Human Service Worker III

About the role

This position serves as a senior-level eligibility worker and manages complex cases within the Public Assistance & Employment Services Division. Telework eligible up to 60% of the work week after the first 30 days of employment. The role performs comprehensive assessment of medical and financial needs to ensure clients’ needs are met, conducts in-depth phone interviews to determine initial and ongoing eligibility for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, General Relief, and/or Refugee Cash Assistance programs, and applies, explains, and interprets complex federal, state, and local policies to clients, service providers, the public, and other interested parties.

Responsibilities

• Maintains knowledge of current public assistance and employment policies and applies, explains, and interprets complex federal, state, and local policies to clients, service providers, attorneys, the public, and other interested parties.
• Conducts in-depth interviews of clients to determine and reassess eligibility for financial, publicly supported medical services and/or medical public assistance programs.
• Performs client needs assessment to aid in making appropriate referrals to other services.
• Works with clients to assist with gathering of information necessary to establish eligibility.
• Compiles and maintains data and documents and may prepare written narratives to support eligibility determinations.
• Ensures timely processing of applications to meet client needs and program policy mandates.
• Authorizes public assistance (e.g., medical aid, financial assistance, food stamps) based on client circumstances and public assistance program requirements.
• Uses various forms of automated technology to document, obtain, and verify information, to generate reports, and to authorize benefits and services for clients, service providers, attorneys, the public, and other interested parties.
• Assists clients in obtaining the resources necessary to meet emergency needs.
• Assists the supervisor with duties that may include training, coaching, and reviewing the work of less experienced staff.
• Serves as policy expert in one or more program areas, providing guidance, direction, and information to other staff.
• Assists in the development of service strategies.
• Works in a fast-paced environment with multiple deadlines, high caseloads, and competing priorities.
• Identifies gaps in service delivery and participates in activities designed to improve overall efficiency for the division.
• Provides unit coverage as needed on behalf of the supervisor.
• Uses complex state and local IT systems as well as Microsoft Office Suite applications (Word, Excel, and Outlook) in daily work.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of social, economic, health, and cultural factors that can serve as barriers to employment.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and policies governing public assistance and welfare reform.
• Ability to read, interpret, and apply complex program policies and procedures.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to schedule and manage workload sufficient to meet deadlines.
• Ability to use automated technology to establish and maintain case records.
• Ability to handle multiple deadlines, computer systems, high volume of client contact, high caseloads, and competing priorities.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, co-workers, and other human service providers.
• Ability to work effectively with people under stress and those from various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to maintain professional ethics related to confidentiality of client information.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service.
• Ability to work in a team environment.
• Ability to maintain flexibility.
• Ability to manage a complex caseload.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree plus two years of human services or related professional work experience.

Contingent upon the area of assignment, some positions within this class may require specific certification(s) prior to employment and/or the ability to acquire necessary certification(s) within a specified time period following employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least 2–5 years of current experience determining eligibility for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, General Relief, and/or Refugee Cash Assistance programs in the state of Virginia or another state.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws governing eligibility for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, General Relief, and/or Refugee Cash Assistance programs and the ability to apply them correctly.
• Demonstrated experience training and reviewing the work of less experienced staff determining eligibility for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, General Relief, and/or Refugee Cash Assistance programs.
• Experience and proficiency in working in Systems Partnering In a Demographic Repository (SPIDeR), Virginia Case Management System (VaCMS), Open Text, and Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS).
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office Suite applications (Word, Excel, and Outlook).
• Concise oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to access and evaluate data to ensure that established deadlines are met.
• Ability to prioritize multiple and varied tasks.
• Proven skills in providing excellent customer service.
• Ability to resolve conflicts and to think independently.
• Exhibits strong leadership skills.
• Ability to provide a positive and professional example for the team.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to input, access, and retrieve information from a computer.
• Ability to perform repetitive hand, arm, wrist, and shoulder movements.
• All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.