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Social Services Specialist Iii

Full Time • Denver, CO, United States of America

57,708 - 75,024 (Yearly) Added 5 days, 19 hours ago

Summary

LOCATION

Hybrid (2 days a week onsite in Colorado)

QUALIFICATIONS

Six years of relevant experience in areas such as nutrition, public health, project management, or customer service; equivalent education or experience can be substituted year-for-year.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Support the operations of the Summer EBT program, manage call center inquiries, assist in training materials and presentations, ensure compliance with federal policies, and support fair hearing and fraud detection procedures.

INDUSTRY

Government Services

SHORT DESCRIPTION

Join the Colorado Department of Human Services to aid in administering the Summer EBT program, providing food benefits to eligible children and ensuring program compliance and operational success.

Department Information

This position is open to current Colorado residents only.Please note: This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

About this Unit:
This unit resides in the Department of Human Services within the Division of Food and Energy Assistance (FEAD). The Summer EBT (S-EBT) program is the U.S Department of Agriculture and Food and Nutrition Service newest permanent federal entitlement program that will provide a grocery benefit to all eligible school-aged children in Colorado. This program is state administered and will provide guidance, administrative support as well as manage adherence of federal eligibility guidelines and program rules. benefits, develop and deploy targeted outreach and participant education and support including media buys and digital marketing, evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of the program, and ensure all USDA FNS reporting requirements are fulfilled. In addition to impacted households, core external partners include Colorado Department of Education (CDE), contracted technology vendors, third party logistics and data specialists, schools and school districts, county government, the USDA, and local community advocacy organizations.

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CDHSCareers

Most State of Colorado employees are eligible for a great benefit package! Please see the Supplemental Information section below for details!

Description of Job

Please Note: This position has hybrid work arrangements, reporting to the office 2 days a week. These arrangements are subject to change.

About this Position:
The purpose of this position is to aid in the launching and ongoing operations of Summer-EBT (S-EBT) and supporting various project tasks for the S-EBT team. This position provides summer food benefits and resources to eligible Colorado students by overseeing call center operations, managing inquiries, reviewing program applications, and assisting in the creation of Colorado’s approved State Plan. It is essential to follow the approved S-EBT plan to ensure compliance with federal program policies and to create strong program precedent as this is a new federal USDA/FNS program that is implemented by the state. This position maintains consistency and accuracy across all communication platforms amongst all counties, agencies and program participants.

Summary of Job Duties:

Program Support & Operations:

This position ensures that their own work products adhere to the federally approved plan. If adjustments to the plan are needed, communicate appropriately with SEBT Lead and Supervisor for amendments and strategic changes in operations. Attends collaborative meetings related to the program and provides insights, perspective, and rule knowledge to help inform discussion. Monitors system projects related to the S-EBT program. Uses tools to monitor data and benefit issuances to both ensure correctness and identify any potential errors.
This position also assists with resolving escalations which may include responding to communication from clients, schools, districts, Colorado Department of Education, Family Resource Centers, or other advocacy organizations.

Training and Summer EBT Call Center Support:

This position assists in maintaining S-EBT training materials and ensuring correct answers to programmatic questions are available. The position also assists in delivering trainings/presentations for Support Center on S-EBT program content and correct CBMS use, supports facilitation of training on other areas, which is constantly evolving and time- sensitive. This position also ensures client escalations/data discrepancies through the call center are resolved timely and in accordance with standardized S-EBT policy; call volume and requests are unpredictable and require flexibility and ability to change course rapidly. Depending on the call center volume, this position may also answer direct client calls. This position attends weekly meetings with vendors and may be called on to provide technical assistance, programmatic updates regarding policy and rules and ensure contract compliance.

Fair Hearings, Fraud, Claims, & Income Verification:

This role involves supporting the state's procedures for fair hearings, fraud detection, claims processing, and income verification within the S-EBT program. As federal regulations continue to evolve, the position requires staying current with rule changes and adjusting the state's procedures accordingly to align with federal program standards.

