Child Support Specialist(Senior) (#414010)
$35.31-$42.92 Hourly / $6,120.68-$7,439.72 Monthly / $73,448.11-$89,276.65 Yearly

Performs the more difficult and responsible child support establishment and enforcement work; provides direction, training and support to entry/journey level staff; performs special assignments; maintains a complex caseload.

This is the advanced journey level in the Child Support Specialist series.  Incumbents act as a lead-worker providing direction, training and support to entry/journey level staff and exercise detailed subject matter knowledge of a specific program area or specialized system inherent to the operations of the program area.  Positions in this class are distinguished from those in the journey level by the assignment of complex, sensitive or confidential cases requiring advanced technical skills and are responsible by performing leadworker responsibilities. This class is distinguished from the Child Support Specialist (Supervising) by the latter’s responsibility for day to day supervision of this and lower level Specialist staff.
 

Solano County offers a cafeteria-style medical package with health benefits, offered through CalPERS. The County contribution for family coverage is $1,671.27 per month for 2022. The County offers a cash back provision for those who choose employee-only or who waive medical insurance coverage. The County may offer a supplemental contribution for employees enrolled in Employee plus Two or More coverage. Dental and vision insurances for the employee and eligible dependents are paid 100% by the County. Solano County participates in CalPERS retirement and contributes to Social Security. The County observes 12 full-day fixed and 2 half-day fixed paid holidays per year. Additionally, employees in this bargaining unit receive 2 floating paid holidays per year. Vacation is accrued at approximately 10 days per year for the first 3 years. Sick leave accrues at approximately 12 days per year. Employees are eligible to receive an additional 2.5% longevity pay, per level, after the completion of continuous service at 10, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years. To view the benefits for a regular position, please visit: https://www.solanocounty.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=16512 Extra-help employees who work less than 29 hours per week do not typically receive or accrue benefits of regular employees during their period of employment. All extra-help employees accrue .034 hours of Paid Time Off for every full hour worked. To view the benefits for an extra-help position, please visit: http://www.solanocounty.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=16516

Receives direction from the Child Support Specialist (Supervising).
 
Provides technical and functional oversight of lower level Child Support Specialist staff.
 

Conducts special program activities; assigns and reviews the work of entry/journey level staff assigned to these special program activities; ensures that unit coverage is provided in the absence of the supervisor; assists supervisor in directing and training unit staff; acts as team leader; provides information for employee performance evaluations; monitors case work to ensure compliance and accuracy; interprets standards and regulations; provides assistance and support to unit staff.
 
Provides assistance to the assigned Child Support Attorney in preparing actions for court as required and necessary to resolve the issues of a specific case file situation; enters into stipulated agreements subject to attorney approval; gathers information, prepares cases for court hearings, conducts case file reviews and makes recommendations.
 
Performs a wide range of duties and responsibilities in providing assistance to the legal division of the department as required; prepares cases for civil or criminal prosecution; prepares legal documents.
 
Conducts case assessment, research, review and investigation; analyzes and evaluates the more difficult and sensitive cases, such as those involving complex issues, local agency staff or public figures, or complaints regarding program services.
 
Interviews custodial and non-custodial parents, witnesses, family members, representatives from law enforcement agencies, and attorneys to obtain statements and gather information for locating absent parents and determining financial status; ensures that forms and applications for family support payments are complete and accurate; explains general legal requirements and the calculation of support payments to non-custodial parents and other involved parties.
 
Contacts non-custodial parents in writing or by telephone to advise them of their family support obligations; obtains financial declarations and to prepare stipulation of monthly child support payments consistent with absent parent’s personal income; establishes the amount of child support payment based on financial status of absent parents.
 
Participates in interviews to secure support agreements and to persuade responsible parties to make payments without recourse to legal action.
 
Explains legal rights, resolves or refers complaints, provides information in response to inquiries from custodial and non-custodial parents to initiate case files; gathers factual information on all parties concerned regarding child, spousal, and medical support obligations; ensures case files are properly maintained and correspondence is dealt with in a timely manner; may maintain a reduced caseload of complex cases to include "restricted" confidential cases.
 
Acts as ombudsperson to customers in need of assistance; assists customers with concerns and complaints; provides referrals to and contacts other agencies and California DCSS regarding complainants; enters formal complaint information on state computer system; resolves formal complaints.
 
Monitors casework activities and makes recommendations regarding changes needed in policy and procedures to maintain compliance with state and federal regulations.
 
May process Order After Hearings after a resolution has been reached at the court hearing; generates legal documents; serves legal documents where appropriate.
 
