Title: Income Maintenance Caseworker II

Department: Social Services

Type: Part-Time/ No Benefits/ Hourly

Salary Range: Grade 63b

Starting salary based on qualifications and experience.

Location: Lexington, NC

General Statement of Duties

This position is responsible for accurately determining eligibility, processing applications received and providing case maintenance and determination of ongoing eligibility based on reported changes for assigned Income Maintenance Programs.

This is a Part-Time Position of up to 20 hours a week with no benefits.

Distinguishing Features of the Class

An employee in this class is responsible for determining and redetermining eligibility for individuals and/or families in need of Food and Nutritional Services, Medicaid, Work First Family Assistance, Child Care Subsidy, and/or Energy Assistance. Additional assistance may be given to individuals over age 65, persons who meet the definition of blindness and individuals under the age of 65 who meet the required definition of disability. Employee provides intake, applicant processing and case maintenance. Public interaction may be over the phone, in person, by fax, email or regular mail. Employee monitors clients for compliance with all program requirements (federal, state and county) and verifies that continued eligibility requirements are met. Works under the regular supervision of the Income Maintenance Supervisor II.

Illustrative Examples of Work

- Performs intake duties: receives applications for Adult Medicaid, Family & Children’s Medicaid, Food and Nutrition Services, Work First, Child Care and/or Energy programs; interviews applicants to obtain information needed to make appropriate determination of eligibility.

- Refers clients to other agencies or community services that may meet their specific needs.

- Complete thorough documentation pertaining to programs discussed, referrals made and documents why the client is ineligible for benefits.

- Ensures all appropriate forms are completed and signed for each applicant/client/benefit and stores forms in the client’s interactive case folder.

- Employee enters applicant information into NCFAST for all requested programs.

- Employee may be required to contact third party sources for needed information.

- Verifies applicant’s information including, but not limited to, any and all sources of income, Social Security benefits, vehicles and etc.

- Processes paperwork and applications in a timely and accurate manner according to Federal, Sate and County policy and procedural guidelines.

- Approves or denies economic support to client.

- Monitors cases on an ongoing basis; obtains new forms/paperwork as needed.

- Keeps the client apprised of the status of their pending application.

- Performs case maintenance for continued eligibility according to Federal, State and County policy/procedure.

- Processes changes in client status to maintain up-to-date files and re-determines eligibility of client for economic support, if necessary.

- Adheres to federal, state, county and department rules, regulations, and policies

- This position performs mandatory Shelter Duty should the need arise and is a

mandatory emergency shelter duty team member

- Other duties as assigned.

Recruitment and Selection Guidelines

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

- Must have thorough knowledge of the Food & Nutrition Services Policy.

- Must have thorough knowledge of the Medicaid Policy.

- Must have thorough knowledge of multiple computer programs including but not limited to; NCFAST, Compass and One Case.

- Must have good interviewing and communication skills, both written and verbal.

- Ability to ask appropriate questions in order to quickly and efficiently gather needed information.

- Ability to listen to clients, identify needs, and make appropriate referrals to other units within DSS and/or community organizations.

- Must have good documentation skills.

- Ability to work quickly and with total accuracy under stressful situations and with frequent interruptions.

- Must have good general computer skills and knowledge.

- Must have good computation skills to accurately compute budgets and/or deductibles.

- Ability to read, understand, retain and apply constantly changing policies.

- Must be very organized and able to meet deadlines.

- Ability to work with clients from various socio-economic groups and knowledge of the needs of the economically disadvantaged.

- Ability to maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, other County departments, children, adults, school personnel, businesses, civic and community organizations and the general public.

- Ability to work as a team member to meet goals and objectives.

Physical Requirements

- Must be able to perform the basic life operational support functions of stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, walking, fingering, grasping, talking, hearing and repetitive motions.

- Light work, exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force to constantly move objects.

- Must have close visual acuity to prepare and analyze data and figures, work on the computer and perform extensive reading.

- Worker is subject to inside environmental conditions: protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.

- The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (such as in typical office or administrative work).

- Worker may come into contact with potentially infectious bodily fluids during the performance of his/her duties.

Education and Experience

- Graduation from an accredited associate degree program in Human Services Technology, Social Services Associate, Paralegal Technology, Business Administration, Secretarial Science, or a closely related curriculum;

- or graduation from high school and two years of paraprofessional, clerical, or other public contact experience which included negotiating, interviewing, explaining information, gathering and compiling of data, analysis of data and/or performance of mathematical or legal tasks with at least one year of such experience being in an income maintenance program;

- or graduation from high school and three years of paraprofessional, clerical or other public contact experience which included negotiating, interviewing, explaining information, the gathering and compiling of data, the analysis of data and/or the performance of mathematical or legal tasks; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Experience in a social services agency as a clerical worker who has had contact with the eligibility unit, or in other local, State or Federal eligibility programs such as the Employment Security Commission or the Social Security Administration would be beneficial.

- And at least one year experience as an Income Maintenance Caseworker II.

Experience gained by having worked in a public service position requiring interaction with the public is desirable

Licenses and Certifications

- Valid NC Drivers License