Child Support Specialist I/II/III (20582498)

Child Support Specialist I- $21.23-$25.80

Child Support Specialist II- $23.45-$28.51

Child Support Specialist III- $25.92-$31.50

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST I

Performs a wide variety of child support duties consisting of maintaining a caseload, locating and interviewing custodial and non-custodial parents and others to elicit factual information for the purpose of establishing child support obligations and enforcing child support laws; arranges for support payments when possible; prepares cases for court hearings as necessary; and performs related work as required.

Working under close supervision, Child Support Specialist I is the entry/trainee level in the Child Support Specialist series. Employees in this class receive in-service training, and are given detailed instructions in the performance of duties related to child support laws, regulations, and a broad range of child support casework activities. As requisite skills and knowledge are developed, greater independence and the full scope of responsibility are exercised. Employees are expected to promote to Child Support Specialist II after one year of satisfactory performance at the entry/trainee level.

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST II

Performs a wide variety of child support duties consisting of maintaining a caseload, locating and interviewing custodial and non-custodial parents and others to elicit factual information for the purpose of establishing child support obligations and enforcing child support laws; arranges for support payments when possible; prepares cases for court hearings as necessary; and performs related work as required.

Working under general supervision, Child Support Specialist II is the journey level in the Child Support Specialist series. Employees at this level are expected to perform a broad range of child support casework from intake to establishment, enforcement, and case closure. Within legal requirements and departmental policies and procedures, incumbents operate with considerable independence and must exercise discretion and judgment in evaluating cases and determining the level of support and the methods of enforcement. Positions in this class are flexibly staffed and are normally filled by advancement from the lower level of Child Support Specialist I, or if filled from the outside, require prior related experience.

Child Support Specialist II differs from the higher class of Child Support Specialist III in that the latter is the advanced journey level, and incumbents act as lead worker or exercise detailed subject knowledge of a specific program area or specialized department system.

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST III

Under limited supervision, the Child Support Specialist III performs a wide variety of child support duties involving the more difficult and/or sensitive cases; performs special assignments; maintains a caseload; and performs related work as required.

The Child Support Specialist III is the advanced journey level in the Child Support Specialist series. Incumbents act as the lead-worker to a group of child support staff, and/or exercise detailed subject matter knowledge of a specific program area or specialized system inherent to the operations of the department.

Positions in this class differ from those in the class of Child Support Specialist II by the assignment of complex, sensitive or confidential cases requiring advanced technical skills. Incumbents may act in a lead capacity, may provide training to lower-level Child Support Specialists and may participate in special projects such as audits and/or quality control reviews.

Examples of Duties

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST I

Duties for the Child Support Specialist I 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.

Coordinates appointments for personal interviews with custodial and non-custodial parents, employers, and attorneys.

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 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.

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST II

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.

Coordinates appointments for personal interviews with custodial and non-custodial parents, employers, and attorneys. 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 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.

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST III

Analyzes and evaluates the more difficult and sensitive cases.

Coordinates appointments for personal interviews with custodial and non-custodial parents, employers, and attorneys.

Coordinates and/or conducts genetic tests when needed.

Uses a variety of methods and procedures for locating absent parents.

Develops and analyzes information for the establishment of paternity.

Evaluates income and expense data of custodial and non-custodial parents to determine and recommend child support payment obligations based on established guidelines.

Participates in interviews to secure support agreements and to persuade responsible parties to make payments without recourse to legal action.

Assists or acts as a primary resource to Child Support Attorney.

Attends court hearings to obtain payments and to testify to financial or case matters.

Provides guidance to Child Support Specialists as a technical expert.

Assigns and coordinates work performed by lower level Child Support Specialists.

Reviews lower level cases for quality control, audit, and/or training purposes.

Researches, develops, and conducts group and/or one-on-one training for new and existing staff.

Acts as the supervisor for administrative purposes in the supervisor's absence.

Uses a variety of methods, systems and procedures for locating absent parents, including contacting other agencies, utilizing databases and web-based searches.

May perform State mandated functions, including but not limited to: ombudsperson, customer and community outreach, quality assurance and program improvement, training, Fair Hearing Officer, and/or media relations.

Performs related duties as assigned.

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

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST I

Two (2) years of full-time clerical experience which included interaction with the public;

OR

One year of full-time experience performing debt collections duties which included interviewing others for the purpose of collecting information;

OR

One year of full-time experience performing duties of a Child Support Assistant I or Office Assistant II in a Child Support Services Department;

OR

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.

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST III

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

The ability to read, write, and speak Spanish, while not required, would be a desirable qualification.

HOLIDAYS:

13 paid holidays per year and an additional twenty four hours of Holiday Leave. An employee must be employed the last working day before and the first working day after the holiday in order to receive holiday compensation. Employees on leave without pay shall not accrue holiday benefits.

