CLIENT ADVOCATE

NYC Department of Social Services; New York (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The NYC Department of Social Services seeks a Principal Administrative Associate II to serve as a CLIENT ADVOCATE within the Office of Constituent Services. Under the Constituent Communications Supervisor, you will advocate for clients, resolve inquiries, and intervene to stop adverse actions when applicable.

You will handle about 30 calls and 7–8 correspondences daily, using WMS, POS, HRA One Viewer, and other tools to determine next steps and communicate outcomes to constituents.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with three years of clerical/administrative experience, including supervisory work.
• Associate degree and four years of clerical/administrative experience with one year supervisory.
• High school diploma and five years of clerical/administrative experience with supervisory experience.
• Equivalent combination of education/experience with one year supervisory requirement.

Responsibilities

• Advocate on behalf of clients and resolve inquiries with various DSS/HRA/DHS units.
• Provide excellent customer service with empathetic listening and professional demeanor.
• Research inquiries using WMS, POS, HRA One Viewer and related systems to guide next steps.
• Liaise with Job Centers, SNAP, Medicaid offices, HASA and other agencies for actions and outcomes.
• Prioritize inquiries and draft clear letters, emails, and memos for constituents.

Skills

Excellent customer service

Empathetic listening

Communication skills

Professional demeanor

Education

Bachelor's degree

Associate degree

High school diploma

Education/experience equivalence

Tools

Welfare Management System (WMS)

Paperless Office System (POS)

IQ system

HRA One Viewer

Job description

APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE CIVIL SERVICE TITLE

The External Affairs division of DSS tells the story of how our agency, comprised of over 16,000 dedicated individuals, is proudly fighting poverty and homelessness, with care and compassion, every single day.

We do this by engaging New Yorkers in multiple ways. From advertisements on the streets and in the subways, to the responsiveness of our call center operators, we bring every program, every resource, every employee’s hard work to bear in telling our story.

The work we do isn’t easy. New Yorkers come to us in their times of need, seeking assistance to put food on the table, access basic health care, or get a roof over their heads. We know our staff helps people navigate some of life’s most challenging circumstances, and our job is to share with the outside world how our work makes an impact.

Under the direction of the Constituent Communications Supervisor, with considerable latitude for independent action or decision, performs difficult and responsible administrative work by advocation on behalf of the clients to resolve clients’ phone or written inquiries and stop any adverse action taken when applicable, and providing timely notification to clients regarding the outcome of their inquiry. Each Client Advocate processes about 30 telephone inquiries daily and between 7-8 correspondences cases daily. All case inquiries are data entered into the Intranet Quorum (IQ) system for tracking and monitoring.

The Office of Constituent Services (OCS) is recruiting for one (1) Principal Administrative Associate II to function as a CLIENT ADVOCATE, who will:

• Advocate on behalf of clients who call or write to inquire about their case or services with various DSS/HRA/DHS units to ensure all concerns are addressed, proper resolution is obtained

and provides effective and immediate intervention to stop any adverse actions on cases when applicable.

• Provide excellent customer service with active and empathetic listening skills and a clear focus on the clients' needs, interacting in a professional manner and handling frustrated callers in a calm, reassuring demeanor.


• Use multiple computer systems to research and resolve inquiries while conversing with callers, using most HRA database systems, including the Welfare Management System (WMS), Paperless Office System (POS), HRA One Viewer, etc., to determine and assist with the next steps to resolve the constituent's issue.


• Liaise with Job Centers, SNAP Centers, Medicaid offices, HASA, other HRA programs, and other government agencies to take the necessary actions on cases and let the constituent know the outcome by phone or letter.


• Review and prioritizes inquiries received as telephone calls and as written inquiries by email, fax, and mail from participants and applicants in BRA programs, elected officials, and the general public.


• Report findings by summarizing and writing on cases into clearly organized and plainly communicated letters, emails, and memos, including written responses that are sent to constituents on behalf of the Mayor and the Commissioner utilizing templates available in the Intranet Quorum (IQ) system.

Work Location: 4 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007

Hours/Schedule: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOC - 10124

Minimum Qualifications

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and three years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience, one year of which must have been in an administrative capacity or supervising staff performing clerical/administrative work of more than moderate difficulty; or


• An associate degree or 60 semester credits from an accredited college and four years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience including one year of the administrative supervisory experience described in \\"1\\" above; or


• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's department of education or a recognized accrediting organization and five years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience including one year of the administrative supervisory experience as described in \\"1\\" above;


• Education and/or experience equivalent to \\"1\\", \\"2\\", or \\"3\\" above. However, all candidates must possess the one year of administrative or supervisory experience as described in \\"1\\" above. Education above the high school level may be substituted for the general clerical/administrative experience (but not for the one year of administrative or supervisory experience described in \\"1\\" above) at a rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college for 6 months of experience up to a maximum of 3½ years.

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.