Dementia Care Specialist

Overview

The Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Research Center (ADRC), in partnership with the Sorenson Center for Clinical Excellence (SCCE), at Utah State University, seeks a dedicated, full-time Clinician I / Dementia Care Specialist to lead the statewide rural telehealth expansion of our Dementia Caregiver Clinic (DCC). Funded by the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) LIFT initiative, this position is designed to eliminate geographic access barriers and increase specialized telehealth delivery for family caregivers navigating dementia in rural communities across Utah.

This role is divided into two primary complementary functions:

• Direct Virtual Clinical Care (~70% Effort): Providing evidence-based, 1-on-1 virtual (video and phone) care consultations, baseline caregiver needs assessments, personalized geographic care plans, and longitudinal follow-up care for family caregivers in targeted rural counties.
• Rural Provider Outreach & Referral Infrastructure (~30% Effort): Proactively establishing and maintaining trusted referral pipelines with rural healthcare providers, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), USU Extension county offices, rural clinics, local community libraries, Tribal health systems and other providers or community-based programs.

The position requires regular on-campus clinical work at USU in Logan, UT, combined with travel (approximately 6 in-person multi-day trips per year) to rural communities and conferences across Utah.

Continued employment is contingent upon performance and ongoing funding. Long term, this role is structured for institutional permanence, transitioning into the DCC core funding to become the primary statewide clinical consultant for the Dementia Caregiver Clinic, both in-person and via telehealth.

The Clinician I reports directly to the ADRC Director (Dr. Beth Fauth) in coordination with the SCCE Clinical Leadership. The position works collaboratively with the ADRC Program Coordinator and SCCE social work interns, and has no direct supervisory responsibilities, however they may contribute to intern/practicum student training in dementia-specific topics.

Responsibilities

Telehealth Care Consultations & Clinical Delivery (~70% Effort)

• Conducts comprehensive, tailored 1-on-1 telehealth consultations (via HIPAA-compliant Zoom or telephone) with family caregivers of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias residing in designated rural Utah counties.
• Administers baseline intake screenings and caregiver needs assessments to evaluate caregiver burden, competence, behavioral symptoms, and urgent priorities.
• Synthesizes consultation findings into customized action plans that detail localized services, county-specific respite programs, legal/financial resources, and evidence-based dementia coping strategies.
• Executes structured follow-up touchpoints at 4 weeks and 6 months post-consultation.
• Maintains rigorous, timely electronic health records (EHR) using the SCCE's PnC software, ensuring absolute adherence to HIPAA and Institutional Review Board (IRB) ethical standards.

Rural Community Outreach & Referral Infrastructure (~30% Effort)

• Initiates and builds proactive referral partnerships with rural primary care physicians, local health departments, rural hospital networks, and community clinics.
• Builds active referral channels with local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Meals on Wheels programs, USU County Extension offices, and rural public libraries acting as community resource hubs.
• Where invited, engages in culturally humble outreach with Tribal Health Departments, Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, and Title VI Native American Aging Programs to establish welcoming, culturally adapted referral pathways for Indigenous caregivers.
• Conducts approximately 6 annual outreach and educational trips across rural Utah to lead caregiver workshops, present at local/regional conferences, and meet directly with community stakeholders.
• Collaborates on the deployment of statewide and rural-targeted promotional campaigns, toolkits, and educational presentations.

Program Compliance, Metrics & Sustainable Integration

• Carefully tracks client intake, zip codes, and consultation counts to ensure strict separation between rural LIFT grant metrics and the state DHHS tri-county (Cache, Rich, Box Elder) DCC contract.
• Compiles quarterly and annual service utilization metrics, geographic reach summaries, and empowerment outcome data for LIFT grant renewal reports.
• Collaborates with ADRC leadership to integrate rural consultation protocols into the broader Dementia Caregiver Clinic model as the role transitions toward permanent institutional support (75% clinical consultations, 25% ADRC center presentations/outreach).

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education & Background: Master's degree in Social Work (MSW), Gerontology (MSG), Public Health (MPH), Health Education, Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), Nursing, or a closely related field; OR Bachelor's degree in a related field plus at least two (2) years of dedicated professional experience in dementia care, aging services, or clinical case coordination.
• Excellent professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Valid driver's license and willingness to travel across rural Utah (approx. 6 multi-day trips per year).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience providing 1-on-1 care consultations, resource navigation, or case management for older adults and family caregivers.
• Familiarity with Utah's aging service network, including Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), USU Extension, and rural health clinics.
• Experience administering standardized psychometric or caregiver assessment scales (such as the North Dakota Care Consultation Empowerment Scale).
• Bilingual proficiency (English/Spanish) is an asset.

Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities

• Dementia Care Expertise: In-depth understanding of Alzheimer's disease, related dementias, disease progression, behavioral management, and the psycho-emotional toll experienced by family caregivers.
• Clinical Consultation Skills: Demonstrated ability to conduct empathetic, structured consultations, crisis de-escalation, and family needs assessments (formal therapy licensure is not required, as consultations do not include psychotherapy).
• Telehealth Delivery: Proficiency and comfort conducting clinical video conferences and telephone consultations using secure, HIPAA-compliant platforms.
• Rural Cultural Competency: Understanding of the unique geographic, economic, and logistical barriers facing rural and frontier communities in Utah, including healthcare workforce shortages and broadband limitations.
• Outreach & Public Speaking: Strong networking and presentation skills; comfortable reaching out to rural physicians, community leaders, and large audience workshops.
• Documentation & Data Management: Experience working within Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems (e.g., PnC), secure cloud storage (Box), and administering standardized evaluation tools.
• Self-Direction & Initiative: High degree of autonomy, organizational discipline, and creative problem-solving skills needed to build a new program footprint from the ground up.

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please attach:

• Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”
• Cover Letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application
• Contact information for three professional references