Eligibility Counselor 1

About This Role

This position is an entry-level Eligibility Counselor role within the Department of Human Services, Adult and Family Services Division, focusing on learning to determine eligibility for SNAP and TANF programs. The role involves customer-facing interviews to assess eligibility and provide case management under direct supervision, with reclassification to Eligibility Counselor 2 after a successful one-year training period.

Responsibilities

• Learn to manage a workload of initial and on-going eligibility determinations for SNAP and TANF programs based on specific demographic and economic criteria.
• Learn to conduct probing interviews with customers by phone or in person to assess eligibility.
• Learn to provide case management for initial SNAP and TANF eligibility, ongoing eligibility, and customer changes through direct customer engagement.
• Learn to calculate monthly income and expenses to ensure accurate budgeting and document case information in computerized and/or paper files.
• Learn to ensure accurate receipt of entitled benefits by reviewing, verifying, and utilizing data from customers and multiple electronic systems while maintaining confidentiality.
• Learn to assist customers with the application process and scheduling appointments.
• Learn to review and interpret program policy and explain eligibility and ongoing responsibilities for programs/services to ensure customer understanding.
• Learn to assess customer's strengths, consider goals, desired outcomes, work activities, and supportive services to aid in self-sufficiency.
• Learn to identify benefits and services available within the Department or from external sources and make appropriate referrals.
• Learn to develop and maintain partnerships with vendors and outside organizations to obtain information, promote programs, and identify available services and benefits.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in eligibility determination or as an Eligibility Assistant/State contractor.
• Ability to complete a criminal history disclosure form.
• Agreement to release criminal history records to the appointing authority.
• Ability to supply a fingerprint sample for a TBI-based criminal history records check.
• Completion of a mandatory one-year training period to be reclassified to Eligibility Counselor 2.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or qualifying full-time professional eligibility determination experience equivalent.
• Entry-level, with substitution options for education including professional eligibility determination or para-professional experience as an Eligibility Assistant.

Skills

* Required skills