REGIONAL OFFICE LIAISON

APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE ASSOCIATE BENEFITS OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST CIVIL SERVICE TITLE

Family Independence Administration provides temporary help to individuals and families with social service and economic needs to assist them in reaching self-sufficiency via essential and diverse programs/services, such as: temporary cash assistance, SNAP, childcare, eviction prevention services, adult protective services, job training, employment plans/support, domestic violence assistance, child support enforcement, etc.

The New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) provides temporary help to individuals and families with social service and economic needs to assist them in reaching self-sufficiency via essential and diverse programs/services, such as: temporary cash assistance, supplemental nutrition assistance (also known as SNAP), child care, eviction prevention services, adult protective services, job training, employment plans/support, domestic violence assistance, child support enforcement, etc. The employees of the Family Independence Administration (FIA) help provide unique individual services to eligible New Yorkers aimed toward the achievement of long-term self-sufficiency.

Benefits

The Family Independence Administration (FIA) is recruiting for one (1) Associate Benefits Opportunity Specialist III, to function as Regional/Administrative Office Liaison, who will:

Under general supervision of the Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Deputy Commissioner or Regional Manager, with wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment and initiative, represent and assist the Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Deputy Commissioner or Regional Manager in the day to day administration of FIA Benefit Access Centers and Food Stamp operations.

• Represent the Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Deputy Commissioner or Regional Manager at
  
  

FIA Center Operations meetings sharing the outcomes verbally and in written form; assist in the

daily functions and operations of several Benefit Access Centers and Food Stamp sites,

monitoring the conduct and follow-up of application interviews to ensure that financially eligible

individuals receive public assistance in a timely manner as mandated by legal regulatory

requirements.

• Respond to inquiries from Legal Services, Council Members and Advocates, obtaining information
  
  

and providing information on Welfare Reforms initiatives.

• Review and control written complaints from various sources including the Commissioner, Deputy
  
  

Commissioner, and the Correspondence Complaint Unit; edit responses to complaints received

from various Benefit Access Centers.

• Monitor Fair Hearing compliance activities; prepare weekly updates of fair hearing compliance;
  
  

follow up on outstanding cases; scan Welfare Management System (WMS) inquiries and Fair

Hearing Information System (FHIS) for completion of Fair Hearing decisions; identify errors and

advice the Benefit Access Centers of corrective action.

• Make frequent and regular visits to the Benefit Access Centers and Food Stamp sites to conduct
  
  

studies in every area of activity to determine whether the activities are conducts efficiently and

effectively and in accordance with established policy and procedure; conduct audits designed

to measure target areas; inform the Regional Manager and participates in the development of

corrective action plans and follow-up studies to ensure that the problem has been corrected.

• Provide technical support to the Center Managers in order to help improve performance and
  
  

productivity in the Benefit Access Centers, with emphasis on Quality Control and Error Reduction;

ensure that mandated re-determinations of financial eligibility are completed within the

appropriate timeframes.

• Participate in the training of staff in the proper interpretation and application of agency policies
  
  

and procedures; maintain necessary controls and records to assure that public assistance

determinations are consistent with applicable laws, regulations and policies.

Hours/Shift

Monday - Friday 9:00AM – 5:00PM

Minimum Qualifications

• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and three years of
  
  

full-time satisfactory experience working directly in social/human services or a

Related Setting, Providing Either

• client services.
• employment planning/counseling services which involves job development,
  
  

Skills Assessment, And Employment Placement Or Other Economic

opportunity programming.

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full time satisfactory
  
  

experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist; or

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full time satisfactory
  
  

experience as described in one (1) above.

• College credit from an accredited college may be substituted for this experience
  
  

on the basis of 60 semester credits for 9 months of the work experience described

above. However, all candidates must have at least 18 months of full-time

satisfactory experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist or performing

social/human services work as described in one (1) above

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City Residency is not required for this position

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.