Eligibility Program Specialist III, IV

Full Job Description

Recruitment number DHS 26-02

THIS JOB POSTING WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL 35 APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED. PLEASE APPLY IMMEDIATELY AS THIS RECRUITMENT MAY CLOSE AT ANY TIME.

The immediate vacancies are with the State of Hawai'i, Department of Human Services, Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division, Statewide Branch, Staff Development Office and are located in downtown Honolulu on the island of O'ahu.

This is a multi-level recruitment. Qualified applicants at the III level will be referred for consideration only if there are insufficient qualified applicants at the IV level.

SALARY:
EPS III: $4,961 per month
EPS IV: $5,359 to $6,535 per month (SR-22 Step D to I)*
The State Recruiting Office will refer all inquiries regarding this delegated position to the Department of Human Services, Human Resources Office.

Requirements

The Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division (BESSD) is the largest division in the Department of Human Services (DHS). Staff and administrators provide a continuum of services through programs that serve different populations. These programs provide clients with monthly benefits to assist them with such essentials as food, shelter, and child care, as well as employment support and work-training and dependency diversion and prevention.

The Staff Development Office (SDO) plans, develops, directs, implements, evaluates, contracts, and/or coordinates staff development and training programs for the division's employees, including support staff, statewide in consonance with existing State laws, rules and regulations and departmental policies and procedures.

The Eligibility Program Specialists (EPS) in SDO serve as the primary program specialists for the training of BESSD staff in one or more of the following programs as assigned: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Financial Assistance Program (FAP), Employment and Training Program (E&T), Processing Center Clerical (PCC), Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) payment system, other program specific systems and new departmental initiatives. In their primary responsibilities, these positions will carry out the planning, development, revision, evaluation and implementation of training as per their assigned functional responsibilities and/or categorical assistance programs.

EPS IV: Independently conducts and is responsible for all activities for their assigned major functions and programs as described above. The EPS IV is the fully independent, journey worker in the EPS class series.

EPS III: Assists a higher level program specialist by conducting assigned activities and/or by assisting in developing, clarifying, evaluating, and monitoring rules, regulations, and procedures for income maintenance functions and programs. The EPS III is the entry-level trainee in the EPS class series. An EPS III is expected to gain the knowledge and specialized experience necessary to progress to the EPS IV.

Qualifications

To qualify, you must meet all of the following requirements:

Basic Education/Experience Requirements
Graduation from an accredited four (4) year college or university with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Education, Recreation, Human Services, Human Development, or a branch of science that deals with the institutions and functioning of human society or with the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of society such as Psychology or Sociology.

Excess work experience as described under the Specialized Experience, below, or any other responsible administrative, professional or analytical work experience that provided knowledge, skills and abilities comparable to those acquired in four (4) years of successful study while completing a college or university curriculum leading to a baccalaureate degree in the above majors may be substituted on a year-for-year basis. To be acceptable, the experience must have been of such scope, level and quality as to assure the possession of comparable knowledge, skills and abilities.

The education or experience background must also demonstrate the ability to write clear and comprehensive reports and other documents; read and interpret complex written material; and solve complex problems logically and systematically.

Experience Requirements
Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience of the kind and quality described in the following paragraphs or any equivalent combination of training and experience:

General Experience: One and one-half (1 1/2) years of progressively responsible work experience which involved analyzing, interpreting or evaluating technical material; solving technical, managerial or administrative problems through the application of problem solving methods and techniques such as identifying the problem and pertinent causal factors, developing and evaluating alternative solutions, and recommending/implementing an appropriate course of action; and writing narrative reports in a clear and concise manner.

Specialized Experience: None required for Level III. Level IV requires one (1) year of specialized experience, as follows: progressively responsible professional work experience which demonstrated knowledge and application of laws, rules and regulations relative to *income maintenance. Such experience must have provided the applicant with knowledge of the principles and concepts of social welfare and government entitlement programs, governmental processes, and basic management principles as they relate to effective work organization and staff utilization.

*Work experience in income maintenance programs include various categorical assistance programs such as General Assistance (GA), Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Aid to Aged, Blind and Disabled (AABD), Refugee Resettlement and Energy Assistance to Low Income Families.

Substitutions allowed:
1. Successful completion of all academic requirements for a Master's degree from an accredited college or university may be substituted for one (1) year of the required General Experience.

2. Excess Specialized Experience may be substituted for the General Experience required on a month-for-month basis.

The information provided above represents a summary of the minimum qualification requirement (MQR) for the Eligibility Program Specialist VI. To view the MQR in its entirety, please click here.

Additional Information

The State of Hawai'i complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodations in completing an application, any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection process, please call 808-586-4969 for assistance.

PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS (PSLF) PROGRAM
The PSLF Program is a federal program that is intended to encourage individuals to work in public service by forgiving the balance of their federal student loans. To qualify, the individual must have made 120 qualifying payments while employed by a qualifying employer. For more information, please click here.

ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATION TO APPLICANTS
The Department of Human Services (DHS) will use electronic mail (email) to notify applicants of important information relating to the status and processing of their applications as part of our ongoing efforts to increase operational efficiency, promote the conservation of resources and minimize delays and costs.

Please ensure that the email address and contact information you provide is current, secure, and readily accessible to you. We will not be responsible in any way if you do not receive our email messages or fail to check your email account in a timely manner. In addition, please be aware that you may not receive notifications about applications submitted if you choose to disable the Job Application Emails feature found in the Account Settings.

TESTING INFORMATION
The examination for this recruitment will be conducted on an unassembled basis where the examination score is based on an evaluation and rating of your education and experience. It is, therefore, important that your employment application provides a clear and detailed description of the duties and responsibilities of each position you held.

In-person interviews and/or further testing in Hawaii may be required at the discretion of the hiring agency. If in-person interviews and/or further testing is a requirement, applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are referred to the vacancy must be available to participate in person and at their own expense in this required phase of the selection process.

You are encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible if interested in this position vacancy. In addition to employment availability and score, the referral of qualified applicants may be based on other factors, including the date your application was received.

Click here for additional information related to the State of Hawai'i civil service recruitment, examination and employment processes.

Agency Information:
Department of Human Services (DHS)
1390 Miller Street, Room 202
Honolulu, HI 96813

Inquiries about this recruitment may be directed to:
DHS // Human Resources Office // Recruitment and Examination Staff
Phone: 808-586-4969
Email: asueoka@dhs.hawaii.gov