Student Employment Job Board Posting: Shasta County, Eligibility Worker I/II

Field/Industry Social Services

Business Name Shasta County

Address  1450 Court Street, Suite 348, Redding, CA 96001

Phone Number 530-225-5515

Fax 530-225-5345

Email Address schr@co.shasta.ca.us

Website https://www.co.shasta.ca.us/index.aspx

Job Position/Title Eligibility Worker I/II

Rate of Pay 17.55

Days / Hours 40

Link to job application https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/shasta/jobs/3034472/eligibility-worker-i-ii?page=2&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs

Job Description

CURRENT VACANCIES ARE WITHIN THE ECONOMIC MOBILITY BRANCH OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY

WRITTEN AND ORAL EXAMS WILL BE SCHEDULED ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS

ANSWERS TO SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS REQUIRED

SKILLS OR EXPERIENCES LISTED UNDER THE IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT MAY ALSO BE USED TO SCREEN APPLICATIONS

APPLICATIONS WILL BE REVIEWED WEEKLY UNTIL CURRENT VACANCIES ARE FILLED

FINAL FILING DATE: ** CONTINUOUS **

SALARY INFORMATION

ELIGIBILITY WORKER I: $3,042 - $3,883 APPROXIMATE MONTHLY* / $17.55 - $22.40 APPROXIMATE HOURLY*

ELIGIBILITY WORKER II: $3,437 - $4,386 APPROXIMATE MONTHLY* / $19.83 - $25.31 APPROXIMATE HOURLY*

*Please refer to the appropriate Bargaining Unit Memorandum of Understanding for potential future salary increases* Please visit https://co.shasta.ca.us/MOU

ABOUT SHASTA COUNTY

Shasta County offers all the amenities of the big city while retaining a comfortable small-town atmosphere. With its natural beauty, diversified culture, affordable housing, excellent educational system, abundance of recreational opportunities, and excellent quality of life, Shasta County is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

Health and Human Services Agency

The Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) partners with communities to protect and improve the health and well-being of Shasta County residents. Established in 2006, the HHSA is organized into four branches: Children’s Services, Adult Services, Public Health and Economic Mobility, with a centralized administration. The HHSA promotes optimal health for all. The frail, the abused, the mentally ill and those without resources look to the HHSA for services and resources to meet their basic needs, and to protect their health and safety. This transformation improves efficiency, avoids unnecessary duplication of effort, encourages collaboration among programs and organizes the HHSA’s services to be more responsive to the needs of the public.

The Economic Mobility Branch offers assistance with eligibility services, such as CalFresh, WIC, Healthcare Programs, and CalWORKs through their multiple locations (Redding, Anderson, Shasta Lake, Burney and Enterprise). They provide CalWORKs employment support, as well as behavioral health team services and comprehensive perinatal alcohol and drug services. To encourage healthy families, the centers will offer prenatal care guidance, tobacco cessation, passenger safety education, parent education and support, and breastfeeding support. The Opportunity Center provides vocational training and employment services to people with disabilities. The Economic Mobility Branch will also help refer people to services in other HHSA branches.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Determines the eligibility of applicants and recipients for public assistance programs through interactive interviewing and fact gathering; maintains current knowledge of program regulations and procedures necessary for multi-program caseload administration; initiates and processes casework through an automated system; identifies needs and makes appropriate referrals for health, social, and/or employment services; and performs related work as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Eligibility Worker I: Working under close supervision, Eligibility Worker I is the entry/trainee level in the Eligibility Worker series. Employees in this class receive in-service training and are given detailed instructions in the performance of routine duties related to eligibility for public assistance programs and caseload administration. As requisite skills and knowledge are developed, greater independence and the full scope of responsibility are exercised. Employees are expected to promote to Eligibility Worker II after one (1) year of satisfactory performance at the trainee level.

Eligibility Worker II: Working under general supervision, Eligibility Worker II is the journey level in the Eligibility Worker series. Employees at this level are expected to manage a full, multi-program caseload independently, referring non-procedural questions to the supervisor. Positions in this class are flexibly staffed and are normally filled by advancement from the lower level of Eligibility Worker I, or if filled from the outside, require prior related experience.

