Family Investment Specialist ; Statewide

Introduction

When you join the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS), you join a team of more than 5,000 employees across the state dedicated to positively changing the lives of more than 1 million Marylanders each year. We do this by providing economic support, preventive services, and caring for children and adults. We aim to deliver services so that we more quickly meet the needs of the people we serve.

At DHS, we grapple with hard questions to find new ways to foster a culture of bold innovation. We do this to ensure that in Maryland, we leave no one behind. This recruitment has been reopened to allow for additional application submissions. If you have already applied and been approved for this recruitment , please do not reapply; your application remains under consideration.

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STATEWIDE This Statewide recruitment has been opened to establish a list of eligible candidates to be used to fill current and future vacancies occurring in our Local Departments of Social Services throughout the State. Please indicate the counties in which you are willing to accept employment on your application.

A Family Investment Specialist I is the entry level of work providing direct services to individual customers or families by determining customer eligibility for multiple Family Investment Administration programs in a local Department of Social Services. Employees in this classification interview customers to explain program requirements and options, to collect and complete required documentation, to refer customers to other program services or agencies as appropriate and to monitor customer progress and use of assistance.

Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions. Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a Family Investment Specialist Supervisor or other higher‑level administrator. Employees may be required to work evenings and weekends and may be required to visit customers in their homes or at facilities such as nursing homes, group homes and hospitals.

Learns to interview applicants for Public Assistance, Medical Assistance and/or Food Stamps in the Family Investment Administration (FIA) of the Maryland Department of Human Services in order to determine customer eligibility and need for FIA programs;
Learns to explain program requirements and procedures to individual customers or in a group setting;
Learns to elicit information as to family composition, employment, health status, financial obligations, parental status and living arrangements;
Learns to calculate incomes and resources to establish benefit level;
Learns to determine program eligibility in accordance with federal, State and local laws, policies, rules and regulations;
Learns to check public records, such as birth records and real estate transactions;
Learns to contact individuals, employers, landlords, attorneys, financial institutions, medical offices, and government and community agencies to obtain, verify or clarify information required for eligibility determinations, such as income, resources, residency and household composition;
Learns to establish and maintain case records using computerized database systems;
Learns to contact customers regarding discrepancies and refer questionable cases to the fraud unit for further follow‑up;
Learns to monitor case progress and apply appropriate sanctions when necessary;
Learns to provide information on and make referrals to service agencies, organizations and vendors for appropriate services and information to meet customer health, housing, food, employment assistance, child care and transportation needs;
Learns to serve as a customer advocate;
Learns to provide basic counseling and problem solving support;
May learn to make visits to customers’ homes to gather information;
May learn to prepare appeal packages or testify in administrative appeals hearings;
Performs other related duties.

Applicants must meet all minimum (and selective) qualifications to be considered, and to appear on the list of people eligible for hire. Please read all requirements before…