FAMILY INVESTMENT SPECIALIST IV

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/ .

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STATEWIDE

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.   

Family Investment Specialist IV is the advanced and lead level of work providing specialized services in eligibility determination or quality assurance review of customer eligibility for Family Investment Administration (FIA) programs. In eligibility determination, employees are assigned special, complex cases and in quality control, employees review a required number of cases processed by eligibility determination workers to assure accuracy and compliance with State and federal regulations.

Employees in this classification assign, review, and approve the work of and train lower-level Family Investment Specialists.

Employees receive general 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 clients in their homes or at facilities such as nursing homes, group homes and hospitals.

Assigns and reviews the work of and trains lower-level Family Investment Specialists in completeness, accuracy, application of and compliance with State and federal policies, procedures, laws, rules and regulations.

Provides specialized services in the Family Investment Administration (FIA) of the Department of Human Resources in eligibility determination or quality control.

Reviews cases processed by eligibility determination workers for Public Assistance, Medical Assistance, Food Stamps or other services in the Family Investment Administration (FIA) of the Department of Human Resources.

For quality control, reviews eligibility determinations for accuracy and compliance with State and federal policies, procedures, laws, rules and regulations.

Calculates income and resources to verify benefit category and level.

Interviews clients to verify information in case records.

Contacts 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.

Contacts customers regarding discrepancies and refers questionable cases to the fraud unit for further follow-up.

Determines causes of errors in eligibility determinations and recommends corrective actions; Reviews reports and applies that information to the review of eligibility determinations.

Records and updates information in automated databases and classifies and codes errors for statistical analysis.

Serves as an advocate on behalf of customers.

May prepare appeal packages or testify in administrative and appeals hearings.

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

Performs other related duties.

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

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

EXPERIENCE: Three years experience determining eligibility for GOVERNMENTAL assistance programs or monitoring compliance in those programs.

NOTES:

1. Additional experience determining eligibility for governmental assistance programs or monitoring compliance in those programs may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for up to four years of the required education.

2. 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.

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: LaToura Jones

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.