Employment and Eligibility Specialist

CAREER DESCRIPTION

EMPLOYMENT AND ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST

This Recruitment is Open to The Public

In addition to performance-based merit increases, this position is scheduled to receive salary range increases on the following dates:

Effective July 2, 2021 – 3.4% increase

Effective July 1, 2022 – 3.4% increase

This recruitment will be posted for a minimum of five (5) business days and will remain open on a continuous basis until 11:59PM (PST) on the day that the needs of the County are met. Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply immediately.

RECRUITMENT INFORMATION

This recruitment will establish an open eligible list. This list will be used to fill current and future Employment & Eligibility Specialist positions within Social Services Agency (SSA). This recruitment may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications throughout the County of Orange.

There is a significant need for bilingual Spanish/English, Korean/English, Vietnamese/English, Arabic/English, and Farsi (Persian)/English speaking applicants. Bilingual applicants must be able to fluently speak, read, write, and understand a second language in addition to English. An additional $1.15 per hour is paid for positions requiring bilingual skills.

SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCY

Administering a number of human services programs, the County of Orange, Social Services Agency (SSA) is comprised of four business divisions: Assistance Programs (AP); Children and Family Services (CFS); Family Self-Sufficiency and Adult Services (FSS-AS); and Administrative Services. SSA is responsible for planning, implementing and operating many of the social services programs provided by the County of Orange. You can learn more about SSA by clicking here.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Employment & Eligibility Specialist (EES) duties include, but are not limited to interviewing, evaluating and supporting participants and their ability to be assigned to a worksite that is suitable. Some of the clientele/participants may be experiencing severe homelessness, mental health issues, or other limited physical challenges and may also be former felons. The EES may serve in several capacities within SSA, including CalWORKs Intake and Continuing, as well as CalFresh Employment and Training (CF E&T) / General Relief Work Program (GRWP), and Program Integrity. In CalWORKs Intake, the EES interviews prospective clients to determine eligibility for various programs within SSA, identifies resources, and provides immediate assistance to clients. In Continuing, the EES assesses the continuation of eligibility for various programs by communicating regularly with clients. The EES also provides resources, employment counseling, and ensures that supportive services payments are issued to clients in a timely manner. In General Relief (GR), the EES interviews CF E&T/GRWP participants, explains program requirements, job searches, performs case management duties including assessing individual’s employability, identifies barriers to employability, provides resources, prepares them for self-sufficiency, refers participants to approved job skills trainings, conducts workshops, and assigns them to work sites for the appropriate numbers of hours based on benefit amounts and physical/mental capabilities, communicates regularly with Social Services Supervisors, CF E&T/GRWP participants, and GR Eligibility Technicians, as well as acts as liaison with work site supervisors to resolve any problems.

New EES employees typically attend an induction training in a classroom setting, including fieldwork. During classroom training the work schedule is 8:00am-5:00pm M-F. Additional schedules may be available upon completion of training.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will possess casework experience in a public or private organization working with a knowledge of addressing socioeconomic problems, cultural differences and barriers to employment associated with various ethnic or disadvantaged segments of the community. In addition, the ideal candidate will possess extensive knowledge and/or experience in the following core competencies:

Technical Knowledge | Technical Experience:
Proficiency in MS Office Suite/365, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook

Experience using Social Services Agency related computer/software programs such as OnBase (imaging software), CalWIN, Medical Eligibility Data System (MEDS), Client Engagement System, VACS, ORCS, RADEP, SNAP-QCS

Proficiency in core case work, with at least 2 years of recent casework in CalWORKs/CalFresh/Foster Care/Medi-Cal programs

Conducting complex professional/technical research and analysis

Critical Thinking | Problem Solving Skills:
Using logic, good judgment and resources to carefully make sound and timely decisions/recommendations

Working independently, while maintaining a professional demeanor, when solving challenging issues with participants that may be experiencing physical, emotional and/or mental challenges

Making complex arithmetic computations in order to correctly determine eligibility and benefits

Resolving conflicts, confrontations, or disagreements in a constructive manner to minimize negative program impact, maintaining professional demeanor in difficult situations

Acting as liaison with work site supervisors to resolve issues

Establishing priorities, organizing workload, and managing caseload effectively to meet critical deadlines

Customer Service | Interpersonal Skills | Communication Skills:

Communicating and interacting clearly and effectively verbally and in writing, with all levels of staff and participants, while partnering with other government and professional entities, businesses and the general public

Effectively interviewing participants, utilizing interviewing and counseling techniques to solicit information from participants to determine barriers that prevent them from cooperating with or participating in job related activities, and encouraging clients to obtain/retain employment, and to become self-sufficient

Great customer service being adaptable and flexible while maintaining a focus on quality of care and services

Listening effectively and presenting ideas and complex materials concisely, clearly, and logically

Organizing, prioritizing and completing a large volume of work within designated timeframes/deadlines

Maintaining confidentiality of all information and documents that are considered personal and sensitive in nature

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Please click here for information on the minimum qualifications for the Employment & Eligibility Specialist classification.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS (For SSA candidates only)

Candidates will be required to undergo a background clearance check and must successfully clear prior to the start of their employment. All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of a background check. Areas considered in the background check include conviction history, employment history, professional references and education verification (i.e. degree, license, or official transcripts) if applicable. Foreign degrees require an evaluation of U.S. equivalency by an agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Services (N.A.C.E.S.) In addition, a Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) background clearance check may be required. CACI is a repository of child abuse investigation reports managed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) that contains information related to substantiated cases of physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental/emotional abuse, and/or severe neglect of a child.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Resumes will not be accepted and/or screened in lieu of applications; therefore, all candidates will need to demonstrate qualifications on their application.

Veterans Employment Preference

The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here (Download PDF reader) to review the policy.

Minimum Qualification Screening: (Refer/Non Refer) The County of Orange, Human Resource Services (HRS) will screen all applications and supplemental information to identify the most qualified candidates. After screening, the qualified candidates will be notified of their status in the process via email.

SHL Online Assessment: (Weighted 100%) Candidates will be invited to participate in an online assessment covering job related items. The candidates with the most competitive scores will be referred to the next step and notified of all further procedures applicable to their status in the competition.

Click here to access SHL practice assessments to familiarize yourself with the structure and format of the EES online assessment.

(Note: the practice tests are meant to familiarize the candidate with SHL online testing and are therefore, generalized and may not necessarily reflect the exact same criteria/questions assessed during this recruitment online assessment).

Eligible List: Once the application screening has been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.

Based on the Department’s needs, the selection procedures listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any changes in the selection procedures.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

EMAIL NOTIFICATION:
Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account.

NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.

Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with “governmentjobs.com” and “ocgov.com.” If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com.

For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Eric Ramirez at (714) 440-3274 or [email protected].

EEO INFORMATION

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Non-Management BenefitsIn addition to the County’s standard suite of benefits, such as a variety of health plan options, annual leave and paid holidays-we also offer an excellent array of benefits such as a Health Care Reimbursement Account, 457 Defined Contribution Plan and Annual Education and Professional Reimbursement. Employees are provided a Retirement Plan through the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS). Please go to the following link to find out more about Defined Benefit Pensions and OCERS Plan Types/Benefits.http://www.ocers.org/active-member-informationClick here for information about benefits offered to County of Orange employees.