Family Support Educator- South Texas

Role Summary

Family Support Educator for the South Texas region (Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio areas). You will empower families affected by Rett syndrome by providing field-based education and support throughout the treatment journey. As the primary contact for caregivers, you’ll deliver on-label clinical education, explain disease state and therapy options, and engage with families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to foster understanding and confidence so patients can start and stay on therapy while receiving the care and support they deserve.

Responsibilities

• Provide disease-state, product, and ongoing therapy management education upon request, in consumer-friendly language to the Rett community, which may include patients, caregivers, and/or other care team members. Caregiver engagement may take place before, during, and after therapy initiation, through various formats, including in-person, telephonic, and/or virtual interactions.
• Determine individual needs of patients and caregivers, and serve as an ongoing resource to provide appropriate education and resources accordingly, throughout the various stages of the patient journey.
• Collaborates with and provides support for the entire assigned territory, which consists of multiple internal cross-functional partners (Marketing, Sales, Patient Access Team, Medical Affairs, Advocacy, and others), and may require coverage of multiple states. Supports and communicates educational opportunities with cross functional partners, as appropriate.
• Possess expert knowledge and provide insights to internal stakeholders including, but limited to, training leads, marketing partners, advocacy, medical and leadership, in an effort to develop tools and resources to address educational gaps, enhance disease state education, and therapy management strategies to patient families/caregivers.
• Demonstrate deep knowledge of disease state, product, and Acadia Customer Support Programs, such as Hub-related and Patient Assistance Programs, and ambassador speaker programs, etc.
• May moderate, lead and present caregiver speaker programs as needed, and attend community events within assigned territory.
• Provide in-service to physician offices reactively, to educate about the Family Support Educator role, patient support resources provided to caregivers, pre and post enrollment in the program, and foster a dialogue between caregivers and healthcare providers.
• Identify and execute on opportunities to provide leadership within the Family Support Educator team and with cross functional partners.
• May provide formal mentorship and/or development opportunities with new Family Support Educator team members, and/or to cross functional colleagues interested in Patient Support Services.
• Identify training and development opportunities related to Patient Support Services and the broader organization.
• Ensures that all actions, both internally and externally, working on Acadia’s behalf are in compliance with all laws, regulations, policies and demonstrates Acadia values.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required, with an emphasis in life sciences preferred. RN, MSN, MBA is a plus.
• Experience (Family Support Educator): 5+ years of relevant healthcare or pharmaceutical experience, including at least 2 years in patient support or education. Clinical backgrounds such as hospital nursing, social work, or patient advocacy within rare or neurological disease areas may be considered equivalent.
• Experience (Senior Family Support Educator): 8+ years of relevant healthcare or pharmaceutical experience, including at least 5 years in patient support or education. Clinical backgrounds such as nursing, social work, patient advocacy, or tenure within a specialty area (e.g., rare disease, neurology, pediatrics) may be considered equivalent to industry experience.
• Preferred: Rare Disease, Product Launch, Advocacy, Medicaid and Medicare expertise strongly preferred with a strong background and understanding of field environment in healthcare industry.
• Other: Equivalent combination of relevant education and applicable job experience may be considered.
• Must possess: Rare Disease experience strongly preferred
• Must possess: Experienced in patient/caregiver education strongly preferred
• Must possess: Account Management experience preferred
• Must possess: Advocacy experience preferred
• Must possess: Strong background and understanding of field environment in healthcare industry
• Must possess: Strong history of successful cross functional collaboration
• Must possess: Demonstrated success in leading without authority
• Must possess: Experience working with provider offices such as a physician practice, patient assistance programs, or similar pharmaceutical support program strongly preferred
• Must possess: Must display a patient-centric mentality with a high degree of emotional intelligence and empathy
• Must possess: Empathetic listening skills in order to interact effectively with customers
• Must possess: Exceptional organizational and time management skills
• Must possess: Understand HIPAA rules and regulations related to patient privacy
• Must possess: Must possess strong written and verbal communications as well as presentation skills
• Must possess: Excellent computer skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Office products including Outlook, Excel, Word and Power Point
• Must possess: Ability to manage expenses within allocated budgets
• Must possess: Adaptable and open to an environment of change
• Must possess: Must be a fast learner, flexible, able to work independently, and able adjust
• Must possess: Strong enthusiasm with a drive to succeed within a team
• Must possess: Ability to travel up to 70%, depending on territory
• Must possess: Employee must be able to meet all additional local, state, and federal vaccination requirements for conducting in-person field coaching days, customer visits, admittance into local Community HCP Offices, as well as for attendance at Medical Congresses and Local Conferences for in person participation and exhibiting.

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communications, with strong presentation skills
• Empathetic listening and a patient-centric mindset with high emotional intelligence
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Ability to manage expenses within budgets; adaptable to changing environments
• Fast learner, able to work independently and adjust

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; emphasis in life sciences preferred; RN, MSN, MBA a plus

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 70% depending on territory
• Physical demands: Regular standing, walking, and sitting; use of hands for handling or operating equipment; may reach, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch; ability to lift up to 20 pounds; travel overnight and/or after hours as required by travel schedule or business needs.
• Vaccination requirements for conducting in-person field coaching days, customer visits, and attendance at Medical Congresses and Local Conferences.