Programs Specialist III

Title Description-

Benefit Programs Specialist III represents the advanced level in the occupational group. Employees are assigned advanced technical functions or projects that require considerable knowledge of all public assistance functions such as fraud or quality control case review. Employees in this class conduct the initial and ongoing eligibility determinations requiring advanced program knowledge, or provide quality control by examining cases completed by other eligibility workers for accuracy and uniformity.

Work is performed independently in accordance with well-established guidelines and standards. The most complex situations are reviewed with the supervisor.
Benefit Programs Specialist III is distinguished from the Benefit Programs Specialist IV by the latter’s serving as a lead worker, providing guidance to other specialists, and supporting the supervisor by ensuring staff coverage, reviewing cases, and providing back-up supervision as required.

• Contacts vendors for services and ensures payments to allow for the restoration or continuation of services.
• Monitors efficacy, trends of programs, and completes seasonal, quarterly and yearly reports;
• Participates on task forces, strategic planning, mentoring volunteers, students and new employees, teaching classes, and conducting outreach;
• Reviews cases for correctness, identifies significant errors/problems in caseloads and determines if the errors/problems are with the section, unit or with an employee;
• Provides statistical data and other information to support budget requests; interviews clients who provide questionable or fraudulent statements and information and determines program eligibility;
• Documents data and information gathered and compares findings with established guidelines of program eligibility;
• Prepares reports regarding quality control and makes recommendations to the supervisor;
• Explains programs, and the rights and responsibilities of applicants and recipients, and conducts follow-up as needed