child HCBS Needs Tool (HNT) and ECR,testifies as expert witnesses for DDD HNT and ECR Appeals. Develops and implements ongoing training programs and support for clinicians regarding the interpretation of Arizona Administrative Code (AAC), Arizona Revised Statutes (ASR), case law, AHCCCS, DDD policy and PEDI-CAT. Collaborates and coordinates with Support Coordinators, Office of Administrative Review (OAR), Attorney General Office (AGO) and other functional areas.

• Supervises the MRRC to ensure member files are appropriately organized with timely completion of reviews. Provides leadership, mentoring, coaching, and direct supervision. Completes performance appraisals, authorizes leave, and approves Time Card for clinical staff and Medical Record Review Consultants (MRRC). 

• Provides clinical consultation and support regarding DDD qualifying diagnoses, Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), and use of HNT. Establishes and reports departmental metrics to Health Care Services (HCS) leadership in accordance with Arizona Management System (AMS) Guidelines. Tracks cases that set judicial precedence and impacts Division processes. Supports the implementation of changes appropriately in accordance with updated case law.

• Oversees special projects for HCS. Collaborates and provides additional support to the DDD Support Coordination. Attends huddles, consultation with planning teams upon request or provides or other identified needs with scope.

• Performs comprehensive record review (medical, psychological, school,therapy and other relevant documents) for the purpose of DDD HCBS, HNT, ECR appeals. Meets virtually with members and families. Administers PEDI-CAT. Participates in the determination of HCBS services for children/adults, including administrative hearing preparation, court appearance/testimony in HCBS disputes to represent the Division at hearings. 

• Develops Policy, Procedure, and Standard Work for principles of action related to HNT appeals, ECR, and judicial hearings. Provides direction, and critical evaluation of policies to ensure compliance with relevant AHCCCS policies and deliverables. Serves as subject matter expert (SME) for HCS related to ECR processes to ensure consistency in HCBS and ECR decisions made interdepartmentally. 

• Serves as the point of contact with stakeholders regarding questions related to DDD HNT and ECR practices and policies, AAC, and ASRS. Is a liaison between contractors, contracting agencies, HCS and Support Coordination (SC) providing support in policy and contract review when needed. Is a SME for the PEDI-CAT and similar tools' interpretation and provides training as needed.

Knowledge in:

• Federal regulations and practice regarding national developmentally disabled programming.

• Eligibility criteria for DDD qualifying diagnoses.

• Healthcare Administration.

• Current evidence based practice, principles, techniques, trends, and additional expertise in the area of developmental disabilities.

• Arizona Administrative Code (AAC), Arizona Revised Statute (ARS), and DDD Policy.

• Lean Management Principles and AMS.

• PEDI-CAT and similar assessments of functional skills.

• Strong familiarity with activities of daily living and  instrumental activities of daily living.

Skills In:

• Leadership and management.

• Generating conclusions and decisions from comprehensive report review in a timely manner.

• Report testing results in an appropriate manner.

• Providing critical and accurate review of comprehensive evaluations, testing modalities, and other relevant reports and preparing timely administrative reports.

• Interpersonal relations and communication.

• Effective time management.

Ability to:

• Lead a multidisciplinary team including a broad variety of clinicians and administrative support staff.

• Work independently.

• Collaborate with departments outside HCS; external vendors and clinicians.

• Communicate effectively via video based conferencing, in person meetings, and in writing.

• Research effective nationwide practices and implement results into policy and procedural change requests.

• Engage in multidisciplinary team projects across disciplines to promote appropriate rule revision and implement legislative changes within the state. 

• Review and interpret various medical, educational, therapy and psychological assessments including a working understanding of testing modalities as related to policy and administrative code.

• Clearly and logically answer and respond to questions verbally based on facts present in a medical record.

• Serve as SME within the organization and with contracted agencies and providers.

• Provide effective training to enhance staff knowledge and skill level.

• Write clear and concise summaries and reports based upon record review.

The ideal candidate for this position will have:

• Educational background in healthcare administration or 5+ years healthcare administration experience. Licensed psychologist in good standing with the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners or Board certified in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Child and Adolescent Psychologist or other relevant clinical experience. Knowledge in Lean Management Principles.

• As required by AHCCCS Contractor Operations Manual Chapter 400 – Operations:

The Extraordinary Care Review (ECR) process shall be conducted by clinicians with relevant professional experience and licensure or certification. Any of the below clinical professionals may be utilized to meet this requirement, as long as their professional experience aligns with the specific diagnoses and needs of the child:

(A): A developmental pediatrician, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, other appropriately licensed physicians as approved by AHCCCS, a registered nurse with additional training in behavioral health or complex medical conditions, a licensed occupational therapist, or a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.

• 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: Driver’s License Requirements. Any employee operating a motor vehicle on State business must possess and retain a current, valid class-appropriate driver's license, complete all required training, and successfully pass all necessary driver's license record checks. The license must be current, unexpired, and neither revoked nor suspended. Employees who drive on state business are subject to Driver's license record checks, must maintain acceptable driving records, and must complete all required driver training. An employee who operated a personally owned vehicle on state business shall maintain the statutorily required liability insurance (see Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) (R2-10-201.11).

• Successfully pass background and reference check; employment is contingent upon completion of the above-mentioned process and the Agency's ability to reasonably accommodate any restrictions.

•  Employee shall have a valid Level One fingerprint clearance card issued pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes 41-1968 in order to work with children and vulnerable adults.

• Candidates for this position shall be subject to a search of both the Department of Child Safety Central Registry pursuant to A.R.S. 8-804 and the Adult Protective Services Registry pursuant to A.R.S. 46-459.

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

The Arizona Department of Economic Security offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
• Participation in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and long-term disability plans
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child.
• Deferred compensation plan
• Wellness plans
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Stipend Opportunities
• Infant at Work Program
• Rideshare and Public Transit Subsidy
• Career Advancement & Employee 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 program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

State employees are required to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), the State sponsored retirement contribution plan and the Long-Term Disability (LTD) program after a 27-week waiting period. The ASRS defined benefit plan provides for life-long income upon retirement. You will also have the option to participate in a voluntary deferred compensation program to take advantage of tax-deferred retirement investments.

On, or shortly after, your first day of work you will be provided with additional information about the available insurance plans, enrollment instructions, submission deadlines and effective dates.

For questions about this career opportunity, please contact Joseph Deserio at 480-589-4222 or JDeserio@azdes.gov.

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by contacting 480-589-4222 or JDeserio@azdes.gov. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.