Economic Support Specialist

Outagamie County • Appleton, WI

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Economic Support Specialist establishes eligibility for Economic Support Programs in accordance with policy. The role manages a caseload of 500 or more cases involving adults, children, and families, and requires handling multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. The position allows telecommuting up to 60% of the time. New specialists attend approximately 6–8 weeks of virtual, state-sponsored training, with support, coaching, resources, and practice from Staff Development Specialists during training.

The specialist determines and authorizes benefits across programs such as Medicaid, BadgerCare Plus, FoodShare, and Child Care Subsidies; interviews customers and legal representatives; processes changes affecting eligibility; and ensures required verification and timely priority benefits. The position also involves coordinating with other service providers, investigating possible benefit issuance errors, referring cases as appropriate, maintaining confidentiality and performance standards, and representing the State and Outagamie County Health and Human Services at administrative hearings.

This is a benefit-eligible position. Outagamie County offers benefit options and paid time off to team members who work 20 or more hours per week. The County states its commitment to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive community and workforce and is an equal-opportunity employer that provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field; or an associate’s degree in a related field and two years of related experience; or successful completion of training required for an Economic Support Specialist or another position determining eligibility for Health Care, FoodShare, or Child Care, with demonstrated ability to successfully manage an economic support/income maintenance caseload.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with customers who have limited reading, writing, or speaking ability.
• Ability to comprehend and interpret complex policy and procedure manuals and legal, medical, and financial documents, and to communicate with professionals such as attorneys, social workers, and legal representatives.
• Ability to be flexible and responsive as demands change, work independently, and contribute positively as a team member.
• Ability to adhere to professional ethics and standards.
• Ability to be organized, dependable, and accurate.
• Ability to use call center software and equipment and operate office equipment including a computer, calculator, telephone, scanner, and fax machine.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, and calculate decimals and percentages.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt quickly to change, use critical thinking, and manage time effectively.

Nice To Haves

• Spanish and/or Hmong bilingual skills.

Responsibilities

• Determine eligibility for Medicaid, BadgerCare Plus, FoodShare, Child Care Subsidies, and other related programs.
• Ensure priority benefits are issued on time and manually determine eligibility for non-automated programs.
• Manage a caseload of 500 or more cases involving adults, children, and families.
• Conduct interactive, investigative interviews with customers and/or their legal representatives; determine accurate benefits; authorize benefit issuance; process changes affecting eligibility; and assemble required verification.
• Coordinate with child support specialists on paternity establishment and child support enforcement, and explain good-cause criteria for non-cooperation with child support enforcement.
• Coordinate with social workers and the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) to help ensure customer needs are met.
• As a mandatory reporter, contact the appropriate agency if abuse or neglect is suspected or witnessed.
• Refer customers who are ineligible for Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus to the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM).
• Investigate potential over- or under-issuance when conflicting information is received, calculate the amount, and generate notices describing repayment responsibilities.
• Refer cases to the Fraud unit when applicant or recipient information is questionable.
• Meet agency, consortium, and state performance requirements, including timely case processing and call-answer standards, and keep FoodShare error rates below the state threshold.
• Follow mandated client confidentiality rules.
• Navigate systems and databases including CARES/CARES Worker Web (CWW), Electronic Case File (ECF), Child Care Statewide Administration (CSAW), Benefit Recovery Investigation System (BRITS), and Genesys Cloud.
• Review and interpret complex documents, including tax forms, wills and trusts, insurance and annuity documents, legal affidavits, child support and placement court orders, and financial aid awards.
• Represent the State and Outagamie County Health and Human Services at hearings by preparing case details, collecting evidence, and testifying before an Administrative Law Judge.
• Assist in planning, developing, and evaluating the agency’s needs.

Benefits

• Benefit-eligible position.
• Benefit options and paid time off for team members working 20 or more hours per week.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time