Eligibility Worker II differs from Eligibility Worker III in that the latter may provide lead direction and/or perform specialized assignments in areas such as quality control or fraud prevention, requiring an advanced level of technical knowledge. The Eligibility Worker series differs from the Employment & Training Worker series in that the latter provides employability services to eligible applicants of social services agencies.

Supervision Exercised and Received: Incumbents in the Eligibility Worker I/II classification receive supervision from an Eligibility Supervisor and may receive lead direction from an Eligibility Worker III.

APPLICANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE NATURE OF WORK PERFORMED

Introduction: Submitting an application is the first step toward a valuable and rewarding career as an Eligibility Worker. We offer this additional information in an effort to provide you with a clear understanding of the nature of the job and its requirements. Please take the time to review this information prior to submitting an application.

Nature of work: The primary function of an Eligibility Worker involves determining the eligibility of applicants and recipients for public assistance programs. Eligibility work is performed in an office environment, not in the field, and includes processing of a broad range of paperwork and entering information into a computer-based eligibility system with very time sensitive agency and legal deadlines. Individuals with bank teller experience are often well suited to Eligibility Worker positions, as are those who have determined eligibility for loans, etc.

Typical duties of an Eligibility Worker include: Acting as the first contact for individuals seeking public assistance; interviewing applicants and recipients (clients) to obtain and verify information needed to determine initial and/or ongoing eligibility for public assistance. This often requires obtaining information in difficult and/or emotional situations on issues such as earnings and financial obligations and/or parental status and living arrangements and maintaining control of the interview if the client becomes hostile or angry over the interview questions; learning numerous state and federal program regulations and specific county practices through intensive training prior to full case assignment and ongoing training thereafter.

The work of an Eligibility Worker is highly regulation driven with ongoing reliance on regulations; instructing clients in the completion of various forms and reviewing applications for completeness and consistency; explaining program benefits, requirements and procedures, including eligibility factors, to public assistance clients; in some cases, visiting clients in their homes for the purpose of obtaining and verifying information; determining program eligibility in accordance with current regulations using the computer-based eligibility system; researching questionable information provided by an applicant until satisfactory explanations regarding eligibility status are confirmed; reporting cases where fraud is suspected; advising clients of deadlines, timeframes, and necessary actions to be taken; working with clients who often do not take the necessary actions within the required timeframe; establishing and maintaining multiple case files through regular updating and review; documenting all communications and contacts with clients; planning and organizing a large caseload, ensuring that accuracy levels are maintained and that cases are processed within the specified timeframes set by federal and state regulations; preparing system generated documents necessary to initiate, continue, and/or modify public assistance; computing and authorizing grant amounts based on financial and family status; computing CalWORKs budgets, Medi-cal budgets, General Assistance budgets, and CalFresh budgets in order to calculate grants; reviewing and explaining to clients public assistance amounts and authorizing payment of monthly benefits; providing information and making routine referrals to resources available through the County and within the community for clients desiring or needing services.

In some cases, Eligibility Workers also refer clients to and communicate with Social Workers and other staff to coordinate family services.

Note: An Eligibility Worker's responsibilities do not include social service casework. An Eligibility Worker is not responsible for working with clients to attempt to resolve their personal or social problems.

Eligibility Workers are expected to handle a high volume of deadline driven work which requires them to keep up to date on changes in rules, laws, procedures, etc. that effect processing timelines. Applicants must be able to prioritize, plan and project their work, but at the same time be flexible to changes at any moment, such as unscheduled visits from clients.

It is important to understand that the actions you take as an Eligibility Worker affect the lives of clients and their families.

