Senior Human Services Benefits Program Specialist

Virginia Department of Social Services•Alexandria, VA

23h

About The Position

The City of Alexandria is bordered by Washington D.C. and the Potomac River, Arlington and Fairfax counties, and Maryland. The small city has a cosmopolitan feel with 150,000 people living within its 15.75 square miles. At the Department of Community and Human Services, we provide essential safety net services to help city residents enjoy a sense of well-being, safety and self-sufficiency. Our behavioral health programs provide compassionate services that support self-determination and recovery. The beauty of our diverse and resilient people and our commitment to race and social equity, coupled with a historic district dating to 1749, charming waterfront, vibrant arts community and unique places for foodies and shopping, make the City of Alexandria a uniquely wonderful place to live, work and play. We invite all qualified candidates to learn more and apply for our Senior Human Services Benefits Program Specialist position. Benefit Programs Specialist III represents the advanced level in the occupational group. Employees are assigned advanced technical functions or projects that require considerable knowledge of all public assistance functions such as fraud or quality control case review. Employees in this class conduct the initial and ongoing eligibility determinations requiring advanced program knowledge, or provide quality control by examining cases completed by other eligibility workers for accuracy and uniformity. Work is performed independently in accordance with well-established guidelines and standards. The most complex situations are reviewed with the supervisor. The Benefit Programs Specialist III is distinguished from the Benefit Programs Specialist IV by the latter’s serving as a lead worker, providing guidance to other specialists, and supporting the supervisor by ensuring staff coverage, reviewing cases, and providing back-up supervision as required. General Statement of Duties: The Senior Human Services Benefits Program Specialist is responsible for reading new and renewal cases to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and policy/procedural application, which also includes evaluating staff knowledge of all programs. The incumbent performs difficult professional and technical work involving case reading of the determination or re-determination of the eligibility of individuals for Federal, State, and Local financial or medical assistance programs. This includes all programs, including Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, and General Relief and Refugee Assistance for which the individual may apply or qualify. The incumbent works within established policies, procedures, and guidelines with a high degree of independence, seeking supervisory assistance in complicated situations. Delivers state-provided training on benefit programs to new and existing staff, including the Virginia Case Management System (VaCMS), SNAP, Medical Assistance, and TANF, as well as other staff development initiatives. Develops and implements evaluative tools to identify knowledge gaps and assess the effectiveness of training, supporting continuous improvement and adherence to program requirements. This is a leadership position and provides coverage in the absence of the Supervisor. The distinguishing feature between the classes of Human Services Benefits Program Specialists is the complexity of work performed and the leadership responsibilities.

Requirements

Some experience in benefit programs, use of computer software and hardware, and completion of required Benefit Programs training OR any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
Considerable knowledge of applicable laws, codes, policies, and procedures related to public assistance programs
Considerable knowledge of financial assistance programs sufficient to determine benefits eligibility.
Skill in operating a personal computer and the associated office and agency software.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex cases
Demonstrated ability to read and interpret public policies and regulations sufficient to make decisions independently in a variety of public assistance program
Demonstrated ability to train staff
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and diplomatically both orally and in writing with broad spectrum of individuals to include, but not limited to, customers, employers, courts, and medical professionals in person and on the phone
Demonstrated ability to interview, gather information, re-evaluate each client’s situation, and make referrals
Demonstrated ability to identify customers’ needs and explore options to address these needs within the available community resources.

Nice To Haves

Four-Year College Degree with successful completion of college-level courses in social work, sociology, psychology or related field.
Extensive experience beyond entry-level in eligibility determination; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
Proficient in Virginia Social Services applications such as ADAPT, MMIS, and VaCMS.
Extensive knowledge of all the State of Virginia’s Benefits Programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Energy, Long-Term Care (LTC), and Medicaid Expansion.
Some direct knowledge and experience in management, direction, and supervision of others, training in program areas to other employees, human behavior, and motivational theory.

Responsibilities

Serves as a senior-level eligibility worker with the primary function of reading and reviewing cases for both new and experienced Human Services Workers.
Provides training to new and existing staff on policies and systems related to (VaCMS), SNAP, Medical Assistance, and TANF
Stays current in related policy/guidance, current issues and innovations in local agency practices and trends, and new training industry practices and interprets local, State and Federal policies and data to ensure accurate case processing
Conducts in-depth case reviews of workers processing applications for state and local financial and/or medical assistance programs.
Ensure that cases meet compliance and are processed within federal, state, and local policy guidelines and procedures for initial and continuing eligibility for assistance.
Identifies and assists with training on quality deficiencies and issues affecting compliance, including policy-related matters and VACMS contributory factors.
Reviews casework of Benefit Programs Specialist ll.
Assist with preparing cases for federal, state, and local audits.
Determines timeliness and accuracy of the agency’s issuance of benefits following state and federal laws and policies.
Reviews case actions from a random sample based on accurate interpretation of local, state, and federal policies.
Reviews all points of the eligibility determination process and document findings.
Completes a monthly report on findings, compiles and submits review guides to the supervisors.
Maintains expert knowledge of current policies, laws, and trends.
Works closely with the trainers and quality control for consistency of policy interpretation and application, use of workflow, and the development of effective training materials.
Provides the highest quality of training and assistance to participants while maintaining a positive training environment.
Recommend changes and improvements in training content to curriculum developers as needed.
Assists Supervisors in guiding the program's staff, authorizing cases, clarifying policy, and making final decisions as needed.
Provides coverage in the absence of the Supervisor.
Responsible for other assignments/projects needed within the division.