County of Sonoma

Welfare Fraud Investigator I

Recruitment #0912-4243-O

Salary:

$30.08 - $36.56/hour; $5,231.71 - $6,358.76/month; $62,780.52 - $76,305.12/year

Department:

Human Services

Date Opened:

12/2/2009 11:00:00 AM

Filing Deadline:

12/16/2009 11:59:00 PM

Job Type:

Full Time (40 hrs/week)

Recruiter:

Marina Luna

HR Tech:

Kathy Williams

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Bulletin

POSITION INFORMATION

Sonoma County Human Services is seeking an experienced investigator for the Welfare Fraud Investigations Unit. The Welfare Fraud Investigator I investigates complex and sensitive cases related to suspected welfare fraud and suspected violations of the law in connection with public assistance programs administered by the Human Services Department. Typical duties include explaining provisions of laws regarding welfare fraud; conducting field surveillance; preparing case records files for trial; requesting issuance of complaints from the District Attorney's Office; serving civil papers and subpoenas; and making arrests on matters related to welfare fraud. Normally the work days are Monday through Friday, for this position, unless surveillance or other investigation related duties require otherwise. Bilingual English/Spanish skills are preferred for this position. Bilingual applicants are encouraged to apply!

The ideal candidate will possess:

Demonstrated investigative and case preparation skills

Ability to work independently

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Ability to maintain effective working relationships with the general public and staff

Understanding of populations that are socially or economically disadvantaged and services provided by the department

The Sonoma County Human Services Department Welfare Fraud Investigations Unit is a P.O.S.T. certified agency. Please see special qualifications under the minimum qualifications section of this bulletin. Welfare Fraud Investigators in the Sonoma County Human Services Department are unarmed.

This recruitment is being conducted to fill One FULL-TIME vacancy in the Human Services Department. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) vacancies as they occur during the active status of the list.

HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT:
To protect vulnerable children and adults, and promote maximum independence and well-being for individuals and families. Services provided include:

Adult & Aging Services
Family, Youth & Childen's Services
Veterans Advocacy Services
Employment & Training Services
Economic Assistance

We are dedicated to providing quality, client-focused, and cost-effective services by:

1. Promoting self-esteem, self-sufficiency and maximum independence for clients
2. Treating each individual with respect, integrity, and compassion
3. Respecting and acknowledging diversity in individuals, families, and the community
4. Providing leadership at the community and state levels by identifying human service issues and shaping policies to meet these needs
5. Promoting collaboration between the public and private sector

The agency values the integrity, teamwork, leadership, and accountability of all staff in accomplishing the Mission of the Department.

TENTATIVE ORAL INTERVIEW EXAMINATION DATE IS: Tuesday, January 12, 2010

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Working Knowledge of: investigative techniques; information commonly used in locating persons; interviewing principles and techniques; the principles of identification, preservation and presentation of evidence; the English language, its usage, syntax and grammatical structure; the legal rights of citizens as pertains to welfare fraud investigations.

Some Knowledge of: legal procedures and rules of evidence with particular reference to investigation; basic laws and welfare regulations relating to welfare assistance programs; financial record keeping.

Ability to: conduct effective field investigations; establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public and staff; prepare basic factual reports in both written and oral formats.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Graduation from high school or possession of an acceptable General Education Development Certificate as required by the California Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training. Academic coursework in the behavior sciences, law enforcement, and the techniques of investigations is highly desirable.

Experience: Any combination of training and experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, two years of recent, full-time paid experience performing responsible investigative work with public or private agency OR one year of full-time paid experience comparable to the level of Welfare Fraud Investigator Trainee with the Sonoma County Human Services Department, would provide such experience.

Special Qualifications: Possession of a Specialized or Regular Basic Certificate issued by the California Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training OR a certificate of completion issued by an approved training institution verifying that the candidate has completed approved California P.O.S.T. courses that make the candidate eligible for award of a Specialized or Regular California P.O.S.T. Basic Certificate upon successful completion of probationary employment as a Welfare Fraud Investigator I.

License: Possession of a valid driver’s license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

Background Requirement: Incumbents shall not have been convicted of a felony in this state or any other state or in any federal jurisdiction, or of any offense in any other state or in any federal jurisdiction, which would have been a felony if committed in this state, nor be under current formal probation supervision.

