Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Eligibility Technician III (Promotional)

Recruitment #15-1472-01

Introduction

YOU MUST BE AN ALAMEDA COUNTY EMPLOYEE TO APPLY FOR THIS RECRUITMENT.

This opening is to fill vacancies in Oakland and Hayward.

This list may be used to fill future vacancies within the Social Services Agency.

This is a new promotional recruitment.  If you applied previously and were not appointed and would like to compete for this position you must apply for this new recruitment.  The creation of this list will terminate all previous lists for this job.  This list may be cancelled at any time without notice to candidates. 

APPLICATIONS FOR THIS RECRUITMENT WILL BE ACCEPTED ONLINE ONLY.

The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing lists for this recruitment and may last approximately one year, but can be extended. Current employment and completion by (April 14, 2015), of the equivalent of six months of continuous service following a regular appointment in the Alameda County classified service (non-classified includes the District Attorney’s Office, the Medical Center, and the Superior Court) is required for participation in this promotional examination.  A regular appointment does not include provisional, TAP (Temporary Assignment Pool), or STEP-UP appointments.

DESCRIPTION

THE AGENCY

The Alameda County Social Services Agency (SSA) is comprised of 2,200 men and women working collectively and in partnership with community-based organizations to serve the needs of the community.  Services are provided through four departments:  Agency Administration, Adult, Aging and Medical Services, Children and Family Services, and Workforce and Benefits Administration. 

The Agency assists approximately 11.3 percent of Alameda County's residents.  Benefits programs contribute over $278 million to the local economy through cash assistance and CalFresh (formerly known as Food Stamps).  Every month, more than 52,000 people receive CalWORKs (assistance for families with children), CalFresh and General Assistance.  Every month health insurance is made available to more than 78,000 people through the Medi-Cal program. More than 11,000 frail, elderly and disabled individuals receive in-home care, adult protection and support managing their affairs monthly and 16,000 seniors will receive services through the Area Agency on Aging throughout the year.  3,700 children are in foster care.  More than 1,600 reports of child abuse or neglect are filed with SSA each month.  Emergency shelter is made available to 415 people nightly.

The Social Services Agency works collectively and in partnership with community-based organizations to serve the needs of individuals, families and communities within Alameda County. The Agency provides public assistance benefits to low-income individuals and families.  Eligibility Technician IIIs are specialists in determining initial and continuing eligibility of applicants and recipients for public assistance programs.

THE POSITION

Eligibility Technician IIIs are specialist in assisting individuals, families and children enroll in or maintain health coverage and determining initial and on-going eligibility for such programs as CalFresh, General Assistance or CalWORKS.

Eligibility Technician IIIs represent the senior level of the Eligibility Technician series and may manage non-yardstick caseloads, provide specialized case management for County employees and former County employees receiving or applying for public assistance, review and compute budgets in compliance with fair hearings or in conformance with court decisions and manage cases which have not been assigned.  Eligibility Technician IIIs may work full-time in positions out-stationed in other Agencies, non-county facilities, and/or branch offices with little or no on-site supervision and perform related duties as required.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate for the position of Eligibility Technician III must have exceptional knowledge and direct work experience administering public assistance programs, including but not limited to Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, Cal Fresh, General Assistance and Foster Care.  The successful candidate will have excellent oral and written communication skills; they will have the ability to grasp and implement new concepts quickly and efficiently and will be able to accurately disseminate information to Social Services clients. The candidate will be adaptable, organized, and able to multi-task and operate efficiently and effectively within strict timelines. The candidate must be resourceful and know where and how to find appropriate policy, procedures and regulations. The candidate will have a successful record of demonstrating excellent customer service skills and professional behavior.  They are able to maintain a positive demeanor when facing changes and difficult work situations.  They are able to work independently, recognizing when to escalate an issue to a supervisor.  The successful candidate will have a collaborative working style and have successfully demonstrated the ability to work well with culturally diverse employees and clients.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants for this recruitment must qualify through one of the below patterns:

Pattern Number One: 

The equivalent of one-year full-time experience in the class of Eligibility Technician II in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or Pattern Number Two

The equivalent of two years’ full-time experience in a position that required determining eligibility and computing budgets or public assistance at a level comparable to that of Eligibility Technician II in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

License: Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license is required for most positions.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties” section of this specification.

Knowledge of:

• Eligibility requirements for all aid categories.
• Functions of public assistance agencies and the principles of income maintenance and public social services.
• Provisions of the California Welfare and Institutions Code, the Social Security Act, and other pertinent legislation in the field of public welfare.

Abilities:

• Establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships with the general public, other departments, and other groups and organizations.
• Analyzing and evaluating situations, reaching sound conclusions, and making appropriate recommendations.
• Working effectively with minimal supervision.
• Written communication.
• Oral communication.
• Entering and maintaining case records effectively.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

The examination will consist of the following steps:

1.    A review of candidates' application to verify possession of minimum requirements.  Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2.    An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score.  The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this recruitment.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit.  Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position.  Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.  For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Selection Plan

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance.  The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

Deadline for Filing:                                                                    5:00 pm April 15, 2015
Review of Minimum Qualifications:                                                          April 28, 2015
Oral Interviews:                                                                         Week of May 11, 2015


The Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate qualified individuals with mental and physical disabilities, and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and Alameda County Resolution No. R-83-773.  To request an accommodation due to a disability during this or other phases of the selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Analyst listing on the job announcement before the final filing deadline. Alameda County Human Resources Services will require documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a permanent disability pursuant to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's statute of the Americans with Disability Act of 1990, as amended, and/or the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) Act.

 

 

 

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Welfare Benefits

  • Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
  • Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
  • Vision
  • Basic Life Insurance 
  • Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
  • County Allowance
  • Health Flexible Spending Account
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
  • Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
  • Long Term Care Insurance
  • Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

  • Short-term Disability Insurance
  • Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
  • Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

  • 11 paid holidays
  • Vacation and sick leave accrual
  • Vacation purchase program
  • Management Paid Leave**
  • Group Auto/Home
  • Commuter Benefits Program
  • Guaranteed Ride Home
  • Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
  • Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
  • Child Care Resources
  • 1st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you.

All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page. Please take the steps recommended above to insure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Ione Bell
Human Resource Analyst II
Personnel Services Division
County of Alameda
510-272-6456

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

www.acgov.org