DEFINITION

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

TYPICAL DUTIES

Duties for the Child Support Specialist I and II may include, but are not limited to the following :

• Manages a general caseload consisting of child support legal actions and the establishment, enforcement and collection of child support payment obligations based on established guidelines.
• Develops and analyzes information for the establishment of paternity.
• Uses a variety of methods, systems and procedures for locating information on custodial and non-custodial parents’ assets, income, and liabilities.
• Evaluates income and expense data of custodial and non-custodial parents to determine and recommend child support payment obligations based on established guidelines.
• Responds to general inquiries and explains general child support laws, court orders, rules, regulations, and policies to public and staff.
• Participates in interviews to secure support agreements and to persuade responsible parties to make payments without recourse to legal action.
• Prepares and processes legal documents necessary for the establishment, collection, and enforcement of child support obligations Documents and updates customer information, contact information, case actions / history logs, and records using a state-wide automated system.
• Provides case status information, explains the complaint resolution process, and answers case specific questions for all involved parties ensuring the verbiage used cannot be interpreted as legal advice.
• Applies federal, state, and local codes, procedures, and rules in establishing and processing child support cases.
• Coordinates and / or conducts genetic tests when needed.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

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 Definition section.

Knowledge of :

• Civil and criminal law, and Federal and California laws and regulations pertaining to the establishment, and enforcement of child support obligations.
• Sources, methods and techniques used to locate non-custodial parents, relatives and related persons, assets, income, and liabilities.
• Techniques and methods for establishing paternity.
• Child Support specific collection methods and techniques.
• Legal terminology used when explaining legal procedures to customers or the public.
• When and how to prepare and process a variety of child support related legal documents in a clear and concise manner.
• The structure and content of the English language.
• Basic mathematics and business arithmetic, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, percentages, and decimals.

Skill / Ability to :

• Apply specialized Federal child support laws and procedures as they apply to intergovernmental and international cases.
• Explain child support procedures, regulations, and requirements to individuals from a wide variety of educational and cultural backgrounds.
• Use effective interviewing techniques to interview a wide variety of people, over the telephone and in person.
• Use patience, tact and courtesy in firmly dealing with people who may be uncooperative, unreasonable, angry, upset, or hostile.
• Collect DNA samples to establish paternity.
• Use sound independent judgment to analyze factual information, situations, and people.
• Understand financial records such as tax records, income and expense reports, and employer earnings records to determine the amount of child support payment obligations.
• Compile multiple pieces of information clearly and concisely into an organized and understandable written report or oral presentation.
• Organize work and set priorities in order to meet critical deadlines with minimal direction.
• Exercise initiative within the limits of assigned duties.
• Maintain the confidentiality of sensitive or personal information.
• Establish rapport and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, courts, attorneys, other agencies, and the public.
• Be flexible and supportive of change.
• Ability to prioritize multiple assignments having conflicting deadlines.
• Effectively use computer and other resources to prepare and manage cases.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (Education and / or Experience)

Child Support Specialist I :

• Two (2) years of full-time clerical experience which included interaction with the public;
• One year of full-time experience performing debt collections duties which included interviewing others for the purpose of collecting information;
• One year of full-time experience performing duties of a Child Support Assistant I or Office Assistant II in a Child Support Services Department;

Completion of 60 semester or 90 quarter units of college.

Qualifying experience or education may be combined in order to meet the above requirements. When combining education and experience;

fifteen (15) semester units or twenty-two (22) quarter units equals six months of experience.

Child Support Specialist II :

One (1) year of full-time experience performing duties of a Child Support Specialist I in a state or local government agency.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT

Some positions may require possession of special language proficiency as a bona fide qualifications standard. In these cases, candidates must demonstrate that they possess the required skills.

DRIVER LICENSE REQUIREMENT

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.

WORKING CONDITIONS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Last updated : 2024-07-03