Self-Reliance Specialist - WEL

IdahoPTV; Pocatello (ID); On-site; USD 50,637,000 - 72,119,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid sick and vacation

Retirement plans (pre-tax and Roth)

Deferred compensation

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Flexible Spending Accounts

Training opportunities

Flexible hours / telecommuting

Job summary

Idaho Department of Health & Welfare is seeking Self-Reliance Specialists in the Blackfoot, Pocatello, and Twin Falls offices. These full-time roles run Monday–Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm, with holidays off, handling high-volume customer support for SNAP, Health Care, and other assistance programs.

Not a telework position. Responsibilities include applying policies, verifying information, and delivering direct customer service via face-to-face or telephone contact.

Qualifications

• Experience conducting sensitive fact-finding interviews to determine eligibility for services.
• Experience de-escalating customers in stressful situations from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience applying written policies to determine qualifications for services or benefits.
• Experience managing a workload with conflicting priorities.
• Experience entering/retrieving data using a computerized records system.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct customer service face-to-face or via telephone/mail.
• Assist families with benefits and services under SNAP, Health Care, Child Care, and cash assistance.
• Apply complex policies and legal requirements to cases.
• Gather, verify, and interpret personal information to support case actions.
• Maintain management systems to meet federally mandated reporting requirements.

Skills

Fact-finding interviews

De-escalation

Policy interpretation

Workload management

Data entry

Education

Some college courses in human services

Job description

21.42 - 21.42 USD per hour

Posted 2 days ago | Apply before September 29, 2026

Description

DEDICATED TO STRENGTHENING THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND INDEPENDENCE OF IDAHOANS

*THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE OPEN UNTIL FILLED. APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO BE CONSIDERED.*

The Division of Welfare is currently recruiting for Self-Reliance Specialists in our Blackfoot,Pocatello, and Twin Falls offices. These positions are full-time with a work schedule of Monday - Friday, 8:00am -5:00pm with holidays off. Successful candidates will work in high volume, high stress work environments to assist customers for various benefits and services, while meeting and sustaining accuracy and productivity standards. While these positions work with families to help them find self-reliance, these are not social work positions and do not include long-term case management.

The Self-Reliance Benefits program works with families who are applying for or are receiving benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Health Care Assistance Programs, Idaho Child Care Program, and/or cash assistance programs. Direct customer service may be conducted face-to-face or on the telephone.

This position is not eligible for telework.

The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare is a drug-free workplace.Any applicant offered employment in this position at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare will be required to pass a pre-employment drug test.

BENEFITS:

The State of Idaho offers a robust total compensation and benefits package, including but not limited to:

• Paid sick and vacation that begins accruing on your first day of employment; can be used immediately after accruing (no waiting time)
• 2 voluntary supplemental retirement plans including both pre-tax and Roth options
• Deferred compensation plan
• Life insurance for self, spouse, and children
• Short and long-term disability insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Wide variety of training opportunities
• Some positions offer flexible hours and/or telecommuting
• Review and determine eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, cash assistance, and Health Care Assistance Programs; OR establish and enforce child support obligations for families.
• Apply complex policies, procedures, and legal requirements.
• Provide direct customer service either by face-to-face interactions or via telephone and/or mail.

Interpersonal

• Requires personal interaction (face-to-face and/or via telephone, mail, or email) with customers and related agencies/individuals when intimate household circumstances are being addressed.
• Requires skillful de-escalation when working with customers in high stress, upsetting situations.

Policy/Technical

• Gather, verify, interpret, and act on personal information from various sources to case actions.
• Develop, adapt and maintain management systems to support workload activities and meet federally mandated outcome/reporting requirements.
• Perform complicated analytical problem resolution and insure data quality in automated system processing.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

You must possess all the minimum qualifications below to pass the exam for this position. Please make sure your resume or work history supports your meeting the minimum and specialty qualifications for this position. Failure to do this may disqualify you from being considered for this position.It is highly recommended to attach a one-page cover letter to your application to demonstrate how you meet the requirements below.

• Experience conducting and documenting sensitive fact-finding interviews. Typically gained by at least six months of experienceORcompletion of some college courses in a human services field. Types of qualifying experience could include a background in credit collection, law enforcement, financial institutions or social service programs/services where detailed interviews were used to elicit information from customers that was then used to determine the outcome or eligibility for services. This background may also have been obtained through upper division college-level courses in a human services field. Experience as a receptionist, basic sales associate/retail clerk, or any position at that level does not meet this qualification.
• Experience dealing with individuals who are in stressful situations from varying cultural/socioeconomic backgrounds and de-escalating emotionally charged situations. Typically gained by least six months of experience in a business setting where I handled upset or angry customers.
• Experience applying written policies and criteria and determining qualifications for services or benefits. Typically gained by at least six months of experience OR completion of some college courses in a human services field. Types of qualifying experience could include a background in finance, lending, law, or business. This background may also have been obtained through upper division college-level courses in a human services field. General data entry or reception work does not qualify.
• Experience managing a workload with conflicting priorities. Typically gained by at least six months of experience managing a workload with conflicting priorities.
• Experience entering and retrieving data using a computerized records system. Typically gained by at least six months of experience entering and retrieving data using a computerized record system.

If you have questions, please contact us at:

Email is the quickest way to get an answer to your questions.

(answered Monday through Friday during business hours MST)

EMAIL: [e-mail] PHONE: [phone]

EEO/ADA/Veteran:

The State of Idaho is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, political affiliation or belief, sex, national origin, genetics, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

The State of Idaho is committed to access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities, auxiliary aids and services are available upon request. If you require an accommodation at any step in our recruitment process, you are encouraged to contact [phone] (TTY/TTD: 711), or email [e-mail].

Preference may be given to veterans who qualify under state and federal laws and regulations.