SMP empowers and assists Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education. SMP Peer Advocates primarily include senior center members who routinely participate in senior center meals and activities.
Rocky Aging builds the expertise of SMP Peer Advocates so they are able to respond quickly and accurately to questions and concerns regarding SMP from their peers. The SMP Peer Advocates connect their peers with Rocky Aging Medicare Counselors. While the focus of SMP is Medicare fraud, this program additionally addresses conversations with older adults and people with disabilities about all fraud.
Training:
- The SMP Peer advocate will read and apply the SMP Foundations Volunteer Manual.
- The Program Coordinator provides introductory and ongoing one-on-one and group trainings regarding SMP.
- The Program Coordinator provides optional trainings by inviting SMP Peer Advocates to attend webinars and providing access to CareShare, the SMP monthly newsletter.
Job Duties:
Present once or twice a year on SMP at the senior center.
- Discuss SMP with Medicare beneficiaries.
- Keep a log of the dates, times, locations, and number of participants of presentations and discussions.
- Build a culture of SMP awareness and healthy relationships with peers participating in senior center meals and activities.
- Provide SMP outreach materials to senior centers and senior center participants.
- Collect email addresses or mailing addresses from individuals who would like to receive the CareShares.
- Refer peers to Rocky Aging staff with additional questions about fraud or their Medicare plans.
Requirements:
The SMP Peer Advocate:
- Must be an active member of a senior center or be willing to participate in a senior center on a regular basis.
- Must exercise sound judgement by referring peers to Rocky Aging Medicare Counselors, taking care to operate within reasonable and necessary boundaries.
- Must have compassion, patience, and empathy for any individual dealing with a scam.
- Must have good social and collaborative skills.
- Must pay attention to detail in reporting work.
- Must stay in touch with Program Coordinator via email so that SMP Peer Advocates are aware of the latest scam alerts.
Contact: Dana Reavis
Phone: (406) 603-4157
Email: dreavis@rmdc.net
