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General Assistance Program Specialist

Portland , Maine , United States | Community & Social Services | Full-time

Apply by: May 24, 2024

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Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAM SPECIALIST IOpening Date: May 9, 2024Closing Date: May 24, 2024Job Class Code: 5092

Grade: 22 (Professional/Technical)

Salary: $ 22.02 -$29.54/hourlyPosition Number: 02000-4096Location: Portland

Core Responsibilities:

As a General Assistance Program Specialist, you will oversee the administration of the municipal General Assistance (GA) program. This includes, but is not limited to conducting field audits, developing, and providing training to municipal administrators, and assisting with staffing the GA hotline. To excel in this position, excellent communication skills are necessary.

Typical Duties:

· Staffing the General Assistance Hotline, receiving and responding to calls and emails from administrators or clients who require technical or logistical support.

· Creating, organizing, and presenting training sessions in-person and on-line for General Assistance administrators.

· Generate professional written communications with municipal officers on matters of compliance.

· Investigating complaints, duplication of benefits, fraud, and compliance of municipalities and uses laws, rules, municipal ordinances, and regulations.

· Planning and conducting municipal audits including travel to and from the municipal location as well as the number of records required in the review.

· Evaluating administrative and operational systems for evidence of lack of control, inefficiencies, duplication of effort, fraud, or lack of compliance with controlling laws, rules, and regulations.

· Creating audit reports and audit schedules, tables, exhibits, and documentation to present audit findings.

· Recommending improvements to administrative, financial, or operational systems and procedures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of organization.

Minimum Qualifications:

Six (6) years of education and/or professional experience in social services casework, social services program development/delivery, or social services related fiscal/budget administration/analysis work.

Requires possession of a current and valid State of Maine driver’s license for the purposes of conducting field audits and trainings.

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Agency information:

TheDepartment of Health and Human Services (https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/) (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.

The Office for Family Independence (OFI) is responsible for administration of eligibility determination for a number of programs, including MaineCare, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Food Supplement, Fraud and Recovery, and Child Support.

Application Information:

Please submit all documents or files in PDF format.

For additional information about this position please contact Marcus Hatch atMarcus.Hatch@maine.govor (207) 890-6810.

To request a paper application, please contact Ashley Smith at Ashley.Smith@maine.gov .

To apply, please upload a resume, cover letter, and transcript(transcript needed only if education is used to meet the minimum qualifications).

Benefits of working for the State of Maine:

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays , 12 days of sick leave , and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.

• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($10,523.28-$12,380.40 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.

• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($350.40 annual value).

• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 13.41% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS).

• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receivesix weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act .

  State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package (https://www.maine.gov/bhr/state-jobs/compensation-benefits) , covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness (https://www.maine.gov/bhr/oeh/) .

  Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for part-time employment.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.