Eligibility Caseworker

Guilford County; Greensboro (NC); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Telehealth UHC Virtual Visits

Employee Wellness Center

Employee Assistance Program

13 paid holidays

12 sick days

12 vacation days

5% 401(k) contribution

State Retirement Plan

Job summary

Guilford County Government is seeking an Eligibility Specialist to determine eligibility for financial, medical, special assistance and food stamp programs. You will interview applicants, verify data, complete forms, and compute budgets to make accurate determinations.

Occasional home visits may be required, with deadlines and policy changes to manage. Qualified candidates will have a high school diploma and 3 years of relevant experience; a bachelor's degree is preferred.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent with relevant experience in public assistance.
• Experience interviewing and gathering data for eligibility determinations.
• Ability to compute budgets and document complex information clearly.
• Knowledge of federal, state and county policy related to assistance programs.

Responsibilities

• Determine eligibility for financial, medical, special assistance and food stamp programs.
• Interview applicants and verify information to develop accurate determinations.
• Complete forms, verify data, and compute budgets for clients.
• May conduct home visits and respond to client inquiries and complaints.
• Maintain and organize case records and meet program deadlines.

Skills

Interviewing

Data verification

Budget calculation

Policy interpretation

Documentation

Communication

Analytical reasoning

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Three years paraprofessional/clerical/public contact experience

Bachelor's degree preferred

Job description

GUILFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Quality Government

Description

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES

Performs detailed work determining eligibility for the financial, medical, special assistance and food stamp programs.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS

Work involves interviewing applicants for one or more of the above programs, verifying and evaluating data obtained from the applicant in order to make a correct eligibility determination. Work includes completion of various standardized forms, verifying information gathered, and computation of budgets. The job may also include occasional home visits. Cases must be reviewed periodically to determine continued eligibility for assistance. Programs have a substantial amount of policy and procedural changes and have stringent deadlines. Employees assigned to some programs work under court-ordered deadlines and penalties for non-compliance. Reports to an Eligibility Supervisor I or Eligibility Supervisor II. Supervision is received through individual conferences and unit meetings and by review and evaluation of cases.

Examples of Duties

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Determines eligibility for one or more of the above programs based on constantly changing Federal, State, and County policies.
• Must adhere to strict policy deadlines for each assistance program.
• Interviews to obtain necessary factual information and verifies information received from applicants.
• Explains and interprets policy and application procedures to clients, and individuals in the community, and assists individuals in completing the application form.
• Maintains complete and accurate records on client eligibility.
• Responds to complaints of clients, advocates, professionals, and community members.
• Assesses clients’ needs and, when appropriate, makes referrals to other Social Service areas or appropriate community resources.
• May make visits to community facilities or client’s home to gather information.
• Presents pertinent information at agency conferences, appeals or state hearings.
• Required to attend introductory training and ongoing training in assigned area.
• Responsible for keeping all manuals and policy materials up to date and organized.
• Other duties as assigned

RECRUITMENT STANDARDS

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Knowledge of the English language sufficient to interview clients, communicate and interpret programs to people of various socio-economic backgrounds.
• Ability to document complex situations in a comprehensive and legible manner.
• Writing skills used to correspond with clients and members of the community.
• Reasoning skills used to follow directions and procedures; arrive at logical conclusions; objective analysis of facts.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers and fractions, including use of decimals and computation of percentages.
• Ability to plan and organize work and time in an efficient manner which will result in applications, reviews, desk revisions, etc. being processed by program deadlines.
• Make constructive use of supervision.
• Ability to take initiative and work independently when appropriate.
• Ability to work with hostile or emotionally distraught individuals. The skill to pacify an individual in an agitated or highly emotional state is a plus.

Typical Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduation from high-school or equivalency and three years of paraprofessional, clerical or other public contact experience which included negotiating, interviewing, explaining information, gathering and compiling of data, analysis of data and/or the performance of mathematical or legal tasks
• One year of experience in an income maintenance caseworker may substitute for two of the three years of relevant experience. A higher education level may be considered as a substitution for all or part of the experience requirement

Preferred Qualifications

A Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field.

Supplemental Information

Residency Requirement

Candidate must reside within a two-hour driving radius of Guilford County to be considered for employment.

Transcripts Are Required.

Copy of transcript must be submitted with application for consideration when applicable. Official college transcripts required at time of hire when applicable.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to physically perform the basic life operational functions of fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, and repetitive motion.
• Must be able to perform sedentary work exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.
• Must possess the visual acuity to prepare and analyze data, operate a computer terminal, and do extensive reading.

May Require Driving

This position may require driving for this position whether driving a County owned or personal vehicle to conduct county business such as but not limited to attending conferences, meetings, or any other county related functions. Motor Vehicle Reports may be verified for valid driver's license and that the driving record is compatible with the county's driving criteria. If a personal vehicle is operated for county business proper insurance is maintained as per Guilford County's vehicle use policy.

Special Note:

This generic class description gives an overview of the job class, its essential job functions, and recommended job requirements. However, for each individual position assigned to this class, there is available a completed job questionnaire with a physical abilities check list which can give further details about that one specific position. Those documents should be reviewed before initiating a selection process. They can provide additional detailed information on which to base various personnel actions and can assist management in making legal and defensible personnel decisions.

Guilford County is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to employees and applicants for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation or political affiliation. The County is committed to complying with all applicable federal, state and local laws that pertain to employment, and to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination of any kind. If you need an auxiliary aide, make the request forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the time the accommodation is needed by calling 336-641-3324.

We are excited about the opportunity of having you as a prospective new employee! You probably already know our county is a wonderful county to live in, but did you know it is also a wonderful place to work?

Below are a few of the reasons why we love working for Guilford County.

We offer Health Insurance (UnitedHealthCare) to all benefitted employees working a minimum of 20 hours per week. The shared cost of the premium is based on scheduled/budgeted hours. If you are a full-time employee working 40 hours a week you can expect to pay less than $35 a month for medical coverage, dental coverage for $4 a month and vision coverage for $5 a month. That's less than $45 a month for medical, dental & vision coverage; that's unheard of.

Telehealth UHC Virtual Visits are available to you with no copay or out of pocket expense.

We are excited to inform you Guilford County has an Employee Wellness Center (24/7 access) with strength training equipment, cardio machines and a group exercise room with virtual or in person coaching from our Wellness Specialist!

Employee Assistance Program, 100% funded by the county. A superb benefit for you and your family absolutely free. Confidential help with personal or work-related issues.

13 paid holidays, 12 sick days, and 12 vacation days a year. That's 37 paid days a year, totaling almost 2 months of paid time off.

Employer contributes 5% into your 401(k) - no match required.

Enrollment in the State Retirement Plan by contributing 6%.

Longevity pay beginning at five years of service.

We provide a $10,000 Life and AD&D benefit to eligible employees.

Flexible spending accounts (FSA) allow you to set aside tax-free dollars for health care and dependent care.

Voluntary Life, AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability.