Eligibility Specialist - Senior

Placer County is comprised of over 1,400 square miles of beautiful and diverse geography, ranging from the residential and commercial areas of South Placer, through the historic foothill areas of Auburn, Foresthill, and Colfax, and to the County's jewel of the North Lake Tahoe basin. Placer is a great place to live, work, play, and learn!
For more information about Placer County, please visit www.placer.ca.gov.

*Temporary/Extra-help assignments are limited to 28 hours per week with a cap of 999 hours or 960 hours for CalPERS retired annuitants in a fiscal year and are not eligible for benefits. Extra-help appointments made from this eligible list may transition to permanent status, should vacancies arise.

Upon successful completion of a foreign language proficiency exam, an additional 5% bilingual pay will be paid to employees who use a second language on a regular basis in the normal course of business. 

This classification received a general wage increase of 4% effective 7/2/22 and is scheduled to receive subsequent general wage increases of 4% in July 2023 and July 2024. 

Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees, including:

• Holidays: 14 paid holidays per year, 2 of which are floating holidays*
• Vacation leave: 10 days/year with ability to accrue 25 days/year
• Sick leave: 12 days/year*
• Cafeteria plan: 6% of employee’s salary will be contributed towards employee to use towards 401(k), dependent care, medical co-insurance, or cash
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance available for employees and dependents
• $50,000 life insurance policy at no cost to employee
• CalPERS retirement plans
• Retiree medical insurance
• Deferred compensation
• Education allowance: up to $1,200 per year
• Bilingual incentive: incumbents may be eligible for bilingual incentive pay depending upon operational needs and certification of proficiency.

*Amounts will be prorated for part-time employees and employees hired after the first of the year.

The information above represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire about the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department. For a detailed listing of benefits, please click here to view General benefits.

For more information regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer, please visit Placer County's Human Resources website.

This is the advanced journey level class in the Eligibility Specialist series.  Positions at this level are distinguished from other classes within the series by the level of responsibility assumed, complexity of duties assigned, independence of action taken; as well as by the nature of the public contact required.  Employees in this job class perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within this series.  Employees at this level are required to be fully trained in all procedures related to assigned program area(s) as well as cross trained in other client services programs.

Receives direction from supervisory or management staff.

May exercise technical and functional supervision over other employees as assigned.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Train and lead subordinate staff in eligibility determination and case management support processes.
• Perform eligibility determination and ongoing case maintenance generally involving the more specialized, complicated, and/or confidential situations.
• Review, evaluate, and investigate selected cases and determine accuracy and completeness of all statements of fact provided by applicants or participants during initial and continuing eligibility determinations.
• Contact and interview applicants, participants, individuals, and representatives of business or government organizations to verify facts and/or resolve discrepancies pertinent to the correct determination of eligibility.
• Perform specialized functions and tasks in support of assigned program(s), such as processing overpayments and vouchers, issuing checks, and making referrals to fraud investigations, as necessary.
• Provide technical and/or specialized expertise to other clerical/technical staff; interpret regulations and revisions, court orders and policies to staff, clients, and the general public.
• Review requests for Fair Hearings, including interviewing program staff and client(s), clarifying department action, and evaluating all data to determine compliance with or exception to regulations and policies; when appropriate, attempt to resolve cases without a hearing; and represent the department in Fair Hearings as scheduled.
• Act as resource regarding assigned client services program(s), including criteria, regulations, guidelines, client records, and administrative procedures.
• Maintain appropriate and accurate case records and files, including data entry into automated record system; prepare and maintain other documents, materials, and correspondence associated with eligibility process.
• Troubleshoot and resolve system issues and inconsistencies in information as it relates to the various automated systems used for generating eligibility determinations.
• Assist with developing, updating, and providing training materials to less experienced staff.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other County employees, and the public utilizing principles of effective customer service.
• Perform related duties as required.

Experience: Two (2) years of responsible, journey level eligibility determination experience performing duties similar to an Eligibility Specialist II with Placer County.

Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade.  Completion of the equivalent of thirty (30) semester units in social services, sociology, social work, psychology, behavioral science, business or public administration, or a related field from an accredited college or university is highly desirable.

Required License or Certificate:
May need to possess a valid driver's license as required by the position.  Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required.

Knowledge of:

• A variety of client services programs' rules and regulations including specialized expertise in one (1) or more categorical program areas.
• County policies and procedures, especially as related to eligibility criteria for client services.
• Principles and practices of assigned program eligibility validation, including resources used to verify and obtain financial and social information.
• Automated information systems utilized within California county social services departments.
• In-depth interviewing and fact-finding techniques and record keeping practices.
• Community resources available to applicants and clients.
• Objectives and goals of various client services programs.
• Human behavior and cultural and socio-economic diversity.
• Modern office procedures, methods, and computer hardware and software applications.
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Basic mathematical calculations.

Ability to:

• On a continuous basis, know and understand all aspects of the job; understand, retain, and explain complex program information; intermittently analyze work papers; identify and interpret technical and numerical information; explain program regulations and procedures to clients and the general public.
• On a continuous basis, sit at a desk for long periods of time; intermittently walk, stand, bend, climb, squat, twist and reach while retrieving or returning files or making field visits.  Intermittently twist to reach equipment surrounding desk; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; use telephone and write or use a keyboard to communicate through written means; see with sufficient acuity to read characters on computer screen; hear and speak with sufficient acuity to communicate with clients; and lift light weight.
• Train, assess, review, and evaluate the work of subordinate staff.
• Understand and apply complex laws and regulations in an independent manner; interpret and explain complex regulations and procedures to less knowledgeable individuals.
• Interpret financial and personal information to make an accurate determination of eligibility.
• Effectively interview a wide variety of individuals from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds and who may be physically, emotionally, or mentally impaired or distressed.
• Maintain strict confidentiality.
• Work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner.
• Plan and organize caseload to ensure work is completed in accordance with regulations relating to eligibility and timelines.
• Obtain information through interview; work fairly and courteously with the public; handle multiple case assignments; and work effectively with interruption.
• Recognize differences in human behavior resulting from cultural, financial, and other forms of deprivation found in client populations.
• Analyze situations quickly and objectively and determine proper course of action.
• Use a computer and required software applications.
• Use modern office equipment, such as a calculator, telephone, facsimile machine and photocopy machine.
• Type at a speed necessary for successful job performance.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties.

Training & Experience Rating (100%)

Based upon responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the applicant’s education, training, and experience will be evaluated using a pre-determined formula. Scores from this evaluation will determine applicant ranking and placement on the eligible list.

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S.  For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a voice stress analysis and/or a polygraph), and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

The eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification. For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey level) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

Thank you for your interest in employment with Placer County. Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over),  marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.