State of Maryland

A Child Support Specialist Supervisor is the supervisory level of child support work.  Employees in this classification supervise Child Support Specialists who investigate and analyze child support cases and initiate appropriate actions to establish, maintain or enforce support payments for dependent children in accordance with applicable federal and State laws, rules and regulations.  Employees in this classification supervise lower-level Child Support Specialists and assigned support staff.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a higher-level administrator.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Child Support Specialist Supervisor is differentiated from the Child Support Specialist, Lead in that the Child Support Specialist Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Child Support Specialists while the Child Support Specialist, Lead assigns, reviews and approves the work and trains lower-level Child Support Specialists.

Plans, coordinates, supervises and evaluates the work of lower-level Child Support Specialists and assigned support staff;

Trains lower-level Child Support Specialists in investigating and analyzing child support cases and in initiating appropriate actions to establish, maintain and enforce support payments to dependent children;

Monitors staff activity and prioritizes workload to assure that all case actions are completed in a timely manner and according to regulations, laws, policies and procedures;

Develops and implements procedures to effectively and efficiently meet the goals of the Child Support program;

Establishes corrective action plans where indicated and monitors for improvement;

Provides leadership to staff in incorporating strategic planning and quality management in program activities;

Serves as liaison between the Child Support Enforcement Administration and other State agencies, the State’s Attorney’s Office and the courts;

Assists agency management in developing and improving services and funding sources related to program development and enhancement;

Participates in community, inter-departmental, intra-State, and inter-State meetings and forums related to child support issues;

Uses mainframe and personal computer systems and software to prepare and submit management, financial and technical reports;

Works with the Sheriff’s Office to develop solutions to problems related to serving child support warrants and body attachments;

Responds to inquiries from custodial and non-custodial parents, courts, public officials, attorneys and employers in order to resolve problems related to child support cases;

May conduct customer orientations and make presentations in the community about child support programs and services;

May assist employers to understand and comply with child support wage withholding procedures;

May administer the child support program in the absence of the Assistant Director;

May assist with preparation of the annual budget;

May draft correspondence for the Assistant Director;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of federal, State and local laws, regulations and goals applicable to child support programs;

Knowledge of the procedures used to identify and locate non-custodial parents, both in-state and out-of-state, and establish responsibility for child support payments in child support collection and enforcement work;

Knowledge of State and local agencies and community organizations and facilities that provide services to custodial parents or other caretakers, non-custodial parents and dependent children;

Knowledge of techniques and methods used to investigate, verify and analyze financial information of custodial and non-custodial parents;

Knowledge of basic mathematics;

Ability to interpret regulatory, programmatic, fiscal and related information and apply it to child support enforcement matters;

Ability to use computer systems to analyze information, identify problems, produce reports and access informational resources;

Ability to prepare complete, comprehensive and accurate legal documents, correspondence, and narratives;

Ability to use good judgment and resourcefulness in recognizing problematic situations and negotiating solutions;

Ability to maintain confidentiality of child support case material and related information;

Ability to communicate effectively in child support matters with custodial and non-custodial parents, family members, judges, attorneys, court personnel, employers, financial institutions, health insurance carriers, inter-departmental personnel and any other parties who have an interest in child support matters;

Ability to plan, coordinate, supervise and evaluate the work of assigned staff.

Education:   An Associate of Arts degree from an accredited college or university.

Experience: Five years of experience investigating and analyzing child support cases and initiating appropriate actions to establish, maintain or enforce support payments for dependent children in accordance with federal and State laws, rules and regulations.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute additional experience on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

2. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university for two years of the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute experience determining eligibility for government assistance programs for one year of the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit as indicated by the designation of S (supervisor), M (manager), T (agency head), U (Board or Commission member), W (student), X (Used by agency or excluded by executive order), or Z (confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and therefore, all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.