FAIR HEARING AGENCY REPRESENTATIVE

HRA/DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES; New York (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of New York’s Department of Social Services (DSS) – through HRA and DHS – seeks an Associate Benefits Opportunity Specialist II to serve as a Fair Hearing Agency Representative. You will represent the agency at NYS Administrative Hearings and prepare comprehensive evidence packets for CA, SNAP, IREA, HASA and MA actions.

Under general supervision, you’ll coordinate with SDRC, OTDA and various DSS units, ensure accuracy of documentation, and support settlement processes.

Qualifications

• A four-year high school diploma or educational equivalent with three years of full-time social/human services experience.
• Bachelor’s degree plus 18 months of relevant full-time experience.
• Bachelor’s degree with 18 months of experience as described above.
• College credits substituted for experience on 60 credits for 9 months of work; must still have 18 months of related experience.

Responsibilities

• Represent the Agency at NYS Administrative Hearings by presenting and defending fair hearing cases or resolving when appropriate.
• Prepare evidence packets and support materials; cross-examine appellants; present to the ALJ.
• Update FH checklists; prepare reports and coordinate with SDRC and OTDA for resolutions.
• Ensure case actions are logged in WMS, POS, NYCWAY, FHIS, SEAMS, FHEMS, and EEPS.
• Provide guidance to SDRC staff; ensure packets are conference-ready; assist in settlements.
• Train staff to improve performance; deliver evaluations and strategize to improve win rates.
• Meet with Center Directors and staff to review Fair Hearing trends and improve performance.
• Hours: 9am – 5pm with flex.

Skills

Excellent communication & writing

Agency operations knowledge

Analytical & problem-solving

Detail oriented

Knowledge of FHEMS/WMS/POS/NYCWAY/SEAM

Excel skills

Education

High school diploma + 3 years social/human services experience

Bachelor’s degree + 18 months experience

Bachelor’s degree + 18 months experience (alternate requirements)

60 credits substitution for experience (with 18 months limit)

Tools

FHEMS, WMS, POS, NYCWAY, SEAMS

Job description

YOU MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE ASSOCIATE BENEFITS OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST TITLE. THIS IS A PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT, WHEN A TEST BECOMES AVAILABLE IN THE ASSOCIATE BENEFITS OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST (ABOS) TITLE, YOU MUST TAKE AND PASS THE EXAM TO REMAIN IN THE ABOS TITLE.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) is comprised of the administrative units of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). HRA is dedicated to fighting poverty and income inequality by providing New Yorkers in need with essential benefits such as Food Assistance and Emergency Rental Assistance. DHS is committed to preventing and addressing homelessness in New York City by employing a variety of innovative strategies to help families and individuals successfully exit shelter and return to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible.

Fair Hearing Administration oversees DSS’s fair hearing process, which is an administrative law procedure designed to resolve disputes concerning benefits, services, and actions in a variety of programs administered by DSS.

Under general supervision, with latitude for independent judgment and initiative, the Agency Representative reviews documents for Fair Hearing Evidence Packets in defense of the Agency’s position and represents the Family Independence Administration (FIA) at New York State Fair Hearings in an effort to defend and resolve disputes on Cash Assistance (CA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Investigation Revenue Engagement Administration (IREA), HIV-AIDS Service Administration (HASA) and Medicaid (MA) case actions, in order to assist in moving participants toward economic independence.

The Fair Hearing Administration is recruiting for one (1) Associate Benefits Opportunity Specialist II to function as a Fair Hearing Agency Representative who will:

• Represent the Agency at New York State Administrative Hearings by presenting and defending Fair Hearing cases or resolving when appropriate. In the course of representing the Agency, presents evidence manually or electronically, cross examines Appellants and provides the State Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) with a complete and relevant evidence packet and supporting documents to justify the challenged case action. Represent the agency at New York State Administrative Resolution/Settlement Hearings resulting from Same Day Resolution Conferences (SDRC) process. Ensures that requests for resolutions are forwarded to FIA Operations, The Fair Hearing Tracking Monitoring and Review Unit (FHTMRU) or the Office of Central Processing (OCP) as required. Review Fair Hearing decisions and recommends actions to challenge decisions when appropriate.
• Update Fair Hearing checklists as determined by feedback from the Fair Hearing Officer via dispositions and outcomes. Engages in post Fair Hearing activities, including preparation of reports and requests for case actions based on evidence presented or agreements made in hearing rooms and transmitting information back to the sites for follow-up actions to be initiated. Provides additional information or clarification to ensure that packets are adequate to present at Fair Hearings, providing feedback whenever additional documents are required for case presentation. Informs Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) Clerk and the (SDRC) staff of the resolution/settlement hearing outcome.
• Ensure that all case actions are reflected and checked through relevant systems such as Welfare Management System (WMS), Paperless Operation System (POS), New York City Work Accountability and You (NYCWAY), Fair Hearing Informational System (FHIS), HRA One Viewer, Self-Sufficiency Employment Assessment Management System (SEAMS), Fair Hearing Evidence Management System (FHEMS) and Electronic Evidence Packet System (EEPS).
• Review Fair Hearing Evidence Packet prepared by Same Day Conference AJOS I’s to assess the appropriateness of resolution actions and to ensure all pertinent documents/evidence are included. Provides guidance to SDRC AJOS I’s when needed. Approves SDRC evidence packets. Works closely with SDRC staff to ensure that cases are conferenced and ready to be presented at a Settlement Hearing. Ensure that resolutions are processed expeditiously. Conduct conferences for cases that are on the SDRC list.
• Ensure that Fair Hearing staff members are trained in the performance of work activities, by holding individual and unit meeting to improve staff areas of competence; provides Performance Evaluations, timely; develops strategies and defenses to assist in increasing the Agency’s Fair Hearing win rate and to support fair hearing avoidance.
• Meet on a regular basis with Center Directors, Center staff, and other Model Center/Job Center, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), IREA Operations staff, and participates in Job Center cabinet meetings to review CA and SNAP Fair Hearing trends and causal factors. Provide information and communicates trends and issues in an effort to enhance performance and maintains quality of decisions. Provide information on what needs to be addressed or emphasized at Fair Hearing Representation meeting and Fair Hearing Profile meetings.
• Hours/Shift: 9am – 5 pm with flex

ASSOCIATE BENEFITS OPPORTUNITY - 56316

Minimum Qualifications

1. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and three years of full-time satisfactory experience working directly in social/human services or a related setting, providing either:

a) client services.

b) employment planning/counseling services which involves job development, skills assessment, and employment placement or other economic opportunity programming.

2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full-time satisfactory experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist; or

3. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full-time satisfactory experience as described in one (1) above.

4. College credit from an accredited college may be substituted for this experience on the basis of 60 semester credits for 9 months of the work experience described above. However, all candidates must have at least 18 months of full-time satisfactory experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist or performing social/human services work as described in one (1) above.

Preferred Skills

• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Knowledge of Agency operations and NYS social service policy/procedures.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and time management skills.
• Detail oriented.
• Knowledge of FHEMS, WMS, POS, NYCWAY, SEAMS.
• Exceptional Excel Skills.

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 not required for this position

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.