DCS MAXIMIZATION SPECIALIST - ASSOCIATE - 10302026-82375

State of Tennessee

Knoxville (TN)

On-site

USD 39,000 - 49,000

Full time

3 days ago

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Job summary

State of Tennessee in Knoxville is seeking a results-driven professional to perform federal funding determinations and revenue maximization for the Department of Children’s Services. The role requires a bachelor's degree and offers responsibilities across eligibility determinations and cross-agency coordination.

The incumbent will monitor funding systems, ensure compliance with SSI/SSA criteria, TennCare, and Medicaid, and interact with attorneys and court liaisons to meet federal requirements.

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree.
Qualifying full-time eligibility determination experience or professional funding determination experience at a professional, paraprofessional, or technical level may be substituted for the required education, on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of four years.
Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age on the date of application;
Be a citizen of the United States;
Possess a valid driver's license prior to and during employment;
Have a good moral character, as determined by investigation;
Complete a criminal history disclosure form in a manner approved by the appointing authority;
Have no conviction for a felony;
Agree to release all records involving their criminal history to the appointment authority;
Supply a fingerprint sample in a manner prescribed by the TBI for a fingerprint based criminal history records check.
Submit to and pass a pre-employment screening test for use of illegal drugs.

Responsibilities

Monitors and makes adjustments in the system daily to ensure that funding is appropriately applied to maximize federal revenue.
Communicates changes/updates with the Social Security Administration to ensure that SSI requirements are met for on-going SSI eligibility.
Monitors placement and level of care for DCS children to ensure that federal and state funds are being claimed or dispersed appropriately.
Recommends approval/closure of TennCare and manages ongoing TennCare benefits for Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, Subsidized Permanent Guardianship, and Extension of Foster Care Services.
Determines if children placed in Tennessee from other states who are receiving Title IV-E federal funding meet the requirements for TennCare and assists in determining if DCS children meet Medicaid requirements when placed out of state.
Applies to be representative payee of a child's benefits if they enter DCS custody with any federal benefits in place.
Conducts periodic reviews of a custodial child's situation to determine if federal benefits criteria are met.
Reviews court documents to identify appropriate judicial determinations for custodial children and interprets documentation to determine whether the judicial findings meet federal requirements.

Skills

Customer Focus

Action Oriented

Collaborates

Communicates Effectively

Manages Ambiguity

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Office Productivity Software

Personal Computer

Laptop

Calculator

Job description

State of Tennessee Job Information

Opening Date/Time 10/30/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Job Information

Opening Date/Time 10/30/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Closing Date/Time 11/05/2026 11:59PM Central Time

Salary (Monthly) $3,261.00 - $4,081.00

Salary (Annually) $39,132.00 - $48,972.00

Job Type Full-Time

City, State Location Knoxville, TN

Department Children's Services

LOCATION OF (1) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARYTMENT OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES, KNOX COUNTY

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree.

Substitution of Experience for Education:

Qualifying full-time eligibility determination experience or professional funding determination experience at a professional, paraprofessional, or technical level may be substituted for the required education, on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of four years.

Necessary Special Qualifications:

Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age on the date of application;
Be a citizen of the United States;
Possess a valid driver's license prior to and during employment;
Have a good moral character, as determined by investigation;
Complete a criminal history disclosure form in a manner approved by the appointing authority;
Have no conviction for a felony;
Agree to release all records involving their criminal history to the appointment authority;
Supply a fingerprint sample in a manner prescribed by the TBI for a fingerprint based criminal history records check.
Submit to and pass a pre-employment screening test for use of illegal drugs.

Overview

The classification has a considerable workload functioning at the entry level performing professional federal funding determinations and revenue maximization work. An employee in this class will apply for federal benefits for DCS children as to maximize federal revenue and offset internal agency costs. Employees will analyze funding systems regularly to ensure that funding sources are generated appropriately. An employee in this class will receive close supervision on assigned tasks. Progression to the DCS Maximization Spec Intermediate will consist of possessing additional education and/or experience and functioning at the intermediate level with increased competencies.

An applicant appointed to this Career Path series will be reclassified to a DCS Maximization Spec - Intermediate after successful completion of a mandatory one-year training period; "unacceptable" or "needs improvement" performance ratings during the training period will result in automatic demotion or termination.

Responsibilities

Monitors and makes adjustments in the system daily to ensure that funding is appropriately applied to maximize federal revenue. Maximizes revenue for the state by applying for various federal benefits including identifying children with disabilities by researching medical and placement costs and, if appropriate, applies for SSI benefits.
Communicates changes/updates with the Social Security Administration to ensure that SSI requirements are met for on-going SSI eligibility. Ensures SSA/SSI criteria remain intact and in a current active status at age 18 for youth to transition to adult services.
Monitors placement and level of care for DCS children to ensure that federal and state funds are being claimed or dispersed appropriately. Makes DCS referrals to the Child Support division for all custodial children which brings in additional revenue to DCS.
Recommends approval/closure of TennCare and manages ongoing TennCare benefits for Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, Subsidized Permanent Guardianship, and Extension of Foster Care Services. Determines if children placed in Tennessee from other states who are receiving Title IV-E federal funding meet the requirements for TennCare and assists in determining if DCS children meet Medicaid requirements when placed out of state.
Applies to be representative payee of a child's benefits if they enter DCS custody with any federal benefits in place. Conducts periodic reviews of a custodial child's situation to determine if federal benefits criteria are met.
Reviews court documents to identify appropriate judicial determinations for custodial children and interprets documentation to determine whether the judicial findings meet federal requirements. Maintains relationships with DCS attorneys, Court Liaisons, and Family Service Workers to ensure ongoing annual federal requirements are met.

Competencies (KSA's)