VACATION:

88 hours (approximately 11 working days) per year during the first 2 years of service; 128 hours (approximately 16 working days) per year during years 3 through 12; 168 hours (approximately 21 working days) per year during years 13 through 19; 208 hours (approximately 26 working days) per year after 20 full years of service.

SICK LEAVE:

96 hours (approximately twelve working days) per year of paid sick leave.

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE:

40 hours with pay for each instance for immediate family members. Immediate family includes spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild, stepparent, parent, grandparent, parent-in-law, grandparent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, brother or sister.

LONGEVITY:

Service is based on employment with Glenn County. The County shall provide a longevity differential above the employee’s base rate of pay for those employees represented by this unit as follows: after 10 full years of service 5%, after 15 full years of service 2%, after 20 full years of service 2%, after 25 full years of service 2% and after 30 full years of service 2% for a total of 13%.

HEALTH PLAN:

Glenn County contracts with PERS for medical insurance. The County pays a portion of the medical insurance premium based on the carrier and amount of the total premium.

VISION PLAN:

The County pays the employee premium for a vision plan with EyeMed. The employee may enroll dependents at the employee’s expense.

DENTAL PLAN:

GCGU employees are offered a choice of two voluntary dental insurance plans; Delta Dental (PPO) and DeltaCare (HMO). The employee pays 100% of the premium through payroll deduction.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION:

The County offers three IRC § 457 voluntary Deferred Compensation Plans (tax deferred long-term savings plans): Voya, Nationwide and Edward Jones.

SHORT TERM DISABILITY:

The County coordinates with State Short Term Disability Insurance for regular employees.

LIFE INSURANCE:

The County pays the premium on a $10,000 Term Life Insurance policy for regular County employees. The employee pays the premium for optional life insurance.

RETIREMENT:

The County participates in the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) which is coordinated with Social Security. The employee is responsible for 100% of the employee’s portion. Unused accrued sick leave can be converted to service credit at retirement.

SUPPLEMENTAL RETIREMENT:

GCGU employees participate in the Laborers’ International of North America (Industrial) Pension Fund.

PREMIUM PAY:

Premium pay such as shift differential, bilingual, and working-out-of-class pay may be paid depending upon the employee’s work assignment and class.

• Benefits are listed for full-time employees; certain benefits are pro-rated for part-time employees.

EXAMINATION INFORMATION

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EXAMINATION – WEIGHTED 100%

The Training & Experience Examination is designed to elicit a range of specific information regarding each candidate’s knowledge, skill, abilities, and potential to effectively perform the duties relative to the classification. Responses to the questionnaire will be assessed based on pre-determined rating criteria. All applicants must complete the entire examination to receive a score. In order to obtain a position on the eligible list, candidates must receive a minimum rating of 70% on the examination. Examination administration and processing time is approximately two weeks after the closing date of the job bulletin.

If conditions warrant, an Experience and Education examination may be conducted in lieu of the Training and Experience examination. Please review the Experience and Education examination information below:

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE EXAMINATION

The Education & Experience examination is based solely upon information provided from the application and supplemental information (e.g., resumes, transcripts). Information provided from the application and supplemental information will be assessed compared to a standard developed in relation to the elements of the. Special care should be taken to submitting a complete description of your education and experience relevant to the typical tasks, scope, and minimum qualifications stated on this bulletin. Supplemental information will be accepted, but competitors should read this bulletin carefully to determine what kind of information will be useful to those individuals completing the evaluation. In order to obtain a position on the eligible list, candidates must receive a minimum rating of 70% on the examination. Examination administration and processing time is approximately two weeks after the closing date of the job bulletin.

ELIGIBLE LIST INFORMATION

A departmental open eligible list will be established for Glenn County. The list will be utilized for 12 months after it is established unless the needs of the service and conditions of the list warrant a change in this period.

SPECIAL TESTING ARRANGEMENTS

Special testing arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants for disability, military, or religious reasons. If you require such arrangements, please contact CalHR at mssprogram@calhr.ca.gov or 916-323-2360 upon notification that your application has been approved. Documentation from medical, military, school or church officials outlining the accommodation request must be received by our office a minimum of five business days prior to a scheduled examination.

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

If you are using education to meet the minimum qualifications, you must attach your transcripts to your application. Applicants with foreign transcripts must provide a transcript evaluation that indicates the number of units to which the foreign course work is equivalent. Transcripts and evaluations may be unofficial; official transcripts may be required upon appointment. Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.

GENERAL INFORMATION

MSS reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the recruitment if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all competitors will be notified.

If you meet the requirements stated on this bulletin, you may take this examination. Your performance in this examination will be rated against predetermined rating criteria. All competitors who pass will be added to the eligible list. Meeting the entry requirements does not assure success in the examination or placement on the eligible list.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgement, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. As part of the hiring process, a background investigation may be required.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Merit System Services program is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.