County of Alameda

DESCRIPTION

Under close supervision at the lower level and general supervision at the higher level, Child Support Specialists perform a wide variety of child support duties; manage an assigned caseload; locate and interview parents and others to elicit factual information for the purpose of establishing child support obligations and enforcing child support laws; negotiate, collect and arrange for support payments of court ordered child support, prepare cases for court hearings, attend hearings as necessary; and perform related work as required. 

 

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

Positions allocated to this flexibly-staffed classification series located in the Alameda County Department of Child Support Services (ACDCSS) require a high degree of public contact which requires incumbents to possess strong customer service skills, and the ability to handle confidential information, build rapport with customers and the public, and operate within the legal confines surrounding the child support program.  Positions in this series do not have supervisory responsibility and refer the most difficult and/or complex case related matters to higher-level classes.

This is the entry level class in the Child Support Specialist series responsible for performing child support case management work.  Incumbents, through a combination of formal and on-the-job training, learn and apply child support policies, regulations and procedures required to manage child support cases in a professional manner. Incumbents at this level are closely supervised and are assigned a caseload which may require the full range of child support functions. Child Support Specialist Is are expected to gain experience and demonstrate proficiency which qualifies them to promote to Child Support Specialist II after the equivalent of one year of full-time service.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

NOTE:  The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification.  However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level.  Not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual in the classification.  

 

1.  Uses a variety of methods and procedures to locate absent parents, to obtain information on participant assets, income and liabilities; including contacting other agencies to seek information, using web-based searches, government records and databases.

2.  Documents and updates case information including customer demographics, case actions, history logs and records.

3.  Prepares legal documents necessary for the establishment, enforcement and modification of child support orders.

4.  Prepares a variety of letters, emails, memos and/or documents to obtain or verify information related to the processing of a child support case.

5.  Facilitates financial agreements with case participants regarding their child support obligations.

6.  Responds to general inquiries and explains general child support laws, court processes, orders, rules, regulations, and policies to members of the public and others.

7.  Enforces child support and medical support orders, utilizing debt collection methods and enforcement actions.

8.  Provides high quality customer service to both internal and external customers by providing accurate, complete and updated information in a courteous, efficient and timely manner.

9.  Participates in the court meet and confer process with case participants to facilitate case resolutions.

10.  Attends and participates in meetings, trainings, and staff development activities on and off-site.

11.  Travels locally to perform child support related duties at court and at program related events.

12.  Arranges for paternity tests.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:  

Graduation from high school or possession of a Certificate of Proficiency issued by the California State Board of Education, or possession of a G.E.D. certificate.

AND

EITHER I

Experience:

The equivalent of one year of full-time experience in the class of Child Support Assistant II, or in an equivalent or higher level class in the Alameda County classified service.    

OR II

Experience:

The equivalent of two years of full-time experience in the class of Customer Service Representative, or in an equivalent or higher level class in the Alameda County classified service.  

OR III  

Experience:  

The equivalent of two years of full-time experience in a public contact position with responsibility for performing any combination of the following as the primary element of work performed: interviewing applicants or case participants, exchanging detailed verbal information with customers, communicating with employers/customers to elicit information, and interpreting and applying policies, laws or regulations.  

OR IV

Education:

Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in sociology, public administration, liberal arts, or closely related field.  

 

Substitution:  

Possession of an associate degree from an accredited college or university in sociology, public administration, liberal arts, or closely related field may be substituted for six months of the required experience is pattern I, II, or III.

 

Special Requirements:    

1.  Must possess a valid California State Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.  

2.  A thorough background investigation, including fingerprinting will be conducted of all candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of employment to ensure suitability for Child Support related work.  A felony conviction may be disqualifying.  

 

NOTE:  The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

NOTE:  The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties”” section of this specification.  

 

Knowledge of:  

• General case management principles, child support establishment, enforcement and collection methods and techniques.
• Federal, State and local laws pertaining to the establishment, collection and enforcement of child support.
• Sources and methods to effectively locate absent participants and related financial information.
• Interviewing principles and research techniques.
• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Basic arithmetic to perform calculations and understand financial records.
• Principles and practices of customer service.
• Modern office methods, procedures, tools and equipment.
• Proper English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Terminology and processes related to child support laws and regulations.
• Legal forms and documents used to enforce support orders.
• Child support case management computer systems, or similar programs and applications.

Ability to:  

• Learn and utilize a variety of collection methods, techniques and procedures in child support collection work.
• Research and extract personal and financial information from a variety of sources.
• Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
• Interview participants in person and over the telephone to obtain specific information.
• Organize assigned work effectively and manage multiple  priorities.
• Adapt to changes in policies and regulations which require learning and applying new information.
• Use sound judgement to analyze factual information in order to solve problems, accomplish tasks, and make recommendations within guidelines
• Maintain systematic, detailed and accurate case files/records and notes of activities.
• Deal tactfully and courteously with people from diverse backgrounds; establish and maintain good working relationships with internal and external customers.
• Read, understand, apply and explain Federal and State laws and county policies relative to the collection and enforcement of child support.
• Maintain integrity and confidentiality of sensitive and personal information.
• Draft and compose standard business correspondence using proper English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Follow oral and written instructions.
• Comply with Federal, State and court mandates.
• Work independently with initiative and sound judgement in absence of direct supervision.

CLASS SPEC HISTORY

BG:pf  4/11/02

Newspec:  1401-1402.doc

CSC Date:   4/24/02

SA:pf  Revised 3/15/05

CSC Date:   4/27/2005

SG:po  Revised 7/1/08

CSC Date:  9/24/2008

AS:cs  Revised 11/20/14

CSC Date:  12/10/14

LC:ac  Revised/Retitled 1/31/19

Old Title: Child Support Caseworker I/II

CSC Date:  06/05/19

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees) 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.