Emergency Assistance Specialist

Beltrami County; Bemidji (MN); On-site; USD 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Beltrami County is seeking a full-time Emergency Assistance Specialist to support the Consolidated Intake office in Bemidji, MN. The role administers county emergency assistance programs, assists applicants and staff, and performs related duties under moderate supervision of the Economic Assistance Program Manager.

Minimum requirements include a High School Diploma or GED and three years of clerical or public welfare experience.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Three years of work experience in clerical, business, public welfare programs or administrative support.
• Thorough knowledge of emergency assistance policies and EDMS; ability to verify information and manage data.

Responsibilities

• Interview clients applying for emergency assistance and collect verifications.
• Enter applicant information into the state database.
• Determine eligibility and issue payments through the state system.
• Coordinate payments with related agencies and inform applicants of status.

Skills

Emergency assistance policy

EDMS knowledge

Income verification

Office software

Education

High School Diploma or GED

3 years clerical/public welfare experience

Tools

MAXIS

Office software

Job description

Beltrami County is creating an eligibility list for a full-time, benefited Emergency Assistance Specialist to work in the Consolidated Intake office. The successful applicant will be responsible for administering County emergency assistance programs, providing support to applicants and other staff, and related work as apparent or assigned. Work is performed under the moderate supervision of the Economic Assistance Program Manager.

Preferred hiring salary range is $21.90 to $23.93 per hour with a full range of $21.90 to $27.73 per hour. Placement depends on factors such as qualifications, internal equity, market conditions, and applicable policy guidelines.

Education and Experience

Minimum requirements are:

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Three years of work experience in clerical, business, public welfare programs or administrative support.

Qualification Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions

• Interviews clients applying for emergency assistance; obtains necessary verifications; schedules appointments; provides information regarding the emergency assistance program to applicants.
• Enters applicant information into state database.
• Determines eligibility for emergency assistance/general emergency assistance; issues payments through state system.
• Contacts related agencies to coordinate payments.
• Communicates with applicants regarding application status; transfers applications and cases to other counties and tribal partners as needed.
• Reviews applications for County income maintenance programs for completeness and verification.
• Pre-screens clients to collect and verify information; explains programs and procedures; provides application forms;
• Assists clients and provides ongoing support.
• Performs administrative duties in the Beltrami County EDMS.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of emergency assistance policies and emergency general assistance policy; thorough knowledge of EDMS; thorough knowledge of income verification statements and associated program reports; thorough knowledge of standard office equipment, standard office and accounting software and MAXIS; ability to make arithmetic computations using whole numbers, fractions and decimals; ability to compute rates, ratios and percentages; ability to understand and apply governmental accounting practices in maintenance of financial records; ability to communicate orally and in writing with applicants, outside agencies and County staff.

Physical Requirements

This work requires the frequent exertion of up to 10 pounds of force; work regularly requires speaking or hearing and using hands and fingers, frequently requires sitting and repetitive motions and occasionally requires standing, walking and reaching with hands and arms; work has standard vision requirements; local communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating machines and observing general surroundings and activities; work has no exposure to environmental conditions; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Special Requirements

• Employment offer contingent upon successfully passing drug screening and background check.