Other Duties as Assigned:

Other duties as assigned specific to Department vision and goals such as: attending meetings and providing evaluative perspectives to other programs.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Important Note: Please review your application to ensure completion. For the most equitable applicant experience, CDHS' hiring teams consider only the contents of your application to determine meeting minimum qualifications and for the comparative analysis process. Experience is calculated on a full-time equivalency basis, therefore, it is important to accurately notate the hours you averaged per experience section entry. Volunteer work or related type of experience may be used to meet the qualifications, but must be clearly documented. It is paramount that in the experience portion of the application, the applicant describes the extent to which they possess the education, experience, competencies and background as they relate to the duties outlined in the job announcement.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Option 1 - Experience:

Six (6) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position
- Please note: This experience must be clearly documented on your application and the supplemental questions must be answered. Answers such as "N/A", "In Cover Letter" or "See Resume" will not be accepted.

OR

Option 2 - Substitutions:

A combination of related education from an accredited institution and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to six (6) years

Substitutions:

Additional appropriate education will substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.
Additional appropriate experience will substitute for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience in any of the following areas:
- Nutrition
- Public Health
- Public Administration
- Project Management
- Communications
- Eligibility work
- Customer Service
- Call Center Work
- Government work
- Relevant years of State service should be considered as a preferred qualification to be used to determine the top candidates on the referral list. (Partnership agreement 10.1.)

Conditions of Employment:

Standard Background – Name check, TRAILS, CMS and JBITS
Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify the applicant from the current position. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.

APPEAL RIGHTS:
If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.

An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), postmarked in US Mail or hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.

For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board; go to spb.colorado.gov; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at (303) 866-3300; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.

A standard appeal form is available at: www.colorado.gov/spb. If you appeal, your appeal must be submitted in writing on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative, and received at the following address within 10 days of your receipt of notice or knowledge of the action: Colorado State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director, Attn: Appeals Processing, 1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver, CO 80203. Fax: 303-866-5038. Phone: 303-866-3300. The ten-day deadline and these appeal procedures also apply to all charges of discrimination.

Supplemental Information

How to Apply

The Assessment Process

For additional recruiting questions, please contact Victoria.Crocket@state.co.us

About Us:

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference, consider joining the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). Our professionals strive to design and deliver high quality human and health services that improve the safety, independence, and well-being of the people of Colorado. In addition to a great location and rewarding and meaningful work, we offer:

Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan www.copera.org plus 401(k) and 457 plans
Medical and dental health plans
Employer supplemented Health Savings Account
Paid life insurance
Short- and long-term disability coverage
11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
BenefitHub state employee discount program
Employee Wellness program MotivateMe
Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, training and more
Remote work arrangements for eligible positions

Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more

information, go to https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dhr/student-loan-forgiveness-programs.

Our Values:

We believe in a people-first approach: To serve the people of Colorado, we develop a culture and work environment that creates an energized, inspired, and healthy team capable of giving their best to Coloradans.

Balance creates quality of life: We want our team to be resilient through a supportive workplace that values flexibility, health and wellness, and employee engagement.

We hold ourselves accountable: We take responsibility through our actions, programs, and results for the state of health and human services in Colorado.

Transparency matters: We are open and honest with employees, our partners, the Coloradans we serve, and the public.

We are ethical: We abide by what is best for those we serve by doing what is right, not what is easy.

Collaboration helps us rise together: We work together with all partners, employees, and clients to achieve the best outcomes for Coloradans.

We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer
We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities. The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

ADAA Accommodations:

CDHS is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADA Coordinator, Nancy Schmelzer, at cdhs_ada@state.co.us or call 1-800-929-0791.

Toll Free Applicant Technical Support

If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV technical support at 855-524-5627 Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time). Helpful hints: if you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application first, ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files, and second, close the document before you attempt to upload (attach) it.

~THE STATE OF COLORADO IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER~

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