Human Services Assistant III

Virginia Department of Social Services•Rocky Mount, VA

About The Position

Human Services Assistant III is an administrative position that assists assigned units or the agency as requested by the Director. Employees serve as an initial point of contact for employees, clients, and applicants. Duties vary according to the assigned unit or workload and include screening clients for benefits and services, interviewing clients and applicants, explaining programs and eligibility requirements, assisting with applications, making referrals, researching and verifying information, maintaining documentation logs, and coordinating appointments and resources. The position may independently manage provider program requirements, assess emergency needs, administer vouchers, facilitate placements in adult living facilities, verify provider timesheets, review expenditures, and prepare or reconcile budgets. Other duties include preparing statistical, financial, case, and court reports; attending and testifying at administrative hearings; assisting with staff orientation and training; supporting client placement and adoption searches; assisting with subsidy billings and payments; coordinating supervised visitation and special events; helping participants with employment and housing applications; following up on referrals; locating resources; transporting clients to appointments when necessary; and taking participants on educational or career exploration field trips. The role requires knowledge of customer service, English, office administration, human behavior, program eligibility, and community resources; skill with office equipment and computer applications; and the ability to communicate, organize work, maintain relationships, counsel clients, make screening decisions, conduct interviews, and prepare records and reports.

Requirements

High school diploma supplemented with postsecondary coursework in social work, human services, gerontology, social or behavioral sciences, business, or a related field, and relevant work experience in public administrative support; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
Considerable knowledge of customer and personal service principles and processes, English language structure and usage, and administrative and clerical procedures and systems.
Working knowledge of human behavior and performance, individual differences, learning and motivation, mathematics and research methods, assigned program eligibility requirements, and available community resources.
Some knowledge of laws, regulations, requirements, and policies governing local, state, and federal social, assistance, and housing programs.
Skill operating automated office equipment, including a calculator and fax/copier, and using computer-driven word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, and file-maintenance programs.
Ability to communicate effectively with program participants; plan, organize, and prioritize work; establish working relationships and coordinate activities; accept direction and follow procedures; and counsel others.
Ability to organize and prepare records, reports, and other documents in appropriate formats; demonstrate interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills; and create forms, charts, and graphs.
Ability to perform basic arithmetic and calculate rates, ratios, and percentages, and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Ability to make screening decisions based on specified criteria, read and interpret documents, and conduct effective face-to-face and telephone interviews.

Responsibilities

Screen clients and applicants for benefits and services, interview them, explain programs and eligibility requirements, and assist with applications.
Provide information, perform initial application screening, make service referrals, research databases, verify information, and maintain logs of client documentation.
Schedule and coordinate client appointments; contact clients for information and respond to routine questions in person, by email, or by telephone.
Analyze client needs and coordinate resources, including generating service payments when appropriate.
Manage provider program requirements, assess emergency needs, administer voucher systems, and prepare vouchers for ongoing expenditures.
Facilitate placement of adults in Adult Living Facilities and send placement packets; locate families, fictive kin, or others for placement and complete required paperwork.
Create statistical reports; verify In-Home Provider timesheets; review expenditures; research operational cost effectiveness; and prepare, process, and reconcile program budgets.
Attend and testify at administrative hearings and prepare periodic, special, financial, statistical, case, and court reports.
Assist with orientation and training of new staff.
Conduct adoption searches using records and other sources and make initial contact when a match is found; assist with subsidy billings and payments.
Assist in conducting supervised visitation and coordinate special event programs and unit events.
Help participants write resumes and complete job or apartment applications; follow up on referrals to partner agencies, vendors, and government entities.
Locate appropriate interview clothing resources and assist clients with clothing choices, including accompanying them to shops or helping them online.
Drive clients to needed appointments or other destinations when necessary and take participants on educational or career exploration field trips.