Client Assistance Specialists (Aging and Disability Resource Unit), Grade 20

Montgomery County is located adjacent to Washington, DC and with over one million residents, is the most populous County in the State of Maryland. The County is also the most diverse County in the State and ranks among the top ten most diverse Counties in the nation. Montgomery County contains many major U.S. government offices, scientific research and learning centers, and business campuses.

The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for delivery of the County’s public health and human services that the needs of our community’s most vulnerable children, adults and seniors. The Department provides services through more than 120 programs at more than 20 locations. With 1,750 employees, the Department of Health and Human Services is the largest County Department.

As a Department, we believe health and wellness of the county can only be achieved by ensuring that every resident has fair opportunities to reach their fullest potential. This means access to quality housing, transportation, education, employment, health care, human services, safe neighborhoods and healthy food. HHS’ provides critical services for residents who face a variety of obstacles in achieving their full potential. HHS plays an essential role in building a healthy and strong community.

If you are interested in working for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our position.

About the Position:

This position is located in the Department’s Aging and Disability Services, Aging and Disability Resource Unit.

The Aging and Disability Resource Unit (ADRU) provides personalized hands on assistance, referrals to services and specific information to seniors, people with disabilities and caregivers over the phone and in person. It is the primary point of entry for most of the services within Aging and Disability Services. Staff tell residents about benefits and services, help them determine what they are eligible for and can also help them apply. Some of the staff is on phone coverage all the time, while others rotate coverage to allow for outreach and time in the community. This includes attending fairs and expos, giving presentations, meeting with clients at senior centers and community centers and making home visits as needed.

The ADRU is the main point of intake for ADS clients. The ADRU receives roughly 1,500 calls per month from or about County residents.

A Client Assistance Specialist provides:

• Hands-on assistance, referrals and information to seniors, people with disabilities and caregivers; inform residents about available benefits and services;
• Assist seniors, people with disabilities and caregivers in determining what they are eligible for and help them apply; and
• Provides this service via the main Aging and Disability Services (ADS) phone line and may be assigned to provide service in the community.

Bilingual applicants in the Chinese/English languages are encouraged to apply. If the candidate selected for this position possesses multilingual skills, they will be required to successfully pass an examination assessing oral communication, reading comprehension, and interpreting skills.

Selected candidate will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment background check and a medical exam with a drug and alcohol screening.

Effective August 30, 2021 all new hires will be required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus prior to their first date of employment. Individuals who are unable to be vaccinated should contact OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov to discuss possible accommodations.

OHR reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position/IRC.

Montgomery County Government is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email to OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov . Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

Montgomery County Government also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, please refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference .

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for interview.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law : Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code . Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree.

Experience: One (1) year of experience in human services that involved substantive client contact and service delivery through direct assistance or referral. This experience must have included ability to communicate effectively across a wide range of cultures and overcome potential barriers to service.

Substitutions: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

The applications of those individuals meeting the minimum qualifications will be reviewed to determine the extent, relevancy of training, and experience in the following areas.

• Experience working directly with seniors and persons with disabilities.
• Experience working with clients and/or customers with multiple complex issues.
• Experience conducting interviews over the phone and in-person in order to gather information needed to solve problems.
• Experience providing local referral and resource information to seniors and disabled clients and or customers.
• Bilingual Proficiency in Chinese to English and vise versa