CANDIDATES CERTIFIED FOR EMPLOYMENT MUST BE WILLING TO UNDERGO AN IN-DEPTH BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, INCLUDING A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION AND CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK, AND A MEDICAL EXAMINATION.

Citizenship requirement: Permanent resident aliens who wish to be employed as peace officers must apply for citizenship at least one year before application for such employment. If a permanent resident alien has not obtained citizenship within three years after application for employment or is denied citizenship, he or she shall be disqualified for peace officer status.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: The information contained in the application and responses to the supplemental questions will be evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the employment process. Applicants should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application and be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions. You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, please list each position separately. Failure to comply with these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE MANDATORY SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination(s):

An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal (pass/not pass) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's combination of educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities, which relate to this position to ensure satisfaction of the minimum qualification for this position.
If a significant number of qualified applications is received, an Oral Interview Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted. Only the most suitably qualified applicants from the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal will be invited to an Oral Interview Examination. Candidate’s related knowledge, skills, and abilities will be evaluated in the oral interview examination. APPLICANTS MUST PASS THE ORAL EXAMINATION WITH A SCORE OF 70% OR HIGHER, AS ESTABLISHED BY THE PASS POINT, TO BE PLACED ON THE EMPLOYMENT LIST.

TENTATIVE ORAL INTERVIEW EXAMINATION DATE IS: Tuesday, January 12, 2010

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BACKGROUND PROCESS:
Prior to employment, candidates will undergo a thorough background examination to investigate employment, education, and personal fitness for the position. The background investigation may include an inquiry into your personal and social history including your use of drugs and alcohol, a psychological evaluation, and medical examination.The results of these examinations are confidential and shall not be available to the candidate or anyone else for review. This process will require the candidate be present on various occasions and typically takes a minimum of eight weeks.

Additionally, a pre-employment medical examination, including a drug and alcohol screening, will be required prior to employment.

Applications are accepted on-line at www.jobaps.com/sonoma. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma is committed to a policy and actively pursues a program of equal employment and non-discrimination.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

In an effort to mitigate the impact of budget reductions on the County workforce, the County of Sonoma has implemented a program of mandatory time off for the current fiscal year. Most County offices, activities, and services will be closed from December 24, 2009 through December 31, 2009. During that period, most County employees will be on a work furlough. The amount of pay deducted for the unpaid furlough time will be determined by the employee’s regularly allocated work schedule and the number of pay periods remaining in the current fiscal year in order to accomplish a 40 hour contribution by June 28, 2010.

In order to minimize the impact of the unpaid furlough on employees, a deduction will be withheld each pay period from the date of hire through the end of the fiscal year in June 2010. Employees hired before the holiday closure will participate in the full 40 hour furlough. The 40 hour deduction will be amortized over the period between date of hire and the end of the fiscal year in June 2010.

Employees hired after the holiday closure and prior to the end of the fiscal year will accrue unpaid leave hours (MTO) on a pro-rated basis. Deduction of the accrued MTO hours will be amortized over the remaining pay periods in the fiscal year. Hours accumulated as a result of this deduction shall be used as time off prior to the use of any accumulated vacation leave, by mutual agreement of the employee and their department head or designee.

MTO for part-time employees will be pro-rated, based upon their assigned FTE.

SONOMA COUNTY BENEFITS

COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: GENERAL

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

GENEROUS PAID TIME OFF:

Vacation Leave: Generous vacation accrual based on years of County service
Sick Leave: No limit on accumulation
Holidays: 11 paid holidays plus 8-10 hours annual compensatory time

COMPREHENSIVE RETIREMENT:

Retirement Plan: 3% @60 general retirement tax deferred contributory system under the County Retirement Act of 1937. Fully integrated with Social Security. 3% @50 for most law enforcement job classes
Deferred Compensation: 457 plan
Retiree medical: The County provides a reimbursement program to assist in funding health benefits upon retirement.

EXCEPTIONAL HEALTH AND WELFARE PLANS:

Insurance: Vision and employee long term disability plan paid by the County. Dental coverage and choice of three health plans with generous portions of premiums paid by the County

Cash Allowance: Effective May 2009 a cash allowance of approximately $600/month that may be used towards health contribution accounts, deferred compensation, or as cash
Group Term Life Insurance for $10,000 paid by the County
Textbook & Tuition reimbursement: For approved job-related training and educational course work
Tax exempt health/dependent care reimbursement program

AND MORE......

Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process, more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331.

Updated 12/29/08