DSHS ESA Child Support Enforcement Officer 3 - Lead Worker

State of Washington • Yakima County – Yakima, WA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Division of Child Support is currently seeking two permanent Support Enforcement Officer 3 professionals to join our team located in Yakima, WA. This is a great opportunity to expand your current skills and advance your career as a Child Support Officer within the Department. As Support Enforcement Officer 3s (SEO3), these positions will provide direction and training to lower level professional staff that collects, establish and enforces child and medical support in the Federal Title IV-D program of the Social Security Act, Washington State Child Support Laws and Policies. This includes auditing the work of other professional staff, developing training or improvement plans, training of new staff, training long-term staff, and developing procedures.

Requirements

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain complex issues in a manner understandable by a diverse public
• Analytical skills to read, interpret, and understand legal documents and to correctly apply rules, laws, and policies
• Math skills to quickly and accurately calculate support obligations and arrearages
• Case management skills as demonstrated by the ability to manage a large, growing and diverse caseload
• Conflict resolution skills to de-escalate emotionally charged interactions with clients
• Negotiations skills, including the ability to settle on agreements that fulfill the Division’s goals while also meeting the clients’ needs
• Two years of experience as a Washington State Support Enforcement Officer AND one of the following: An additional four years of full-time debt collection or support enforcement related experience OR Two years of college level coursework AND an additional two years of experience related to support enforcement, debt collection, or a related field. OR A Bachelor's degree or higher level.

Responsibilities

• Independently negotiates and/or interviews custodial/absent parents, attorneys, and employers regarding their accounts and verifies the accuracy of financial and informational data
• Provides direct service to customers and partners through agency interpretation on complex policies, procedures and laws; explanations of forms, pamphlets and other materials, the ability to effectively communicate by phone, in person, electronically and in writing; formal and informal referral services to community resources
• Trains staff in all aspects of child support collections/enforcement; reviews work and explains child support laws and procedures
• Maintains technical expertise amidst constant changes in laws, policies and procedure in order to be a resource for the team
• First line of contact for conflict resolution of debt and other child support related concerns of customers; may work more difficult child support cases that could involve multiple jurisdictional or multi-government and/or Tribal child support orders and debt periods
• Acts as a mentor and models behavior which earns others’ trust and respect through consistent honestly and professionalism in all interactions; adapts to changing business needs, conditions and work responsibilities, displays an ongoing commitment to learning and self-improvement; helps others resolve complex or sensitive disagreements
• Provides ongoing technical and interpretive assistance regarding policies and procedures to assigned staff and may provide backup coverage for team members who are absent
• Independently established Administrative Child Support Orders by researching and locating income information, calculating financial and medical child support obligations, calculating arrears balances as required, preparing and serving legal notices and negotiating settlements as appropriate
• Analyzes, interprets and applies State, Federal and International laws pertaining to the legal determination of paternity and the establishment and enforcement of financial and medical child support
• Independently negotiates debt repayment terms by analyzing asset and financial information such as paystubs, tax returns, business earnings and proof of expenses
• Calculates complex financial and medical child support obligations and arrearages while applying the laws of other jurisdictions, tribal treaties and Federal and State laws

Benefits

• The Department of Social and Health Services’ (DSHS) vision that people find human services to shape their own lives requires that we come together with a sense of belonging, common purpose, shared values, and meaningful work.
• It is crucial to our agency’s vision that you bring a fairness, access, and social justice commitment to your work with DSHS.
• We strive to support all Washingtonians, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, people with physical, behavioral health, and intellectual disabilities, elders, LGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants and refugees, and families building financial security.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level