Child Support Specialist I

Douglas County Government; Lone Tree (CO); Hybrid; USD 38,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Douglas County Government seeks an entry-level professional to support the Child Support Unit. This role involves assisting with intake, establishment, modification, and enforcement tasks, navigating state and county systems, and helping clients with a range of services.

Ideal candidates will have a high school diploma or GED, basic knowledge of child support programs, and strong MS Office and communication skills.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED is required.
• Basic knowledge of child support services and human services programs.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and basic computer systems.
• Strong communication and customer-service skills with de‑escalation abilities.
• Ability to follow instructions, work independently, and maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Support intake, establishment, modification, and enforcement tasks for child support cases.
• Assist with preparing documents, setting hearings, and updating databases.
• Communicate with clients and stakeholders regarding case updates and actions.
• Perform basic bookkeeping duties like entering payments and reconciling ledgers.
• Support legal work-flow processes for attorneys and staff.
• Attend training and cover additional caseloads as needed.

Skills

MS Office Suite

Customer service

Communication

Time management

Confidentiality

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Summary of Position

This entry-level position is responsible for supporting technical, legal, and customer support duties related to the establishment, modification, and enforcement of court orders within the Child Support Unit. The role involves learning to navigate state and county computer systems to manage child support cases and assist clients with a range of services.

Example of Duties

You will take on one or more of the following roles as part of your role:

(Duties listed are meant to be examples and are not necessarily comprehensive)

Intake

• Reviews child support applications and public assistance referrals to gather essential information for new cases.
• Monitor application timelines to meet state and federal requirements.
• Create case files, input court order details into databases, and generate initial paperwork.
• Provide information on child support services and assist clients with the application process.

Establishment

• Support establishing paternity and child support by gathering necessary information and preparing documents.
• Assist in setting court hearings, notifying parties updating case information.
• Provide support to the County Attorney during court proceedings.
• Initiates cases to other states’ child support agencies when necessary.

Modification

• Review and assess requests for child support modifications based on case need.
• Collect relevant financial information and assist in preparing documents for review.Coordination hearings, notify involved parties, and update database records.

Enforcement

• Communicates with stakeholders about case updates, enforcement actions, and other inquiries.
• Research case details and track automated enforcement measures
• Prepare legal documents, initiate out-of-state cases as needed, and ensure timely follow-up.

Bookkeeper

• Managing basic child support ledgers, including entering initial payment information and ensuring database accuracy.
• Review and allocate identified payments, with guidance for handling payments in suspense.
• Update the database with Over-the Counter payments and related information and record keeping.
• Perform locate activity when necessary to resolve pending disbursements.

Legal

• Support legal case processing by handling routine judicial related administrative and legal duties.
• With guidance, manage legal work‑flow processes for attorneys, child support, and court staff.
• Using strong organizational skills, be able to follow detailed timelines to ensure legal, program compliance.

Other Duties

• Complete training and attend meetings or professional events as assigned.
• Support team members during absences or vacancies by covering additional caseloads.
• Crosstrain in other functions as necessary. Performs other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISON and JUDGMENT

Work under the general supervision of a lead worker or supervisor, with guidance provided as needed. The role involves developing independent decision‑making skills aligned with opportunities to grow within the Child Support Unit and gain valuable experience in legal and human services.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Two (2) years full time public-facing roles, one (1) year preferred in eligibility determinations or legal secretarial experience
• A combination of experience and education may be considered.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Basic knowledge of child support services and human services programs (TANF, Medicaid, SNAP).
• Proficiency in computer software, particularly in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong communication skills, including customer services and de‑escalation abilities.
• Time management and organizational skills to ensure timely case processing.
• Ability to follow instructions, work independently, and maintain confidentiality.

Certifications, Requirements

• APA certification within one (1) year (for Establishment or Modification roles).
• Enforcement certification within one (1) year (for Enforcements roles).
• Notary Public Commission within three months of hire.
• This position requires successful completion of a criminal background check including fingerprinting through a national database.

Additional Information

This classification is a part of a career progression pathway series.

Work Environment

• Work is generally performed in a standard office environment which may be located in any Douglas County Building. Work may also include remote work from a home office or a hybrid mix.
• Office environment may include sitting or standing for periods of time in a shared cubicle work area. Most of the workday is spent at a computer, looking at a screen requiring close vision.
• Daily work includes use of a computer (laptop or desktop), mouse, keyboard, headset. Work may include general use of office equipment such as: telephones, copiers, scanners, mail machines and audio/visual equipment.

The job details outlined in this posting may represent a modified summary of the full job description.

In the event of an emergency/disaster in or near the County, all County employees are expected to make every effort to be available to assist the County Manager, Elected/Appointed Officials and Department Directors to ensure the continued operation of any and all necessary County functions. This may mean being available to perform additional duties and hours beyond what is normally required. In the event that an exempt employee does work more than 40 hours a week in support of County operations during an emergency, such employee may receive overtime or other appropriate wage compensation in accordance with existing County policies or at the discretion of the County.

• Please include a full and complete history of your work experience in your application. Failure to include information may result in disqualification.
• If you have a disability and would like to request an ADA accommodation, to complete an application or at any time during the recruitment process, please contact the HR Department from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday except County holidays at 303-660-7427.
• Douglas County is dedicated to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity in any term, condition, or privilege of employment. We do not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of age, race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.
• In compliance with the Job Application Fairness Act (SB 23-158), applicants may redact information that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution in your application, transcripts and/or other application materials.
• Douglas County requires a pre‑employment drug screen (including marijuana) and background check, which may include fingerprinting to be run through a national database to determine criminal activity, prior to employment.
• Douglas County participates in E‑Verify. We will provide the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, with information from each new employee's Form I‑9 to confirm work authorization.

Douglas County offers a comprehensive benefit package. http://www.douglas.co.us/government/departments/humanresources/employee-benefits/

Why Douglas County? We offer excellent benefits to our employees!

• 11 ½ paid holidays each year + a floating holiday
• 9 hours of paid vacation per month
• 8 hours of paid sick time per month
• Medical insurance employees can choose from two plan options: United Healthcare Doctors Plan or United Healthcare HDHP Plan
• Life insurance 2 times employee salary at no cost to employee
• Mandatory retirement – defined contribution of 8% – matched at 8%
• Annual performance reviews with potential for an increase

Additionally, we offer dental, vision, accident/critical illness insurance, tuition reimbursement, and employee training.