ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION SPECIALIST - 09082026- 80793

Location: Cookeville, TN – Department of Human Services, Putnam County (on‑site position). This role requires a criminal background check.

Pay

Monthly: $3,229.00 – $4,041.00
Annual: $38,748.00 – $48,492.00

Schedule

Full‑Time

Overview

This classification learns to perform eligibility determination work of average difficulty. The employee is customer‑facing, interviewing customers and determining eligibility for SNAP and TANF programs. Work is performed at the learning level under direct supervision and differs from the Eligibility Counselor 2, which functions at the working level. After a mandatory one‑year training period, successful incumbents are reclassified to Eligibility Counselor 2; unsatisfactory performance during training results in demotion or termination.

Responsibilities

• Manage a workload of initial and ongoing eligibility determinations for SNAP and TANF programs, conducting probing interviews with customers by phone or in person.
• Provide case management for initial eligibility, ongoing eligibility, and customer changes, assessing impact on continued eligibility.
• Calculate monthly income and expenses to ensure accurate budgeting.
• Document verifications, benefits, services, and case activity using a computerized case record and/or paper files.
• Ensure accurate receipt of entitled benefits by reviewing, verifying, and utilizing data from customers and multiple electronic systems while maintaining confidentiality.
• Assist customers with the application process and schedule appointments.
• Review and interpret program policy, explaining eligibility and ongoing responsibilities to ensure customer understanding.
• Assess customers' strengths, goals, desired outcomes, work activities, and supportive services to aid self‑sufficiency.
• Identify and refer customers to additional benefits and services within the Department or from external sources.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with vendors and outside organizations to obtain information, promote programs, and identify available services.

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree required. Substitution of experience for education is allowed on a year‑for‑year basis with qualifying full‑time professional eligibility determination experience or a combination of para‑professional experience as an Eligibility Assistant or State contractor. Alternatively, two years of full‑time para‑professional experience as an Eligibility Assistant or State contractor may be substituted.

Special Qualifications:

• Complete a criminal history disclosure form approved by the appointing authority.
• Agree to release all records involving criminal history to the appointing authority.
• Supply a fingerprint sample as prescribed by the TBI‑based criminal history records clerk.

Competencies

• Tech Savvy
• Decision Quality
• Optimizes Work Processes
• Communicates Effectively
• Instills Trust
• Customer and Personal Language Knowledge
• English Language Skills
• Mathematics
• Active Learning and Listening
• Complex Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Problem Sensitivity
• Written Comprehension

Tools & Equipment

• General Office Equipment
• Computer/Laptop/Tablet
• Multifunctional Printer (Print/Scan/Fax/Copy)
• Calculator