Child Support Specialist III - Promotional

County-of-Sonoma-; Santa Rosa (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Sonoma is seeking a Child Support Specialist III to lead and mentor junior staff while handling complex child support cases. You will coordinate with supervisors, attorneys, and colleagues to support case resolution and departmental initiatives.

Responsibilities include processing payments, preparing legal documents, and attending court proceedings. Strong communication and organizational skills, plus proficiency with Microsoft 365 and case management systems, are essential.

Qualifications

• Experience with child support case management practices and procedures
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong interviewing, problem-solving, and customer service skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications and computerized case management systems
• Ability to remain calm, empathetic, and professional when assisting individuals in difficult or stressful situations

Responsibilities

• Processing payments and preparing legal documents, court orders, forms, and case correspondence
• Preparing case files for attorneys and attending court proceedings
• Interviewing case participants and providing customer service to resolve inquiries and concerns
• Utilizing child support case management systems to document case activities and coordinate court events
• Participating in performance improvement initiatives and community outreach events

Skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Interviewing

Customer service

Microsoft 365

Case management systems

Public service mindset

Education

Paralegal or legal assistant coursework

Social and behavioral sciences coursework

Tools

Case management systems

Microsoft 365

Job description

This recruitment is promotional only. You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position.

About the Position

As a Child Support Specialist III, you will serve in a lead capacity, training and mentoring Child Support Specialist I and II staff while managing complex child support cases and performing specialized functions. You will collaborate with supervisors, attorneys, and other staff to support case resolution and departmental initiatives. Additional responsibilities will include:

• Processing payments and preparing legal documents, court orders, forms, and case correspondence
• Preparing case files for attorneys and attending court proceedings
• Interviewing case participants and providing customer service to resolve inquiries and concerns
• Utilizing child support case management systems to document case activities and coordinate court events
• Participating in performance improvement initiatives and community outreach events

The ideal candidate will possess sound judgment, strong interpersonal skills, and a commitment to public service. They will also possess many of the following:

• Multiple years of experience with child support case management practices and procedures
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong interviewing, problem-solving, and customer service skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications and computerized case management systems
• The ability to remain calm, empathetic, and professional when assisting individuals in difficult or stressful situations

Experience

Experience which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, one year of full-time experience as a Child Support Officer II with Sonoma County or equivalent position in another county would provide such opportunity.

Education

Academic course work which relates to the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, this includes courses in investigation, interviewing, paralegal or legal assistant and social and behavioral sciences.

License

Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level, including necessary endorsements as required by the State of California to perform the essential job functions of the position. The position advertised on this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Special Qualifications

The ability to speak, read and write Spanish fluently may be required for certain job assignments.

Considerable knowledge of

government codes and established policies, procedures and regulations which pertain to the collection and enforcement of child support payments; child support collection procedures and methods of collecting and adjusting delinquent accounts; legal terminology; legal forms and documents used to enforce support; methods and techniques used for effectively locate non‑custodial parents, relatives and related persons; interviewing principles and techniques used for obtaining factual information; financial record keeping procedures; modern office practices and procedures; information systems used in the establishment and enforcement of child support laws.

Working knowledge of

procedures, laws, and methods related specialized child support programs, activities and collection methods such as establishing and enforcing interstate and international child support cases, filing, negotiating and releasing liens; tax intercepts; driver=s license suspension, and related programs; community services and resources of use to case participants.

Ability to

apply federal, state or local laws, ordinances, codes, procedures and rules in order to secure current and delinquent child support payments and establish paternity; effectively interview individuals in order to secure information required to collect support payments; explain legal rights, alternatives, and implications of chosen action to affected parties; be sensitive to the needs, attitudes and problems of clients from a variety of socio‑economic backgrounds; understand and use a variety of specialized child support collection methods; resolve formal and informal complaints and problems including credit reporting disputes, problems with tax intercepts, driver's license suspensions, and other issues; effectively use computer and other resources to prepare and manage cases; effectively locate individuals, assets and court orders for support; investigate formal complaints; research information on the whereabouts of non‑custodial parents; make logical determinations from financial statements on the amount of child support payments; monitor child support payment records to ensure compliance with court orders; evaluate case records and prepare cases for civil or criminal action; prepare appropriate legal documents; recognize and report suspected child abuse and possible welfare fraud; conduct Orders of Examination; prepare correspondence and convey facts and information; provide information and referral to case participants about appropriate community services and resources; establish and maintain effective working relationships with case participants, co‑workers, and public and private agency personnel; develop and implement procedures for new and existing program activities; make presentations to staff and the public verbally and in writing to explain policies, procedures and case management techniques; train, mentor and advise other staff in the processes and procedures used to perform child support case work; extract pertinent information from records and memoranda; deal with stressful situations and hostile clients; perform arithmetic calculations; effectively use electronic information systems equipment; analyze and interpret electronic information system data.

Some case assignments require the ability to

learn and apply specialized federal child support laws and procedures, such as UIFSA, URESA, FFCCSOA, and PRWORA, as they apply to interstate and international cases; the child support laws, ordinances, codes, procedures and rules from other states and countries; and the more complex accounting processes as they deal with diverse interest issues of other states and countries.

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. 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, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Additional Information

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to candidates.

Important Requirements

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: CA

HR Technician: NM