Fair Hearings Specialist 1 (NY HELPS)

NYS Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance; New York (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telecommuting up to 50%

Job summary

NYS Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance (OTDA) is seeking candidates for a position handling administrative hearings, inquiries, and eligibility determinations under NY HELPS. The role involves coordinating hearings, processing requests, and referring clients to appropriate program areas.

The incumbent will work within a framework of state regulations, manage multiple NYS systems, and support supervisors with procedures and reports.

Qualifications

• Four years of paraprofessional or professional experience providing services to individuals in need of and/or eligible for social services programs
• Experience implementing or administering programs regulated by NYS OTDA and related agencies
• Ability to determine eligibility and refer to appropriate program areas

Responsibilities

• Provides information regarding hearing procedures to State agency and local district staff, clients and their representatives, and other parties.
• Processes requests for administrative hearing records, Fair Hearings, Homebound Hearings, and other hearings; schedules hearings and prioritizes them according to regulations.
• Handles general inquiries from clients, their representatives or local agencies and makes referrals to appropriate program areas.
• Determines continuation of aid status and good cause for adjournments and reopening hearings.
• Drafts responses to correspondence relating to the hearing process.
• Screens and processes emergency hearings and retrieves/updates information from multiple NYS systems.
• Identifies governmental entity or agent taking adverse action and notifies relevant parties about a hearing request.
• Fields compliance complaints and refers complex cases to supervisors.
• Gathers data and prepares reports; assists supervisor in preparing written procedures.

Education

Associate degree substitution for 2 years of experience

Bachelor’s degree substitution for 4 years of experience

Job description

Duties Include But Are Not Limited To The Following

Duties Description

• Provides information regarding hearing procedures to State agency and local district staff, clients and their representatives, and other parties.


• Processes requests for administrative hearing records, Fair Hearings, Homebound Hearings from appellants/representatives, Intentional Program Violations Hearings, and waiver of appearance requests from local social services districts and its agents; schedules hearings; prioritizes hearings in accordance with federal and state regulations, law and court decisions; manages workflow at hearing locations; and conducts other matters regarding the administrative hearing process.


• Handles general inquiries from clients, their representatives or local agencies and makes referrals to appropriate program areas or proper agency.


• Determines continuation of aid status and good cause for adjourning and reopening hearings.


• Drafts responses to correspondence relating to the hearing process.


• Screens and processes emergency hearings.


• Retrieves, analyzes and/or updates information from the Fair Hearing Information System, Welfare Management System, Automated Child Care Information System, New York City Work Accountability and You, State Supplemental Program, Client Notification System, eMedNY, and other relevant systems.


• Identifies governmental entity or agent taking adverse action against clients and ensures all relevant parties are notified about a hearing request. This includes identifying the appropriate local district location, managed care organization, or State entity.


• Fields compliance complaints, referring more complicated cases to appropriate supervisor.


• Gathers statistical data and prepares reports.


• Assists supervisor in preparing written procedures.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

NY HELPS: This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide program (NY HELPS). For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, candidates may be hired via a non-competitive appointment if they meet the below NY HELPS minimum qualifications.

At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Non-competitive Qualifications

Four years of paraprofessional or professional experience* providing services to individuals in need of and/or eligible for social services programs or implementing/administering programs regulated by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, the New York State Office of Mental Health, the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, or the New York State Department of Health.

• Substitutions:


• An associate degree may substitute for two years of experience; a bachelor’s degree may substitute for four years of experience.


• An associate or higher degree in law or legal assistant/paralegal education from a regionally accredited college or university may substitute for four years of the experience noted above.


• Completion of a legal assistant/paralegal education, qualifying non-degree certificate program AND two years of paralegal experience may substitute for four years of experience noted above

OR

55 b/c: This position is eligible for 55 b/c appointment, and candidates with 55 b/c eligibility are encouraged to apply. To be eligible for a 55 b/c appointment, candidate must be currently enrolled in the Civil Service 55b/c program and meet the qualifications listed above.

Information about the 55b/c program can be found here: https://www.cs.ny.gov/rp55/

Competitive Qualifications

Eligible for a lateral transfer or eligible for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law by having one year of permanent competitive service in an appropriate title. Information regarding transfer eligibility is available on the Civil Service Career Mobility Office website at https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/

Additional Comments

Full-time permanent appointments will be made. If certified by Civil Service, mandatory reemployment list candidates must be considered first for appointment to this title. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Your resume must indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for these positions. Non-specific submissions may be disqualified from further consideration if the information you provide does not meet the minimum qualifications.

Telecommuting up to 50% may be available in accordance with The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance policy and can be discussed during the interview.

New York City location: Plus $4,150 Location Pay

Remarks

NYS OTDA seeks to promote a diverse workforce that is a representation of the various cultures, voices, backgrounds, ideas, and talents of the citizens and communities that we serve. In alignment with New York State’s Executive Orders 187 and 31, OTDA is committed to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering an inclusive workplace.