Controversial Issues: As an Eligibility Worker you may be required to take actions that conflict with your own values. An Eligibility Worker must be able to accept clients' differences and interact with them in a non- judgmental manner. Some of the controversial issues encountered in an Eligibility Worker environment include: Granting Medi-Cal for clients requesting abortions; granting Medi-Cal to minors without their parent's knowledge; clients with AIDS and other communicable diseases; applicants/recipients involved in Welfare fraud; clients who have substance abuse dependency; clients who are domestic violence victims; clients who are mentally ill; clients with felony convictions; homeless individuals and families; elderly and/or disabled clients placed in long-term care facilities; mandatory report of child and adult abuse; clients whose life style, culture and/or values may be significantly different than your own.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Eligibility Worker I: Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following. For Eligibility Worker I, duties are performed at the trainee level: Performs interactive interviews to elicit eligibility information and identify need for public assistance programs and services; analyzes financial and eligibility information to determine initial or continuing eligibility for multiple aid programs; explains regulations, rules, and policies to clients and apprises them of their rights, responsibilities, and eligibility for participation; ensures accuracy and completion of application and declaration forms; resolves discrepancies by securing documentation, medical records, and confirmation from other agencies; initiates a total-household assistance case; enters and retrieves numerical and narrative data, and issues benefits from an automated computer system; reads and interprets computer printouts and information on computer screens; prepares correspondence and reports; organizes caseload so that necessary case records and documents are processed and updated within specific time limits established by regulation and local policy; performs related duties as assigned.

Requirements

TYPICAL QUALIFICATIONS

Note: The level and scope of the knowledge and skills listed below are related to job duties as distinguished between the two levels in the Distinguishing Characteristics section.

Knowledge of: General goals and purpose of public social services programs; techniques of interviewing and information gathering; computer terminology and computer keyboard arrangement; modern office practices, methods, and procedures; basic record keeping practices and procedures; basic mathematics.

Ability to: Apply the policies, procedures, and programs of the County Social Services Department; apply the laws, rules, and regulations governing eligibility and grant determination for multiple public assistance programs and the case administration of these programs; identify available resources, and communicate with others to obtain and verify information concerning eligibility; use fact finding techniques and perform in-depth and interactive interviewing; determine appropriate course of action in emergency situations; make referrals to appropriate agencies and social service programs; detect and evaluate potential fraudulent situations; analyze and interpret written, numerical, and verbal data from various sources; enter data accurately into a computerized system; navigate through computer screens and complete and review basic computer documents and other forms; identify when computer output is incorrect and make corrections; process cases manually as required; plan and organize caseload to ensure work is completed in accordance with regulations relating to eligibility and timeliness; read, understand, apply, and explain complicated and detailed correspondence and reports, regulations, and policy directives; perform a variety of mathematical computations accurately and rapidly; prepare, clear, concise, and accurate records and reports; explain complex rules and programs so can be understood by people of diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with the public and staff; use computers and related software packages; follow written and oral directions and instructions.

Eligibility Worker I: These standards are typically attained with two (2) years of experience performing clerical duties; OR one (1) year of experience determining eligibility for loans, financial assistance, unemployment, or veterans benefits, or publicly or privately funded health, counseling or social services, OR completion of sixty (60) semester or ninety (90) quarter college units. Some positions may require possession of special language and culture skills as a bona fide qualifications standard. In these cases, candidates must demonstrate they possess the required skills.

Eligibility Worker II: These standards are typically attained with one (1) year of full-time experience performing duties of the Eligibility Worker I classification. Some positions may require possession of special language and culture skills as a bona fide qualifications standard. In these cases, candidates must demonstrate they possess the required skills.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Some positions in this classification may require possession of a valid California driver's license. Employees who drive on County business to carry out job-related duties must possess a valid California driver's license for the class of vehicle driven and meet automobile insurability requirements of the County. Eligibility for employment for those who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the appointing authority.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate for this position will have a strong emphasis on continuous quality improvement; strong work ethic and ability to prioritize assigned work tasks and follow through in a timely manner; excellent listening and strong written and verbal communication skills; excellent customer service skills and initiative; solution based problem solving skills; experience in maintaining cooperative relations and communications with customers, management, and staff; ability to maintain a high standard of professionalism; proficiency in MS Office suite as well as basic knowledge of software and database programs. Meeting the educational requirements is preferred.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS

Responses to the following must be submitted with a completed application.

