New Job Program Specialist Ii (Child Welfare Services, Social Security And Child Support Specialist) Grade 21 In Maryland

Effective August 30, 2021, all new hires will be required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus prior to their first date of employment. Individuals who are unable to be vaccinated should contact [email protected] to discuss possible accommodations.

Montgomery County is located adjacent to Washington, DC and with over one million residents, is the most populous County in the State of Maryland. The County is also the most diverse County in the State and ranks among the top ten most diverse Counties in the nation. Montgomery County contains many major U.S. government offices, scientific research and learning centers, and business campuses.

The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for delivery of the County’s public health and human services that the needs of our community’s most vulnerable children, adults and seniors. The Department provides services through more than 120 programs at more than 20 locations. With 1,750 employees, the Department of Health and Human Services is the largest County Department.

As a Department, we believe health and wellness of the county can only be achieved by ensuring that every resident has fair opportunities to reach their fullest potential. This means access to quality housing, transportation, education, employment, health care, human services, safe neighborhoods and healthy food. HHS’ provides critical services for residents who face a variety of obstacles in achieving their full potential. HHS plays an essential role in building a healthy and strong community.

If you are interested in working for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Program Specialist II, Child Welfare Services position.

About the Position:

This position is located in the Department’s Child Welfare Services Unit. Child Welfare Services (CWS) provides protective, rehabilitative, and supportive services for children who are maltreated and for their families. CWS also provides supportive and financial help to relatives, foster parents, and adoptive parents. Investigations, protective services, kinship care, foster care, adoption, and in-home services are also provided through this program. In-Home/Family Preservation Services provide social services to families with children who are at risk of removal from home due to neglect or abuse. These services are provided by the County on behalf of the State of Maryland Department of Human Services.

The Program Specialist II functions as the Social Security and Child Support Specialist for the Child Welfare Services Unit. The position is also responsible for the processing of financial payments to agency vendors.

The Program Specialist II Duties and Responsibilities:

Social Security:

• Serve as liaison with the Social Security Administration and the State of Maryland’s Third-Party Representative (Contractor) for benefit processing;
• Determine Social Security eligibility for each foster care and kinship care child that interfaces with the Child Welfare Services system; and
• Remain knowledgeable and up to date to ensure appropriate application and compliance with all federal and state Social Security Survivor, SSDI, and SSI policies/procedures.

Child Support:

• Serve as liaison with Maryland Child Support Enforcement staff ;
• Interpret and implement policy related to Maryland Child Support Enforcement;
• Ensure Child Support Enforcement reporting requirements are met, timely;
• Conduct Child Support Enforcement database inquiries; and
• Serve as Child Welfare Services representative at Child Support hearings.

Financial Processing:

• Execute funding approval and process vendor payments involving CWS Superflex Funds, Independent Living Funds, HB669 operating funds, County general funds, and/or other unique funding arrangements, utilizing the MD Child Juvenile Adult Management System (CJAMS) and the County’s Oracle/ERP System. Resolve payment issues, including preparation of journal entry requests; and
• Maintain comprehensive and accurate case management and/or transaction records for assigned workload.

Selected candidates for this position will be subject to a pre-employment medical exam, drug and alcohol screening and a criminal history records check through the Maryland State Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Candidates will also be checked through the Maryland Registry for Child Abuse and Neglect and federal and state sex offender registries. Any applicant who fails the medical exam, background check or whose name appears on either of the registries may be disqualified from employment for this position.

Additional Employment Information

Effective August 30, 2021 all new hires will be required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus prior to their first date of employment. Individuals who are unable to be vaccinated should contact [email protected] to discuss possible accommodations.

OHR reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position/IRC.

Montgomery County Government is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email to [email protected] . Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

Montgomery County Government also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, please refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference .

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for interview.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Two (2) years of professional experience in determining eligibility for Federal, State, and/or local assistance programs.

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's Degree.

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

Preferred Criteria

There is no Preferred Criteria. All applicants will be reviewed by OHR for minimum qualifications. Those applicants who meet minimum qualifications will be rated Qualified, placed on the Eligible List, and may be considered for an interview.

Preference for interviews will be given to applicants with experience in the following:

• Experience with state/federal reimbursement programs (Title IV-E, Social Security, SSI, etc.).
• Experience with Eligibility & Enrollment System (E&E, formerly the Client Information Systems or CARES), State Verification Exchange System (SVES), Maryland Automated Benefits System (MABS), and/or Child Support Enforcement Administration (CSEA) System.
• Experience with creating/utilizing spreadsheets such as Excel to report financial data and use of financial databases to generate payments.
• Possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Effective time management, organizational and recordkeeping skills.
• Experience with handling extremely confidential information.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Minimum Salary 55771 Maximum Salary 92211 Currency USD