Human Services Assistant III

Virginia Department of Social Services•Bowling Green, VA

1d•$40,879 - $45,000

About The Position

Human Services Assistant III is the specialist level in the Human Services Assistants occupational group. Employees serve as the initial point of contact for clients seeking benefits and/or services and screen clients for eligibility. The role differs from Human Services Assistant II by serving as a screener and initial point of contact for clients seeking benefits and/or services. The work includes interviewing clients and applicants, explaining programs and eligibility requirements, helping with applications, researching and verifying information, maintaining documentation logs, coordinating appointments, responding to routine questions, making referrals, and coordinating resources. Depending on the program assignment, duties may also include managing adult-services provider requirements and budgets, supporting benefit programs and hearings, assisting with foster-care adoption searches and reporting, or helping employment-services participants with resumes, referrals, clothing resources, and career-exploration activities.

Requirements

High school diploma supplemented with post-secondary coursework in social work, human services, gerontology, social or behavioral sciences, business, or a related field, and relevant work experience in public administrative support work; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
Considerable knowledge of customer and personal service principles, English language structure and usage, and administrative and clerical procedures and systems, including word processing, spreadsheets, records management, and office terminology.
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; maintain working relationships and coordinate activities; accept direction and follow procedures; counsel others; organize and prepare information from records and reports in appropriate formats; and use interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills.
Ability to create forms, charts, and graphs; perform arithmetic and calculate rates, ratios, and percentages; draw and interpret bar graphs; make screening decisions based on specific criteria; read and interpret documents; and conduct effective face-to-face and telephone interviews.

Responsibilities

Screen clients for benefits and services.
Interview clients and applicants; explain programs, services, policies, procedures, and general eligibility requirements.
Assist clients with applications and perform initial application screening.
Evaluate and approve agency providers.
Research databases to obtain or verify information needed to process applications.
Serve as the initial point of contact for applicants and provide information and referrals to clients seeking services.
Maintain logs of client documentation received.
Schedule and coordinate appointments with benefits, employment, or services staff.
Contact clients for requested or needed information and respond to routine questions in person, by email, or by telephone.
Analyze client needs, coordinate resources to support families and clients, and generate payments for services when appropriate.
For Adult Services/Adult Protective Services assignments: manage provider program requirements, interview clients and assess emergency needs, manage the voucher system, facilitate adult placements, prepare statistical reports, verify provider timesheets, review expenditures, and prepare, process, and reconcile program budgets.
For Benefit Programs assignments: attend and testify at administrative hearings, prepare reports and statistics, and assist with orientation and training of new staff.
For Foster Care assignments: conduct adoption searches and make initial contact when a match is found, assist with subsidy billings and payments, prepare financial and statistical forms and reports, case documentation, and court reports, assist with supervised visitation, and coordinate special-event programs.
For Employment Services assignments: help participants write resumes, follow up on ancillary-agency referrals, debrief participants removed from Work Net classes, locate interview-clothing resources and help participants make clothing choices, and accompany participants on educational or career-exploration field trips.