Job Description

Family Independence Administration’s 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.

Under the direction of the Associate Job Opportunities Specialist I, the Job Opportunities Specialist (JOS) is responsible for providing various functions of eligibility determination, housing, and other related services to persons in need, to promote individual and family self-sufficiency. The JOS uses knowledge and skills in interviewing, quantitative analysis, and other research skills in accomplishing all the goals of FIA Housing Court.

FIA’s Housing Court Processing Team is recruiting for thirty-two (32) Job Opportunity Specialist, to function as Housing Court Applications Processors, who will:

- Handle the entire application process for all new applicants; Family Assistance cases which have
been closed over sixty days; all Safety Net case reopens which have been closed regardless of
date; and one-shot deals.

- Interview applicants and assess eligibility for immediate needs grant (food and non-food); for
employability and eligibility for public assistance, food stamps and Medicaid; works with applicants
to remove barriers to employment and makes referrals to other services as needed.

- Elicit and record information concerning family composition, income, financial, employment history,
responsible relatives who may provide financial support and/or other supportive services, status of
children, citizenship, and other relevant information.

- Develop anti-eviction/housing plans of intervention for referred individuals who have applied for shelter
or assistance with housing problems such as eviction, failure of 3rd party rent guarantees, inability
to function in “doubled up” housing, and/or related problems.

- Interview and determine housing needs of tenants at risk of homelessness or already homeless
reporting to the Job Centers. Develop anti-eviction/housing plan of intervention for referred participants.

- Interview/assess/intervene with tenants referred form Housing Court Liaison Units, Adult Protective
Services, etc.

- Prepare cases for review by the Rental Assistance Unit for determination of a special grant issuance.

- Maintain case folders, administrative forms, and controls.

- Perform related tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U.S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA); or
2. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State’s Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and four years of full–time satisfactory experience working directly with or for a job opportunity program, providing employment planning/counseling services involving job development, skill assessment and employment placement; or
3. A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience that is equivalent to (1) or (2) above. College credit from an accredited college may be submitted for experience on the basis of 30 semester credits for one year of work experience. However, all candidates must have at least a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent.