Child Support Specialist

Child Support Specialist

The Child Support Specialist serves as the critical contact in the facilitation of successful outcomes for children's financial well-being. The Child Support Specialist utilizes analytical reasoning to initiate, establish, modify, enforce and collect child support obligations by making informed decisions ensuring timely and accurate case management through a trauma-informed approach. This role requires strong attention to detail and interpersonal skills to navigate complex family dynamics while processing various documents, both legal and correspondence; conducting research across multiple systems; and managing cases for compliance with local, state, and federal rules, regulations, policies and procedures. The specialist interprets complex legal orders, addresses system conflicts, and manages early intervention and enforcement efforts using the Automated Child Support Enforcement System (ACSES) and specialized technological tools. Through a combination of technical expertise and empathetic customer service the specialist ensures families receive prompt, accurate case processing while connecting them with appropriate resources and supporting their efforts in building stronger futures for their children.

Specialist operates in one of the following areas of service:

• Financial
• Intake
• Establishment
• Enforcement
• Modification

Compensation: Hiring Range: $22.86-$28.58 USD Hourly

Benefits: Jefferson County offers a generous benefits package that supports your personal and professional life. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off and holidays, including a starting bank of 40 hours of PTO for new hires; retirement matching; wellness programs; tuition reimbursement; flexible schedules; and more.

Essential Duties:

• Adheres to strict confidentiality policies and appropriate release of information.
• Ensures case management services offered are compliant with Colorado Revised Statutes, court records and other federal and state rules and regulations that govern the child support program.
• Adheres to departmental policies and procedures and customer service standards.
• Provides proactive and consistent customer service to customers or their legal representatives by providing information on the Child Support Services Program, case specific details and case status; utilizing interviewing and de-escalation techniques to address customer concerns; and identifying potential barriers to payment to ensure that each customer has enough information and resources required to make life altering decisions affecting their family.
• Maintains assigned caseload by working daily, weekly, and monthly reports; processing mail; clearing alerts and locates; reviewing calendar reminders and working dashboards to ensure cases are monitored closely and comply with state and federal timeframes.
• Collaborates with other county, state, tribal and international agencies by applying knowledge of state and federal rules and regulations to initiate and maintain necessary child support services for parents who do not live within Jefferson County.
• Researches, records, interprets, and analyzes complicated legal documents to determine appropriate course of action to effectively secure accurate child support payments using the most efficient means possible.
• Performs discretional decision making by determining optimal courses of action through critical thinking, careful consideration, and interpretation of complex case circumstances and legal authority from multiple sources to obtain appropriate outcomes for customers.
• Updates, monitors and maintains the Automated Child Support Enforcement System (ACSES) and electronic document management system. Maintains written chronological history of work performed, contacts made, remedies utilized, legal and administrative advisements; calculations performed, resulting orders from court hearings and negotiation conferences held and all decisions and planned courses of actions for the case.
• Researches and investigates crucial locate and asset information for parties through several resources and tools to ensure continuity of critical child support services for families.
• Provides resources and collaborates with partner agencies. Makes referrals to various community outreach programs including workforce development for employment and education options, fatherhood program, Jefferson County Mediation, Karlis Family Center, Metro Lawyers, Improved Payments and Child Success (IMPACS) program, Work Force Center and Jeffco Action Center.
• Provides relevant documents and case notes and makes recommendations to the Assistant County Attorney relating to cases in need of legal consultation and cases scheduled for court hearing. Researches and prepares complex legal documents for review and approval by Assistant County Attorney; processes documents to be filed with court and provides copies to stakeholders.
• Implements performance enhancements and new processes. Provides recommendations to management for developing cost-effective and practical methods to increase productivity and collections; improve customer service and overall program efficiency. Assists in developing workflow processes and procedures. Attends collaborative meetings to discuss, analyze, and develop strategies defining efficient and effective delivery of services and maximization of performance as measured by federal, state and county metrics.
• Increases and maintains knowledge on crucial laws and developments in the CSS program by attending training, conferences, and workshops; reviewing professional articles and webinars; and maintaining contacts both statewide and nationally with professionals in the CSS program and CSS program partners to facilitate exchange of information.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Additional Essential Functions Specific To Service Areas:

• Financial: Provides account adjustments, account reconciliation, and fund transfers. Compiles relevant financial information; verifies and confirms transaction information from all sources. Calculates arrears due, creates and verifies account and ledger and balance information, and makes ledger adjustments. Communicates and educates parties regarding arrears calculation results, unfunded disbursements and resulting recovery options. Provides complex accounting functions for the child support services section in accordance with county state and federal requirements.
• Intake: Reviews child support applications and public assistance program referrals, extracts information required for case creation from multiple databases. Researches and reviews existing court and child support cases for the related parties. Monitors application due dates and maintains record of pending applications to finalize case initiation within State and Federally mandated time frames. Creates electronic case files. Interprets and enters court order information in database. Generates initial case paperwork. Prepares legal documents for filing with courts, monitors for outcomes and updates database with new order information. Communicates with members of the public seeking information on child support services and with child support applicants; provides descriptions of the services offered by the program and guidance through the application process.
• Establishment: Obtains Administrative Process Action (APA) certification as required by State policy. Gathers income and expense information in relation to child support guideline worksheet preparation. Participates in negotiation conferences with parties to establish paternity and child support through the APA process whenever possible; when APA is not appropriate, prepares legal documents; monitors for hearing results; and updates database with new order information. Prepares and files Reports of Paternity Determination (RPD) with Vital Statistics.
• Enforcement: Obtains Enforcement Certification as required by State policy. Communicates with parties regarding case status, program processes/procedures, enforcement remedies, balance and payment information, and other case activity. Obtains and determines ability to pay child support to create appropriate pay plans; make necessary referrals to assistance resources; and negotiates settlement payments for arrears balances. Initiates cases with other states, tribes, or countries' child support agencies for the purpose of establishment and enforcement of child support orders. Monitors automated enforcement remedies and determines when manual enforcement remedies should be utilized. Prepares and files legal documents with court; attends court as appropriate to support the county attorney and provide program specific knowledge to parties as it pertains to their case; monitors for outcome of court proceedings; and maintains case file and database with resulting orders.
• Modification: Obtains APA certification as required by State policy. Evaluates party requests and system alerts for modification (review and adjustment) to determine if modification is appropriate. When modification is warranted, gathers all relevant income and expense information for preparation of child support guidelines; facilitates negotiation conferences; prepares legal documents for filing with the court; sets hearing dates and sends notifications; prepares files for the county attorney; and monitors for hearing results. Updates database with all case orders and facilitates next appropriate actions as it pertains to the terms of the most current order.

Qualifications:

Research shows that women and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups tend to apply only when they check every box in the posting. If you are reading this and hesitating to click "apply" for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! A true passion and excitement for making an impact is just as important as work experience.

Minimum Qualifications:

Experience: Minimum of three (3) years of work-related experience

Education: High School Diploma or GED, or an equivalent combination of education and experience is acceptable.

Preferred knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Criminal History and MVR Background Checks are required for every position.
• Offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of criminal history, motor vehicle report, education verification, and/or references.
• A valid Colorado driver's license is required for positions that drive on County Business in either a county or personal vehicle shall have a Colorado Driver's license within 30-days of hire or beginning to serve as an intern or volunteer.
• In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You