Is designated as a complaints coordinator for the purpose of resolving disputes with case participants regarding the application of regulations, policies and procedures in their case; maintains quality control of lower level specialists’ caseloads.
 
Maintains professional knowledge in applicable areas and keeps abreast of changes in job-related rules, statutes, laws and new business trends; makes recommendations for the implementation of changes; reads and interprets professional literature; attends training programs, workshops and seminars as appropriate.
 
Initiates fraud referrals when circumstances indicating an act of welfare fraud are discovered; determines affect fraud investigation has on support case and gives instructions to adjust accounts based on investigation results.
 
Elicits information from custodial parents in order to establish paternity; reviews lab reports to monitor paternity testing status and follows up as necessary.
 
Completes necessary accounting instructions to initiate support accounting processes; initiates accounting instructions to change support payments in accordance with modification of court orders; prepares and maintains forms, applications, case files, and other necessary records; generates legal documents related to child support, paternity, and medical support orders; serves court documents.

Knowledge of:
 
Collection and enforcement of family support payments and the establishment and enforcement of medical support.
 
Civil and criminal law, procedures and regulations, which pertain to the enforcement of family, support cases; legal terminology and legal forms and documents used to enforce support; methods and techniques used to effectively locate absent parents, relatives and related persons.
 
Methods and techniques used in interviewing individuals to discover information pertinent to the establishment of responsibility for child support payments, location and financial status of the responsible party.
 
The use of sources to research assets and obligations.
 
Child support collection procedures and methods of collecting and adjusting delinquent accounts.
 
Legal terminology and legal forms, and documents used to establish and enforce support.
 
Methods and techniques used to effectively locate absent parents, relatives and related persons.
 
Practices and techniques used in training staff, and in preparation of training modules and quick reference guides
 
Modern office practices and procedures.
 
Time and caseload management skills.
 
Financial record keeping procedures; modern office practices and procedures.
 
Algebra and basic accounting.
 
Skill to:
 
Operate office equipment including a personal computer, copy and fax machines and printers.
 
Drive a motor vehicle.
 
Ability to:
 
Apply federal, state or local laws, ordinances, codes, procedures and rules in order to secure current and delinquent family support payments and establishment of paternity.
Effectively interview custodial and non-custodial parents in order to secure information required to collect support payments.
 
Maintain confidentiality.
 
Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
 
Comply with court mandated due process standards.
 
Communicate with and explain technical information to individuals from a wide variety of educational and cultural backgrounds; effectively interview individuals in order to secure information required to effectuate the collection of child support payments; exercise tact, diplomacy, and flexibility.
 
Effectively locate individuals, assets and court orders for support.
 
Research information on the whereabouts of absent parents, custodial parents, children, and duplicate cases.
 
Make logical determinations from financial statements on the amount of support payments.
 
Monitor support payment records to ensure compliance with court orders.
 
Make logical determinations from financial statements on the amount of family support payments.
 
Monitor child support payment records to ensure compliance with court orders.
 
Evaluate case records and, if default occurs, prepare cases for civil or criminal action.
 
Evaluate case records and, if default occurs, initiate and prepare appropriate civil or criminal action; prepare administrative legal documents.
 
Prepare correspondence and convey facts and information.
 
Deal with stressful situations and potentially hostile people.
 
Prepare relevant legal documents.
 
Develop and implement procedures for new and existing program activities.
 
Use independent judgment and discretion.
 
May make presentations to staff and the public verbally and in writing to explain policies, procedures and case management techniques.
 
Train and advise other staff in the processes and procedures utilized to perform family support case work.
 
Testify in court.

Experience:
 
Two (2) years of Journey level experience as a Child Support Specialist in Solano County or similar class in another government agency performing the above duties and responsibilities. 
 
Education/Training:
 
Completion of 15 semester or 22.5 quarter units, from an accredited college or university preferably in Sociology, Social Work, Business, Public Administration, Liberal Arts, Paralegal, Criminal Justice or other related courses.

Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Class C California driver's license is required.
 
Independent travel may be required.
 
Positions allocated to this class may require bilingual skills.
 
Candidates for positions in this class will be required to pass a background investigation in accordance with applicable law, regulation and policy.
 
Employees may work at an outstation location or other setting.

Physical Ability:  Tasks involve the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, but which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (5-10 pounds).  Occasionally moving of weights up to 25 pounds may be required. Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation.
 
Sensory Requirements:  Requires the ability to recognize and identify similarities and differences between shade, degree or value of colors, shapes, sounds, forms, textures or physical appearance associated with job-related objects, materials, tasks or people.
 
Environmental Factors:  Requires the ability to work under conditions where exposure to environmental factors poses a risk of minor injury or illness.