QUALITY ASSURANCE SPECIALIST, HEALTH SERVICES
Bilingual In Spanish And English
Quality Assurance Specialist, Health Services sits in the competitive class of New Jersey's state civil service, so reaching it runs through testing and an eligible list instead of a straight hire.
The requirements come down to a master's degree, 1 year of relevant experience, and a professional license. Pay on the FY2026 schedule runs $80,756 to $118,678, and state payroll currently lists about 339 people in the title, most of them at Human Services.
How to apply
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Exam
This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.
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Exam
Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.
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Agency posting
Department of Human Services's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Health posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Corrections's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Children and Families posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 339 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $114,886. The agencies employing the most are:
- Human Services (251)
- Health and Senior Services (78)
- Corrections (6)
- Children and Families (4)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.
Definition
Under the supervision of a Quality Assurance Coordinator or other supervisory official in the Department of Health, performs program and/or facility evaluations of clinical care and administrative services provided by any departmental unit or facility, may assess and evaluate reports or incidents of client safety and neglect; does related work as required.
Examples of work
- Collects, reviews, and analyzes data to contribute to better utilization of resources in such areas as risk management, program evaluation, infection control, utilization review, and staff development.
- Identifies and analyzes factors that contribute to inappropriate utilization of services, situations, or processes, and which promote or reduce optimum client care.
- May assess, review and evaluate reports or allegations of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or incidents which may impact a client's safety and well-being.
- Refers substantiated incidents or issues involving abuse and neglect to state or federal investigating or licensing agencies, police, protective services, or other agency for appropriate disposition.
- Reviews clinical and social service records, individual habilitation plans, treatment team functioning, and/or facility programs/services for compliance with policies, procedures, federal and state accreditation and professional standards, and other related standards for optimum clinical care.
- Participates as a member of the Quality Assurance Team in the analysis and evaluation of a variety of documents to identify problems and recommend appropriate changes including but not limited to the areas of:
- a) clinical necessity for admission/discharge b) necessity for extended stay c) clinical necessity for professional care/services rendered d) quality of care/services rendered e) timeliness of care/services rendered f) incident review and others (e.g. neglect and abuse)
- Reports findings and provides recommendations to the Quality Assurance Coordinator and quality assurance committees and/or administrative staff.
- Provides technical assistance and serves as resource person to various levels of staff, as needed.
- Assists in organizing and preparing for surveys by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, an Intermediate Care Facility Mental Retardation Committee, Medicaid, the Bureau of Standards and Inspections, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and other organizations which may conduct surveys.
- Identifies staff development needs and provides recommendations.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Experience
Four (4) years of experience as a Registered Nurse, one (1) year of which is specialized experience including the monitoring and/or evaluation of clinical or human services records and programs in a mental health, geriatric, health care setting, or human services agency.
License
A license as a Registered Nurse in the State of New Jersey.
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of quality assurance and utilization review principles and methods. Knowledge of the techniques used to gather, review and analyze data. Knowledge of the signs of inappropriate (e.g. neglect and abuse) or sub-standard patient care practices. Ability to interpret and apply division rules, regulations, and policies concerning care, treatment, and rehabilitation of clients in an institutional or community setting. Ability to comprehend and apply provisions, standards and regulations such as those of the Social Security Act, JCAH, and ICF/MR and the manuals of operational procedures and policies related to disability insurance provisions of the Act and Federal Social Security and related parts of New Jersey Public Law, and to comprehend, analyze, and interpret basic legislation, regulations, and procedures. Ability to analyze data collection forms, methods, procedures, techniques, and workflow in order to identify and resolve problems. Ability to comprehend and interpret information and data. Ability to arrive at sound and accurate judgmental decisions concerning areas involving interpretation. Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate, and informative reports. Ability to use, comprehend, and interpret descriptive and inferential statistics. Ability to maintain essential records and files. Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. This job specification is applicable to the following title code(s) which are different work week or work month and/or variants of the job class title: Job Spec Code State, Local or Common Class of Service Work Week State Class Code Local Class Code Salary Range
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. NOTE: Appointments may be made to positions requiring bilingual skills. - Bilingual in Spanish and English SPECIAL SKILL Applicants must be able to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in Spanish and English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. A Bachelor's degree, and three (3) years of specialized experience in the field of quality assurance in a mental health, geriatric, health care setting, or human services agency which includes monitoring and/or evaluation of clinical or human services records and programs which may include allegations of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or incidents of client abuse or safety and well-being, may be substituted for the above license and experience requirements. A Master's degree in Public Health or a health care related field may be substituted for one (1) year of indicated specialized experience. CCNL2628P26-Bilingual In Spanish And EnglishSCNL26N/AP26-SC4026N/AP27- This job specification is for government use only. Salary range is only applicable to state government. Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions. 9/30/2017