FAIR HEARING PROCESS EXAMINER

NYC Department of Social Services; New York (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

NYC Department of Social Services seeks an Associate Benefits Opportunity Specialist I to support the Fair Hearing Tracking & Monitoring Review Unit. You will supervise specialists, ensure timely case actions, review data, and prepare reports necessary for fair hearings.

Responsibilities include validating Aid-to-Continue, Default and Resolution actions, coordinating with divisions, and ensuring accurate data entry in FHIS, FHEMS, POS and NYCWAY systems.

Qualifications

• Four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, plus three years of full-time satisfactory experience in social/human services or related setting.
• Bachelor’s degree plus eighteen months of relevant experience as described above.
• College credits may substitute for experience per policy, with minimum 18 months in a Benefits Opportunity role.

Responsibilities

• Supervise the activities of the Fair Hearing Process Specialist and ensure timely unit reports.
• Review and authorize Aid-to-Continue, Default and Resolution actions; ensure data accuracy.
• Prepare weekly and comprehensive reports; provide training to subordinates as needed.
• Sign off on actions and ensure FHIS/FHEMS/POS/NYCWAY data integrity for hearings.

Skills

Communication skills

Policy knowledge

Eligibility knowledge

Interpersonal skills

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Bachelor's degree

Tools

FHEMS

FHIS

WMS

POS

NYCWAY

SEAMS

WARM

Job description

APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE BENEFITS OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST (BOS) CIVIL SERVICE TITLE FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR. 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 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, Cash Assistance, Emergency Assistance, Medicaid, Child Support, Fair Fares, as well as eviction prevention and rehousing 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. DSS also includes administrative and supportive divisions such as the Office of Legal Affairs which includes the Fair Hearing Administration, among other litigation and counseling units.

Office of the General Counsel/Fair Hearing Administration is requesting to recruit One Associate Benefits Opportunity Specialist I to function as Fair Hearing Process Examiner in the Fair Hearing Tracking Monitoring and Review Unit (FHTMRU). FHTMRU comprises of the Centralized Fair Hearing Aid to Continue (ATC), Fair Hearing Default and Withdrawal Processing, Fair Hearing Resolution Processing, and the Advocate Inquiry Mailbox Units. The Aid to Continue unit is responsible for ensuring benefits remain unchanged until the issuance of a fair hearing decision. The Resolution unit is responsible for processing resolution actions initiated during evidence packet review and/or preparation at the CPRU and SEPU. It is also responsible for processing case actions on IREA cases sent to the automated Pre-Hearing Disposition (PHD) process.

Under the supervision of the Fair Hearing Process Coordinator and with some latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, decision making and action, the Fair Hearing Process Examiner performs responsible work in the supervision of Fair Hearing Process Specialists and the Clerical staff within the Fair Hearing Tracking & Monitoring Review Unit. All Fair Hearing Examiner within the Fair Hearing Tracking & Monitoring Review Unit are interchangeable.

Office of the General Counsel/Fair Hearing Administration is requesting to recruit One Associate Benefits Opportunity Specialist I to function as Fair Hearing Process Examiner in the Fair Hearing Tracking Monitoring and Review Unit (FHTMRU) who will:

• Supervise the activities of the Fair Hearing Process Specialist ensuring completion of unit reports and acts as a resource contact to appropriate areas; ensures that case actions are completed accurately and in a timely manner and are available pursuant to compliance with the Morel Litigation. Review work products by workers to ensure that all case records and evidence packets for scheduled Fair Hearings are sent prior to the hearing.
• Review and authorize all Aid-to-Continue, Default, and Resolution completed cases to ensure timeliness of case actions; collects program operations data and summarizes unit activities in reports; ensures that error corrections are completed in timely manner. Ensures that proper data is entered into Fair Hearing Information System accurately and in a timely manner. Utilizes the New York City Work Accountability & You (NYCWAY) system, Paperless Operation System (POS), Human Resources Administration (HRA) Viewer, Fair Hearing Electronic Evidence Management System (FHEMS), for processing the Fair Hearing Compliance Case (Completing Case Actions).
• Review related worklists, associated with the Aid-to-Continue, Default and Resolution Processes and makes appropriate assignments of work-related activities; review reports in order to provide outcomes relating to work activities. Challenges Aid-to-Continue Directives, when appropriate.
• Review and sign all Aid-to-Continue, Default, and Resolution case actions and ensures that proper data is entered into Fair Hearing Information System (FHIS) and Fair Hearing Electronic Evidence Management System (FHEMS) timely and accurately. Collect program operations data and summarizes unit activities in reports, as required; ensures that error corrections are completed timely and provides reinforcement training to subordinates, where indicated.
• Sign off on Aid-to-Continue, Default, and Resolution completed cases to ensure timeliness of actions; prepares weekly reports detailing the unit’s work output for immediate supervisor; prepares comprehensive and complete evidence packets for cases to be presented at State Fair Hearings. Challenges Aid-to- Continue Directives utilizing the Electronic Compliance Process (Including making entries in NYCWAY Subsystems).
• Provide training updates to subordinates on procedural changes and Policy Directives on subordinates by monitoring daily activity sheets, reports and logs to see that prompt actions are taken

Hours/Schedule: 9am – 5 pm with flex

Minimum Qualifications

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:

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

Skills Assessment, And Employment Placement Or Other Economic opportunity programming.

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full time satisfactory experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist; or
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full time satisfactory experience as described in one (1) above.
• 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

• Knowledge of NYS social service policies and procedures. - Knowledge of eligibility process. - Excellent communication skills (written and verbal). - Knowledge of various systems applications including but not limited to FHEMS, FHIS, WMS, POS, NYCWAY, SEAMS, and WARM.

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

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.