Public Benefits Specialist 1-3 In-Training (PBS3) - Richland

Our vision is to ensure that “Washington state’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy—thriving physically, emotionally and academically, nurtured by family and community."

Job Title: Public Benefits Specialist 1-3 In-Training (PBS3)
Location: Richland, WA. This is currently a telework position, however, there is a possibility of returning to the Richland office. Therefore, the selected candidate must be willing to commute to 1661 Fowler St., Richland, WA 99352.
Closes: Sunday, March 2nd, 2025
Salary: $4,093 - $5,783 Monthly.

Do you want to help families and communities safely care for their children? The Richland Early Learning Child Care Subsidy Contact Center is looking for two customer service-oriented candidates to join our team and provide direct customer service in a call center environment for Child Care Subsidy customers. If you have a passion for helping others and want to see families flourish, we encourage you to apply.

Click here to learn more about DCYF.

The Opportunity:
The Public Benefits Specialist conducts interviews, reviews information, and makes eligibility determinations for services and child care assistance. As the incumbent of this position, you will use your extensive and specialized financial knowledge, as well as your ability to interpret public laws and policies and make independent decisions. In this role, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your excellent communication skills both oral and written to provide customer service delivery and support children receiving early education.

Some of what you will do:

• Process child care applications for child care subsidy assistance.
• Provide direct customer service on the phone in a call center environment.
• Conduct intensive interviews with customers to determine eligibility for services.
• Refer clients to both mandatory and optional services including to other agencies as required.
• Assist limited English proficient clients with properly translated forms and translation services.
• Assist child care providers with subsidy payment information and other requirements to receive subsidy.

Required qualifications:
We are considering candidates at the Public Benefits Specialist 1 through 3 levels. Candidates, if hired, at the 1 and 2 levels have a training plan to advance to Public Benefits Specialist 3. Experience is the only difference between qualifications for levels and is evaluated by the hiring manager.

Public Benefits Specialist 1 (PBS1) Salary Range 41 Step G: $4,093- $4,740 per month:
One year of experience conducting financial eligibility determination for public assistance to include financial, medical and food benefit programs.
OR
A Bachelor’s degree AND experience examining/processing medical insurance or rehabilitation claims, unemployment insurance claims or in a customer service where the major duties involve public contact, or a job providing staff support in financial eligibility determination will substitute, year for year, for education.

Public Benefits Specialist 2 (PBS2) Salary Range 46 Step D: $4,299 - $5,370 per month:
Six months of experience as a Public Benefits Specialist 1, and satisfactory completion of the agency’s Public Benefits Specialist Training Program.
OR
One year of experience conducting financial eligibility determination for public assistance to include financial, medical and food benefit programs and completing the agency’s Public Benefits Specialist Training Program.

Public Benefits Specialist 3 (PBS3) Salary Range 49 Step A: $4,299 - $5,783 per month:
Nine months of experience as a Public Benefits Specialist 2.
OR
Fifteen months of experience as a Public Benefits Specialist 1 and satisfactory completion of the agency’s Public Benefits Specialist Training Program.
OR
Eighteen months experience determining eligibility for financial, medical, food, long-term services and support programs, childcare and equal access benefits.

In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following:

• Demonstrated experience working in a high-volume customer service environment.
• One year of experience working in a call center environment.
• Prior experience determining eligibility for public programs.

How do I apply?
In addition to completing the online application, applicants must attach the following documents to their profile in order to be considered for this position:

• Cover Letter
• Resume (current/updated)
• Professional references (minimum of three)

Supplemental Information:
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington’s children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our mission to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability.

This position is in a bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). For more information: https://wfse.org/.

Incumbent must hold a valid driver’s license when operating a state- or privately-owned vehicle on official state business.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

Benefits eligibility for this position may be different than what’s listed in the benefits tab of this recruitment announcement, for more information on employee benefits eligibility visit-Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB).

If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment or if you would like to request an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, contact Veronica Jones (Talent Acquisition Specialist) at veronica.jones@dcyf.wa.gov. If you're experiencing technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or email support@neogov.com.

Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 902-2276 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (800) 833-6388.

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