Disability Claims Adjudicator

State of Maine•Winthrop, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position allows for partial telework with management approval. Currently, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or STEM OPT extensions. Are you interested in a career in Public Service and assisting some of Maine’s most vulnerable? Do you enjoy complex, fast-paced work with a high degree of independence? Do you want to be part of a growing team and positive work culture? Maine Disability Determination Services is hiring! DDS provides disability decisions for Social Security Disability Benefits. As a Disability Claims Adjudicator, you request and research prior medical records, collaborate with in-house Doctors and Psychologists around functional limitations, conduct vocational work analyses, and ultimately make disability determinations for the Social Security Administration. Good candidates will have a dedication to public service, the ability to learn quickly and manage different and complex tasks efficiently and display a collaborative approach with excellent and compassionate customer service. In-depth training will be provided and a remote option for up to 3 days a week is available after the first 8-12 months. On-going staff development available as well as the ability to collaborate with many state, local, and federal partners.

Requirements

Intermediate education, training, and/or experience in a field involving research, investigation, data analysis, and/or development of comprehensive reports.
Candidates are required to have identification that is “REAL ID” compliant.
Your conditional job offer, and access to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) system, data, information, and/or premises are contingent upon you passing the SSA suitability process.
This covers the preliminary screening (pre-screen) and the final background adjudication stage of the suitability process.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with SSA disability policies and procedures
Successful experience in managing large individual caseloads
Ability to work in a production environment with quality and processing speed goals.
Sensitivity to the needs of the public and customer focus.
Ability to communicate effectively and work cooperatively through phone, email, video-conferencing, and other communication technologies.
Has demonstrated skills of time management, attention to details, problem solving and analysis
Ability to learn complex medical information, vocational policies, and ongoing technologies.

Responsibilities

Determine eligibility for disability benefits according to federal regulations, and complete written disability determinations in order to provide assistance.
Contact claimants, treating providers, and other approved contacts as needed in order to obtain medical and vocational evidence.
Determine eligibility for advanced payments for claimants with severe disabilities in order to provide immediate aid to those eligible.
Recognize and initiate steps to resolve discrepancies found within the various disability application forms. Involve the appropriate Social Security office as needed to resolve issues.
Collect, review, examine, summarize, and analyze medical and psychiatric records.
Review case-specific vocational information and complete vocational assessment per Social Security policy.
Authorize and arrange for medical and psychiatric consultative examinations in order to comply with program requirements.
Write detailed letters to claimants, medical consultants, and state and federal agencies in order to request information and inform claimants of the reasons and results of disability decisions.
Assign codes to written decisions in order to develop and maintain statistical data.
Perform additional special duties as assigned, such as quality assurance, mentoring, training, professional relations activities, processing Canadian claims, and other special projects in order to meet division needs.

Benefits

13 paid holidays
3+ weeks of vacation leave annually
12 days of sick leave per year
Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($12,213.60 - $13,650.48 annual value) , depending on salary.
Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%.
Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value).
Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 14.06% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
Gym Membership Reimbursement – up to $40 per month
Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness
Living Resources Program – employee assistance program
Six weeks of fully paid parental leave for all employees welcoming a child—including non-birthing and adoptive parents.
Voluntary Deferred Compensation – MaineSaves 457(b) account