1. Do you possess two (2) years of full-time (40 hours per week) clerical experience which included interaction with the public? Yes No

2. Please indicate the length of time you have spent working with various computer systems in a professional setting.

None

1 month to less than 6 months

6 months to less than 12 months

12 months or more

3. Do you have one (1) year of full-time (40 hours per week) experience determining eligibility for loans, financial assistance, unemployment, veterans benefits, or publicly or privately funded healthcare services? Yes____ No

4. Have you completed sixty (60) semester or ninety (90) quarter units of college? Yes___ No

5. I understand the nature of this position calls for maintaining the confidentiality of all public assistance clients. Yes No___

6. I understand, and am willing to meet, multiple deadlines and perform work under the time-sensitive mandates that this position requires. Yes No___

7. I am willing to work in an environment where my actions and work product will impact the lives of clients and their families, both emotionally and financially. Yes No____

8. I understand if hired for this position, I will be working with clients who may be in a highly emotional state. Yes___ No___

9. I am willing to work in a team environment while maintaining collaborative and effective working relationships. Yes No

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to ten (10) pounds.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

-All new employees are required to have their paycheck directly deposited to a bank account.

-Some positions may require a valid California driver's license and acceptable driving record according to County policy.

-Reasonable accommodations may be made for those persons who are disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act to perform the essential functions of the position.

-As part of the selection process, all individuals provided with a preliminary offer of employment with Shasta County will be subject to a background investigation, including a criminal history check (primarily completed through the taking of fingerprints). An image of your fingerprints will be captured and sent to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The resulting report of your conviction history, (if any), will be evaluated along with the other information received in connection with your application. Except as otherwise required by law, a criminal conviction will not necessarily disqualify you from the position. The nature of the offense, the date of the offense, the surrounding circumstances, and the relevance of the offense to the position applied for may, however, be considered.

-Based on the results of the background investigation and criminal history check, applicants may then be provided with an offer of employment conditioned on the results of a medical examination, which includes drug/alcohol testing.

-Shasta County participates in E-Verify. For more information click here (Download PDF reader). If you do not have internet access, contact Personnel at (530) 225-5515 to request a flier.

-In accordance with Government Code Section 3100, County employees, in the event of a disaster are considered disaster workers and may be asked to respond accordingly.

-Positions in this classification are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the County and the United Public Employees of California (UPEC) – General Unit.

-Employees in this classification are covered under the CalPERS retirement program. Depending on the provisions of the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) and other applicable laws, an employee in this classification will be covered under one of the following CalPERS retirement formulas: 2% at 55, (2) 2% at 60, or (3) 2% at 62. An employee in this classification will also contribute up to 7.25% of his/her pay to this plan, or will contribute such other amount to the plan as authorized by PEPRA and other applicable laws. Please visit our employees benefit page at Employee Benefits for additional information regarding benefits and CalPERS coverage information. The provisions in this flyer and on the County’s website are for information purposes only. To the extent the provisions of the flyer or the County’s website are inconsistent with PEPRA and other applicable laws, PEPRA and other applicable laws shall govern.

Apply By

• Online Application

Additional Information

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURES

Shasta County Personnel will accept applications and responses to the supplemental questions until current vacancies have been filled. A Resume and/or Cover Letter will be accepted in addition to the application form but will not serve as a substitute for a completed application. It is not acceptable to complete the application with statements such as, “Refer to Resume and/or Cover Letter,” or “See Attached Resume and/or Cover Letter” the employment application must be completed in its entirety prior to submission. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Closing date postmarks or faxes will NOT be accepted. This recruitment will stablish a list that may or may not be used by other departments. Prior applicants must reapply to be considered.

Applicants will be screened and those considered best qualified will be invited to appear for an oral and/or written examination. Meeting the announced requirements does not guarantee inclusion into the selection process. Depending upon the number of applications received, the selection process may consist of additional application screening, written and/or practical exam(s), oral interview, or any combination thereof.

Applicants are encouraged to apply online or submit an application to the Shasta County Personnel Office.

Arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants with disabilities. Requests for accommodations may be made to the Shasta County Personnel Office by the filing deadline posted on this bulletin. Shasta County does not discriminate on the basis of disability. If you feel you are being denied service based on a disability, our ADA Coordinator may be reached at (530) 225-5515; relay service (800) 735-2922; fax (530) 225-5345.

SHASTA COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Shasta County Personnel

1450 Court Street, Suite 348; Redding, CA 96001; (530) 225-5515