INCOME MAINTENANCE CASEWORKER III - (ADULT MEDICAID)

Durham County Government is home to over 2,000 dedicated professionals working together to deliver essential services that strengthen and support our vibrant, diverse community. As the heart of a fast-growing region, we offer meaningful careers across a wide range of fields—giving you the opportunity to make a real impact where you live, work, grow, and play.

About the role

Employees in this class are responsible for serving in maintenance roles in a County Department of Social Services. The income maintenance programs involved include Food Stamps, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Medicaid, and County Special Assistance. Employees serve in one of the following roles:

• As lead worker over II level income maintenance caseworkers or as lead worker over a unit of a single program area which performs all functions (i.e., intake, processing, and review). Work may also include performing the same eligibility determination functions as the Income Maintenance Caseworker I and/or II. Employees are required to spend at least 25 percent of their time in a lead worker capacity.
• Performing a wide range of tasks in the eligibility determination/redetermination process which require an in-depth knowledge of all income maintenance programs and functional processes. Work also involves resolving client appeals of actions taken by income maintenance caseworkers, analyzing program-wide problem areas including recommendations for corrective action, and training new and transitional employees for specialized programs (i.e., LIEAP).
• Functioning with a great deal of independence in a hospital or medical setting with the responsibility for performing a variety of complex tasks and functions in the Medicaid programs, including performing two or more functions in the long-term care programs. Employees assume responsibility for resolving complex problems where the consequence of their action can have a considerable effect on the client, the medical institution, and/or the agency. Employees are viewed by the medical institution's administrative staff as the primary contact for problem resolution.

The primary purpose of this position is to take and process Adult Medicaid applications for Durham County residents. The incumbent will work with clients by gathering information through an interview process for the purpose of determining applicant/client eligibility. In addition, they will inform the client of their rights and obligations as prescribed under program policies. Applications taken and processed or assigned to and processed by this position are randomly selected, pulled, and checked for accuracy and timeliness by the Supervisor/Lead Worker and state personnel. The incumbent prepares and presents the summary of the agency’s evidence for any local or state appeal hearing resulting from case actions taken by this position. The incumbent may be assigned other duties in other program work areas as needed.

Responsibilities

The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this position. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the position as necessary.

• As lead worker over II level income maintenance caseworkers, employees must be thoroughly familiar with all functional aspects required to properly process the applications of clients applying for benefits. Employees must be knowledgeable enough to advise and counsel lower-level staff on policies and regulations of the income maintenance program(s) which affect the more complex cases. Work also requires the provision of training to lower-level staff in new program policy directives as well as the completion of second-party reviews in the work unit assigned.
• As a troubleshooter in a large agency, employees' work is characterized by the level of program and procedural knowledge required to work effectively in any line staff position assigned, which includes all income maintenance programs and all functions. Employees act as a hearing officer in resolving client appeals of action taken by income maintenance workers and must be proficient in the analysis of program-wide problem areas which include recommendations for corrective action. Work also includes providing training for new and transitional employees.
• As a hospital/medical setting worker, employees are responsible for determining and/or re-determining client eligibility for the Medicaid programs with particular expertise in the Medicaid long-term care programs. Work also requires the taking and/or processing of client applications for all other income maintenance programs and the provision of technical expertise to hospital administrators and professional staff on issues impacting client eligibility for medical assistance as provided by the Medicaid programs.

Requirements

• Two years of experience as an Income Maintenance Caseworker; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Candidates will be required to pass NC FAST certification upon hire.
• This position may be required to work in the office and remotely.
• This position may be subject to a background check, which could include, but is not limited to, criminal history (employment-related and/or SBI fingerprint-based), credit history, motor vehicle records, educational verification, and checks of the sexual offender registry, depending on the specific requirements of the role. A conviction record does not automatically disqualify an applicant from employment consideration, unless otherwise required by applicable state law.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three years or more of direct experience working in Adult Medicaid in local or State Department of Social Services.
• Direct Adult Medicaid experience.
• A degree from an accredited college or university.
• An associate's degree in accounting, business administration, human services, secretarial science, or a closely related field and at least two years of paraprofessional, clerical, or other public contact experience which includes negotiating, interviewing, obtaining, analyzing, and/or evaluating data.
• A high school diploma and at least five years of paraprofessional, clerical, or other public contact experience which includes negotiating, interviewing, obtaining, analyzing, and/or evaluating data.

Skills

• Considerable knowledge of NC FAST and Social Service programs, specifically Adult Medicaid.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret rules, regulations, and procedures.
• Ability to research, analyze, and interpret automated system problems.
• 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 perform caseworker functions within structured time frames.
• Ability to work under pressure and handle multiple tasks.
• Thorough knowledge of the income maintenance program assigned (i.e., Medicaid).
• Considerable knowledge of all agency and community programs and services which could affect the client/applicant.
• General knowledge of all income maintenance programs.
• Good mathematical reasoning and computational skills.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret a variety of regulations, policies, and procedures of varying complexity.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize work.
• Ability to instruct and evaluate the work of lower-level employees.
• Ability to train employees in new and existing rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.

Pay

Hiring range: $49,262.00 - $66,474.00. This position is eligible for a tiered $4,000.00 critical position bonus.

Schedule

Full-time, non-exempt. Open until filled.