CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST TRAINEE

A Child Support Specialist Trainee is the entry level of child support work.  Employees in this classification learn to 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 learn to perform duties related to establishing paternity and child support orders, negotiating agreements for child support payments and health insurance coverage and maintaining and enforcing the collection of current and past due amounts.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Examples of Work:

Learns to obtain, verify and analyze information from custodial and non-custodial parents, employers, financial institutions, private and governmental resources, health insurance carriers and others and use that information to locate non-custodial parents, establish paternity, verify income and assets and determine the ability of non-custodial parents to pay child support and provide health insurance;

Learns to negotiate voluntary agreements for payment of child support and liquidation of arrears with custodial and non-custodial parents in accordance with State regulations and guidelines;

Learns to initiate and prepare a variety of documents for administrative or court hearings, such as support payment modifications, wage withholdings, earnings assignments, interstate transmittals, subpoenas, bench warrants and show cause orders in order to collect current or past due child support payments;

Learns to identify circumstances that contribute to a problem in collecting child support or providing health insurance coverage, determine which private and governmental services and programs, such as mediation services, employment and job counseling services, visitation access program or young fathers’ program address the problem and refer parents to those services and programs;

Learns to monitor the receipt of child support payments and review case records and payment activities to determine the need for and type of enforcement activities warranted;

Learns to investigate and resolve disputes resulting from license suspensions, tax intercepts and other remedies used to enforce and collect child support;

Learns to initiate and negotiate establishment and enforcement of new or existing child support orders in out-of-state cases;

Learns to prepare and present testimony for judicial and administrative hearings related to child support enforcement and collection;

Learns to prepare and review case records to ensure the validity of information to be presented in court by the legal services attorney;

Learns to maintain and update case records by using automated systems and case folder documents;

Learns to respond to inquiries from custodial and non-custodial parents, employers, courts, public officials, attorneys, other State agencies and out-of-state agencies in order to resolve issues related to child support cases;

Learns to coordinate genetic testing arrangements with certified medical facilities;

Learns to serve as liaison between Child Support Enforcement Administration and other State agencies, local agencies, the State’s Attorney’s Office and the courts;

Learns to place appropriate markers on case records in cases in which family violence or abuse has occurred, monitor the case to ensure that custodial and non-custodial parents, other caretakers and children are protected and refer abused caretakers and dependent children to family shelters or other protective services;

May learn to assist at orientation sessions for new applicants or for non-custodial parents by presenting information about child support program services and related services that may be helpful;

May learn to represent the State as complainant in order to obtain or enforce court orders for support;

Performs other related duties.

Applicants must meet all minimum (and selective) qualifications to be considered, and to appear on the list of people eligible for hire. Please read all requirements before applying.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: Six months of public contact experience involving negotiating, interviewing, explaining information, gathering and compiling data, performing analysis of data, writing correspondence and completing mathematical or legal tasks.

                                                                OR

Six months of general office, retail, food service, construction trades or similar experience including data entry, record filing and maintenance, multi-line phone use, general computer skills and email software.  General clerical, data processing, technical or administrative experience is defined as work performing a variety of duties which are clear-cut and typically found in office settings such as filing, copying, inputting data, general computer skills and directing telephone calls.

                                                                 OR

Six months of U.S Armed Forces military experience.

Please make sure that you provide sufficient information on your application to show that you meet the qualifications for this recruitment. All information concerning your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date. We will not consider information submitted after this date. Successful candidates will be ranked as Best Qualified, Better Qualified, or Qualified and placed on the eligible (employment) list for at least one year.

The assessment may consist of a rating of your education, training, and experience related to the requirements of the position. It is important that you provide complete and accurate information on your application. Please report all experience and education that is related to this position.

Online applications are STRONGLY preferred.  If the online application process is not available, please send your paper application and supplemental questionnaire (if applicable) to: Department of Human Services, Examination Services Unit, Attention: Dontia Walker, 311 West Saratoga Street, First Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21201. Or, email dontia.walker@maryland.gov.  

If you are having difficulty with your user account or have general questions about the online application system, please contact the MD Department of Budget and Management, Recruitment and Examination Division, at 410-767-4850 or Application.Help@maryland.gov. 

Do not submit unsolicited documentation.

The paper application must be received by 5 PM on the closing date for the recruitment. Resumes will NOT be accepted in lieu of completing the application. 

TTY Users: call via Maryland Relay, 1-800-925-4434.

As an equal opportunity employer Maryland is committed to recruiting, retaining and promoting employees who are reflective of the State’s diversity.

Bilingual applicants and  people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

We thank our Veterans for their service to our country and encourage them to apply.