Programs Specialist II - Frederick County, VA

Hiring Range

Hiring Range: $52,206.00 to Commensurate With Experience

Full Time or Part Time: Full Time

Frederick County Department of Social Services is one of the 120 locally-administered, state-supervised agencies who work in partnership with the Virginia Department of Social Services to help those in our community most in need. Our mission is to deliver client centered, quality human services that help the citizens of Frederick County achieve safety, independence, and overall well-being. Frederick County is located at the tip of the Northern Shenandoah Valley and is in the northernmost corner of the state of Virginia.

The county sits at the mouth of the Shenandoah Valley with the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Allegheny Mountains to the west. Frederick County staff are guided by its values which are to be people focused, committed to excellence, and to respect differences so that the agency can continue to provide exceptional and innovative social services to its citizens.

Minimum Salary: $52,206.00 (Commensurate with experience)

Benefit Programs Specialist II represents the full-performance level in the Benefit Programs Specialist occupational group.

Employees’ responsibilities are related to the determination and re-determination of eligibility of individuals and families for financial assistance, SNAP, medical assistance, and for other social services’ benefit programs.

Title Description – Benefit Programs Specialist II represents the full performance level in the Benefit Programs Specialist occupational group. Employees’ responsibilities are related to the determination and re-determination of eligibility of individuals and families for financial assistance, food stamps, medical assistance, and for other social services’ benefit programs. The work is performed within established policies, procedures and guidelines, but certain aspects of eligibility determination require independent judgment, especially as related to evaluation of social factors influencing eligibility.

Employees seek supervisory help for difficult or unusual situations only. The Benefit Programs Specialist II is distinguished from the Benefit Programs Specialist III by the latter’s performing advanced technical work requiring depth and breadth of knowledge to understand, analyze and act on complex cases. Also, the Benefit Programs Specialist III serves as a technical resource for others regarding social services’ eligibility programs.

The work is performed within established policies, procedures and guidelines, but certain aspects of eligibility determination require independent judgment, especially as related to evaluation of social factors influencing eligibility. Employees seek supervisory help for difficult or unusual situations only. Interviews persons for assistance, obtains necessary information, and re-determines their continuing eligibility; explains benefit programs and determines reasons and need for assistance;

processes applications for financial assistance and diversion; determines eligibility for assistance and benefit levels using automated systems and manual methods; interprets policies and procedures applicable to the various programs; monitors cases for changes in recipient circumstances, and implements changes to appropriately reflect benefit level within guidelines; evaluates employability status of clients and explores potential sources of income; explains client responsibilities, rights and program availability;

refers clients to service worker as the result of overall assessment of situation; prepares reports and maintains client records; identifies possible fraud and makes appropriate referrals; evaluates consistency and completeness of data secured, and where indicated substantiates its accuracy; explains programs and rights/responsibilities of applicants and recipients; explores other possible sources of income; computes assistance plans; determines the amount of allowances for special circumstance items such as household equipment;

identifies clearly discernible social problems and makes referrals to Social Workers; provides applicants or…