Virginia Department of Social Services

Human services for Virginians

Human Services Assistant 3 - Benefits

Case Management & AdvocacyConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeHopewell, VA, USA$36.6kIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

High school diploma supplemented with post-secondary coursework in subjects such as social work, human services, gerontology, social or behavioral sciences, business, or a related field, and relevant work experience in public administrative support work, or an equivalent combination of training and experience providing the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Considerable knowledge of customer and personal services, including customer needs assessment, service quality standards, and customer satisfaction evaluation.
Knowledge of English structure and content, including word meaning and spelling, grammar, and composition.
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems, including word processing, spreadsheets, file and record management, and office procedures and terminology.
Working knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; mathematics and research methods; assigned-program eligibility requirements; and available community resources.
Some knowledge of laws, regulations, requirements, and policies governing local, state, and federal social, assistance, and housing programs.
Skill operating automated office equipment, including calculators and fax/copiers, and using computer-driven word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, and file-maintenance programs.
Ability to communicate effectively with program participants; plan, organize, and prioritize work; and establish and maintain working relationships with clients, professionals, coworkers, and the public to exchange ideas and coordinate activities.
Ability to accept direction and follow established procedures; counsel others; organize and post-date information from records, reports, and other sources in the appropriate format; and resolve conflicts when working with clients, professionals, and employees.
Ability to create forms, charts, and graphs; perform arithmetic with whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; compute rates, ratios, and percentages; and draw and interpret bar graphs.
Ability to make screening decisions using specific criteria, read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and manuals, and conduct effective face-to-face and telephone interviews.

Responsibilities

Serve as the initial point of contact for clients and applicants seeking benefits or services and screen them for eligibility and services.
Interview clients and applicants; explain programs, services, policies, procedures, and general eligibility requirements.
Assist clients with applications and perform initial screening of applications.
Evaluate and approve agency providers.
Research information and search databases to obtain or verify information needed to process applications.
Provide information to clients seeking services and make direct referrals for services.
Maintain logs of client documentation received.
Schedule and coordinate appointments for clients to meet with benefits, employment, or services staff.
Contact clients to obtain requested or needed information and respond to routine questions in person, by email, or by telephone.
Analyze client and family needs, coordinate supportive resources, and generate payments for services when appropriate.
Attend and testify at administrative hearings.
Prepare periodic, special, and statistical reports.
Assist with the orientation and training of new staff.

Title Description- Human Services Assistant III represents the specialist level in the occupational group for Human Services Assistants. Employees serve as the initial point of contact for clients seeking benefits and/ or services and screens clients for benefits and services. Human Services Assistant III is distinguished from Human Services Assistant II by serving as a screener and the initial point of contact for the clients seeking benefits and/or services.

General Work Tasks (Illustrative Only) –

Screens clients for benefits and services;
Interviews clients and explains programs, services, policies and procedures;
Assists clients with applications;
Evaluates and approves agency providers;
Researches information;
Serves as initial point of contact for applicants;
Interviews applicants for benefits and/or service programs;
Provides information regarding various programs and benefits, general eligibility requirements, policies and procedures;
Assists clients with completing applications and performs initial screening of applications;
Provides information to clients seeking services and directly makes referrals for services;
Researches a variety of databases to obtain and/or verify information needed to process applications;
Maintains logs of client documentation received;
Schedules and coordinates appointments for clients to meet with benefit, employment or services staff;
Contacts clients for requested/needed information and responds to routine questions in person, e-mail or by telephone; and
Analyzes needs and coordinates resources that will support families/clients and generates payment for services when appropriate.
In addition to the above other illustrative program area assignment/tasks follow:

Benefit Programs:
Attends and testifies at administrative hearings;
Prepares periodic, special and other reports for statistics; and
Provides assistance in the orientation/training of new staff.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge- Considerable knowledge of: principles and processes for providing customer and personal services (including customer needs assessment, meeting of quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction); structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar; and administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, spreadsheets, managing files and records, and other office procedures and terminology. Working knowledge of: human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; mathematics and research methods; and eligibility requirements for the programs assigned; and available community resources. Some knowledge of laws, regulations, requirements and policies of Local, State, and Federal social, assistance and housing programs.

Skills- Skill in: operating a variety of automated office equipment to include calculator, fax/copier; and the use of computer-driven word processing, spreadsheet, graphics and file maintenance programs.

Abilities- Demonstrated ability to: communicate effectively with program participants; plan, organize, and prioritize own work schedule; establish and maintain working relationships with clients, professionals, co-workers, and the public sufficient to exchange ideas and coordinate activities; accept direction and follow established procedures; counsel others; organize, and post date, from records, reports and other sources using the appropriate format; exhibit solid interpersonal skills, including conflict resolution in working with clients, professionals and employees; create forms, charts, and graphs; add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs; make screening decisions based upon specific criteria’s; read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, manuals; and conduct effective interviews both face-to-face and by telephone.

Education and Experience- High school diploma supplemented with post-secondary coursework in subjects such as social work, human services, gerontology, or one of the social or behavioral sciences, business or related field, and relevant work experience in public administrative support work OR any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Minimum Salary: $36,633.75

Maximum Salary: Commensurate with experience

About the Company

Virginia Department of Social Services

Human services for Virginians

Virginia Department of Social Services is the state agency that designs and administers human-service programs for people and families across Virginia. Its responsibilities include food and energy assistance, foster care and adoption, child support, licensing, and abuse and neglect prevention. The department works with local social-services agencies and community partners to deliver benefits, protection, and family support. The agency spans benefits administration, protection, family services, regulation, and statewide oversight while providing policy, systems, funding, training, and operational support to Virginia’s locally administered social-services network.

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