FAMILY INVESTMENT SPECIALIST I

This statewide recruitment is being conducted to establish a list of eligible candidates to be used to fill current and future vacancies occurring in our Local Department of Social Services throughout the State.

Applicants should indicate on their applications all counties (or Baltimore City) where they are willing to accept employment for this classification. As positions become available, our Local Departments of Social Services will consider approved candidates from the eligible list.

ALL approved candidates will placed on this list of eligible candidates in one Best-Qualified scoring band and will remain on the list through the end of the year (after which candidates will need to reapply when this classification is reposted). Placement on this list as Best-Qualified is not a guarantee that you will be offered an interview for any given vacancy.

To find out if a Local Department of Social Services is currently recruiting for this classification, please contact their Personnel office directly; contact information for our Local Departments of Social Services can be found at the Department of Human Resources' website, http://dhr.maryland.gov/local-offices/ .   

10

STATEWIDE

Applicants should indicate on their applications all counties (or Baltimore City) where they are willing to accept employment for this classification.

As positions become available, our Local Departments of Social Services will consider approved candidates from the eligible list.

Family Investment Specialist I is the entry level of work providing direct services to individual customers or families by determining customer eligibility for multiple Family Investment Administration programs in a local Department of Social Services.

Employees interview customers to explain program requirements and options, to collect and complete required documentation, to refer customers to other program services or agencies as appropriate and to monitor customer progress and use of assistance. Employees in this classification do not supervise.

Employees receive close supervision from a Family Investment Specialist Supervisor or other higher-level administrator.

Employees may be required to work evenings and weekends and may be required to visit customers in their homes or at facilities such as nursing homes, group homes and hospitals.

Learns to interview applicants for Public Assistance, Medical Assistance and/or Food Stamps in the Family Investment Administration (FIA) of the Department of Human Resources in order to determine customer eligibility and need for FIA programs.

Learns to explain program requirements and procedures to individual customers or in a group setting.

Learns to elicit information as to family composition, employment, health status, financial obligations, parental status and living arrangements.

Learns to calculate incomes and resources to establish benefit level.

Learns to determine program eligibility in accordance with federal, State and local laws, policies, rules and regulations.

Learns to check public records, such as birth records and real estate transactions.

Learns to contact individuals, employers, landlords, attorneys, financial institutions, medical offices, and government and community agencies to obtain, verify or clarify information required for eligibility determinations, such as income, resources, residency and household composition.

Learns to establish and maintain case records using computerized database systems.

Learns to contact customers regarding discrepancies and refer questionable cases to the fraud unit for further follow-up.

Learns to monitor case progress and apply appropriate sanctions when necessary.

Learns to provide information on and make referrals to service agencies, organizations and vendors for appropriate services and information to meet customer health, housing, food, employment assistance, child care and transportation needs.

Learns to serve as a customer advocate.

Learns to provide basic counseling and problem solving support.

May learn to make visits to customers’ homes to gather information.

May learn to prepare appeal packages or testify in administrative appeals hearings.

Performs other related duties.

CANDIDATES MUST MEET THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS TO BE PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE LIST FOR THIS CLASSIFICATION.

Please describe in detail any specific job duties relating to the minimum qualifications stated below and include any computer software experience (ex. Excel, CHESSIE, PowerPoint, Word, etc.) used in each of the positions you held.

EDUCATION: Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

EXPERIENCE: None.

NOTES:

1. Applicants may substitute public contact experience involving negotiating, interviewing, explaining information, gathering and compiling data, performing analysis of data, writing correspondence, and completing mathematical or legal tasks on a year-for-year basis for up to four years of the required education. (IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: If you are using this public contact experience to substitute for missing college education, please describe in detail any job duties relating to each of the seven aspects of public contact experience stated in the note above.)

2. Applicants may substitute possession of an associate of arts degree in Income Maintenance/Family Investment and two years of experience involving public contact and performance of support functions directly related to Family Investment program operations for the required education.

3. These requirements are established by the Family Investment Administration by authority provided in Human Services Article Title 5, Subtitle 2, Section 204 (b)(1) of the Annotated Code of Maryland. The Office of Personnel Services and Benefits of the Department of Budget and Management and the Examination Services Unit of the Department of Human Resources do not have the authority to accept substitutions or equivalents.

Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

Please make sure that you provide sufficient information on your application to show that you meet the qualifications for this recruitment; all information must be received by the closing date.

ALL candidates meeting minimum qualifications will be ranked as Best-Qualified and placed on the employment (eligible) list for the remainder of the year. This list will be used by hiring agencies in our Local Departments of Social Services to select candidates for employment as positions become available.

PLEASE NOTE: Placement on the eligible list as a Best-Qualified candidate means you will be considered for vacancies in locations where you indicated you are willing to work; it is not a guarantee that you will be contacted for each vacancy.

The assessment may consist of a rating of your education, training, and experience related to the requirements of the position.  It is important that you provide complete and accurate information on your application. Please report all experience and education that is related to this position. 

For education obtained outside the U.S., a copy of the equivalent American education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service must accompany the application. 

All information concerning your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date.  We will not consider information submitted after this date.

Credit may be given for relevant part-time, temporary, or volunteer experience if you list the number of hours worked per week. If you are scheduled to complete an educational or licensing requirement within six months of the assessment, you may participate in the application process.

Permanent Maryland State employees may also complete necessary experience requirements within six months of the date of the assessment. However, such candidates will appear in pending status on the eligible list until documentation has been received that the educational and/or experience requirements have been met.

Credit may be given for relevant part-time, temporary, or volunteer experience if you list the number of hours worked per week.

The incumbent in this position is a member of a covered bargaining unit and will be required to pay a bi-weekly service fee to the exclusive representative of the bargaining unit.

STATE OF MARYLAND BENEFITS

Online applications are STRONGLY preferred.  If the online application process is not available, please send your paper application and supplemental questionnaire (if applicable) to:

DHR Examination Services Unit

Attention: Moses Devaprakasam 

311 W. Saratoga Street, First Floor  

Baltimore, Maryland 21201

Inquiries regarding applications and the submittal of supplemental information, such as foreign school evaluations, can be directed via the following: email: dhr.esu@maryland.gov; phone: 410-767-7414. TTY Users via Maryland Relay, 1-800-925-4434. 

Do not submit unsolicited documentation. Resumes, cover letters, copies of diplomas, and transcripts are not required for the examination process. 

We thank our Veterans for their service to our country, and encourage them to apply.

Bilingual applicants are encouraged to apply.

As an equal opportunity employer, Maryland is committed to recruiting, retaining and promoting employees who are reflective of the State’s diversity.