Job Description

Customized Assistance Services (CAS) helps Human Resources Administration (HRA) clients with health and/or mental health conditions reach their highest attainable level of functioning and self-sufficiency by providing comprehensive, integrated, individualized clinical and supportive services. CAS works with other components of HRA and with other governmental and non-governmental service provides to create new programs and to integrate and refine existing services so the people it serves can achieve their maximum functional capacity.

Under the direction of the Director, the Administrative Assistant to the Director (AA to Director)/Associate Benefit Opportunity Specialist II (ABOS II) is responsible for supervising a team of ABOS staff, who provide various functions of eligibility determination, financial planning, and employment planning and monitoring and other related services for clients requesting and in receipt of Homebound services from HRA. The AA to the Director/ABOS II uses supervisory, program development, quantitative analysis, and other research skills in accomplishing all the goals of CAS Benefits Access Center and its components (Application, Financial Planning, Employment Planning, Undercare, et.)

Customized Assistance Services (CAS) is seeking to recruit one (1) Associate Benefit Opportunity Specialist II (ABOS II) who will:

• Monitor the workflow of ABOS workers who handle the entire application process for all new applicants and ongoing cases, including face-to-face recertifications; Family Assistance cases which have been closed for over sixty days; all Safety Net case reopens which have been closed regardless of date; and one-shot deals.

• Review specific cases and authorize benefits as required.

• Review the accuracy and timeliness of reports, including all relevant worklists.

• Act as liaison to the Rental Assistance Unit.

• Conduct daily sweeps to ensure timely and proper service.

• Manage a team of ABOS workers who interview applicants and assess eligibility for immediate needs grants (food and non-food), employability and eligibility for public assistance, food stamps and Medicaid; works with applicants to remove barriers to employment and makes referrals to other services as needed.

• Manage a team of ABOS workers who provide comprehensive service delivery to participants after the establishment of the participant’s case; Family Assistance cases that have been closed less than sixty days; or Safety Net cases that have been closed in error.

• Supervise a team of ABOS workers who manage all aspects of the cash assistance case, including establishing on- going eligibility, assessing participants, developing appropriate Employment Assessment and Employment Plans and executing specific strategies designed to help participants achieve self- sufficiency.

• Ensure adequate planning, scheduling, and monitoring of case management activities and conduct regular reviews of outcome reports, worklists, audits and assess client feedback to ensure the team is maintaining adequate levels of performance necessary to move participants toward self-sufficiency.

• Assist with case consultation on individual cases and guidance on difficult cases in the case planning process as necessary to ensure the appropriate approach is developed to suit the participant’s needs and achieve the best plan for the individual to progress to self-sufficiency.

• Oversee teams of clerical and BOS workers who provide quick service for those clients who walk- in or telephone the Center. Additionally, the team will take appropriate action on reported changes, provide information and documentation as requested by the participants and maintain contact with other teams to ensure awareness of all activity that will affect the case management plan.

• Oversee staff that interview and determine housing needs of tenants at risk for homelessness or already homeless reporting to Benefits Access Centers. Develop ant-eviction/housing plan of intervention for referred participants.

• Monitor conference activities and prepare regular reports on unit activities.

• Perform final review of packets prior to fair hearing and determines whether a resolution will be required prior to the hearing. Use Strategies and techniques aimed at securing success in the hearing room, ardently represents the Agency.

• Prepare reports on key performance outcomes and ensure that necessary corrective actions are implemented in a timely manner.

• May conduct field visits.

Qualifications

1. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and three years of full-time satisfactory experience working directly in social/human services or a related setting, providing either

a. client services; or

b. employment planning or counseling services which involve job development, skills assessment, and employment placement or other economic opportunity programming; or

2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college plus eighteen months of full-time satisfactory experience working as a Job Opportunity Specialist/Benefits Opportunity Specialist; or

3. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus, eighteen months of full-time satisfactory experience as described in one (1) above; or

4. College credit from an accredited college may be substituted for this experience on the basis of 60 semester credits for 9 months of the work experience described above. However, all candidates must have 18 months of full-time satisfactory experience working as a Job Opportunity Specialist/Benefits Opportunity Specialist or performing social/human services work as described in one (1) above.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.