Economic Services Caseworker II Work First Government Job Dept-Social Services Full Time

General Statement of Duties

The primary purpose of the Service Intake Unit is to determine initial and ongoing eligibility for families in the program area of the Crisis Intervention Program, Low Income Energy Assistance Program, Emergency Assistance and Work First Program. The Service Intake Unit is also responsible for ensuring quality assurance in these programs and full adherence and compliance with policy and law.

The primary purpose of the Economic Services Caseworker is to effectively interview prospective applicants/recipients in order to assess the needs of the applicant or household unit, informing the applicant of the appropriate program requirements for current federal and state regulations, to take an application and process the application by correctly determining the initial eligibility, to maintain and apply changes for the authorized recipient/household, and to meet timely requirements for establishing and maintaining the ongoing eligibility for Medicaid services. Work involves direct contact with the customer or their representative in order to obtain and verify necessary information to determine eligibility. Employee’s decisions are subject to second and/or third-party review for thoroughness, accuracy, and application of policy regulations. If the employee’s decision is incorrect, it can result in a negative impact on the agency and the State’s error rate. Errors in work or failure to make timely decisions regarding the customer’s eligibility for benefits could deprive the customer of needed services and could impact revenues for the county.

Work Schedule:

Regular work hours for this position are Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M to 5:00 P.M. Occasionally, employee must work overtime due to increase workload or meeting needs of the customer. In the event of a disaster, employee will work rotating shifts at an Emergency Shelter.

Duties and Responsibilities/Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

Considerable knowledge of the program/areas of assignment. General knowledge of all agency and community programs and services which could affect the client/applicant. Good mathematical reasoning and computational skills. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret rules, regulations and procedures. Ability to communicate with clients/applicants, the public at large, and public officials to obtain data, and to explain and interpret rules, regulations and procedures. Ability to instruct and to evaluate the work of lower level employees. Ability to perform caseworker functions within structured time frames. Minimum Training and Experience Requirements – One year of experience as an Income Maintenance Caseworker; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. 45% Interviewing/Assessing-Interview is the main tool for gathering information and securing facts need to determine eligibility. The employee must be skilled in obtaining information through listening to the customer, assessing the answers, comparing for program requirements, formulating further questions, and recording the information accurately on the program interview tool. Employee must convey a genuine interest in the customer and their feelings. Interviews are generally conducted within the agency, by phone or mail. The prospective customer must be informed of his/her right to apply for any assistance program, be given the appropriate time standards for processing, and any necessary referrals if appropriate.

45% Determining Eligibility — The employee must verify information in order to correctly determine eligibility for the prospective customer at initial application, ongoing recipients during the redetermination process, occurring bi-annually or annually, and at times of changes. Examples of verifications include, but are not limited to, residence, identifications, various types of incomes, and resources. Computer matches assist with the process. The employee must take action to meet all appropriate timeframes when determining eligibility for applications, redeterminations, and/or changes. 9% Assisting Customers — Employee must continually assist with problems and concerns of the customer. Some issues are associated with the eligibility process and others arise when there is a crisis for housing, heating needs, or utilities. Employee will make appropriate referrals for such emergency needs. 50% Referral of Suspected Fraud — Employee is responsible for referring suspected fraud to the Program Integrity Caseworker. Cases may be referred based on reported misuse by the general public, information discovered through computer matches, changes reported by the client, or findings by Quality Assurance. 50% Appeals and Hearings — Employee must schedule and prepare a local hearing summary within five calendar days if a hearing or appeal is requested by the applicant/recipient or legal representative. Some agency actions may constitute a state hearing rather than a local hearing.

Desirable Education and Experience

One year of experience as an Income Maintenance Caseworker; or an equivalent combination

of training and experience.

***Salary depends on qualifications. ***In addition to annual salary, this job classification will be eligible for a $500 (taxable) hiring incentive. Policy requirements apply.***