Human Services Assistant - Non Merit

Job Title

A Non-Merit vacancy exists in the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Community Based Services, Center for Family Success.

Job Description

Under close supervision, determines eligibility of applicants for various programs and services in areas such as public or mental health, social services, and aging; and assists Human Services Associates and other professionals with case management.

Essential Job Duties:

• Interviews clients and reviews applications and other forms to determine eligibility for financial aid or other services according to established guidelines.
• Explains program policies and procedures to clients.
• Assists clients and others in obtaining supportive information as required and contacts other agencies to verify information.
• Assists in placing clients into other programs.
• Computes dollar amounts of grants for clients based on established guidelines.
• Initiates procedures to grant, modify, deny or terminate clients' participation in program.
• Regularly reviews clients' activities with professionals in program.
• Maintains detailed records of cases and assembles these into periodic reports.

Examples of Other Duties:

• Assists walk-in clients and answers telephone inquiries.
• May conduct home visits to obtain or verify information.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with an associate in arts degree in a social science or behavioral science.

Possession of the 90-hour Child Development Associate (CDA) certification and the 45-hour Infant/Toddler CDA certification is preferred.

Experience in individual, group, or family counseling or in intake and referral work may be substituted on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of two years for the required education.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Entry Level):

• Basic knowledge of interviewing techniques.
• Skill in performing simple mathematical calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Writing skill necessary to complete simple application forms and reports.
• Ability to obtain information from clients and to compile information into case records.
• Ability to communicate orally. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to understand Federal, State, and local regulations, program policies and procedures, to apply them to specific client situations, and to compute the amounts of grants to clients.
• Ability to maintain detailed and accurate records and to prepare summary reports.
• Ability to use a computer to enter, update, or retrieve information.
• Frequent significant decision- and problem- solving abilities.
• Ability to work as team member collaborating with parents and community resources.
• Ability to supervise and monitor children under the age of five years old at all times and ensure a safe environment.
• Ability to respond appropriately to an emergency or crisis situation.
• Frequent driving for home visits sometimes in outlying areas.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Full Performance):

• Knowledge of Federal, State, and local regulations, policies, and procedures relating to assigned programs.
• Knowledge of community services and other agency programs for referral.
• Knowledge of County and departmental rules, regulations, policies, and procedures relating to the performance of duties.
• Skill in obtaining information from clients and applying program requirements to determine eligibility.
• Skill in computing amounts of grants. Skill in maintaining accurate records and preparing summary reports.
• Ability to assist human services professionals with case management.
• Ability to perform basic assessment of client needs for referral purposes.
• Ability to recognize clients in crisis and take appropriate action.
• Ability to maintain client confidentiality.
• Frequent significant decision- and problem- solving abilities.
• Ability to work as team member collaborating with parents and community resources.
• Ability to supervise and monitor children under the age of five years old at all times and ensure a safe environment.
• Ability to respond appropriately to an emergency or crisis situation.
• Frequent driving for home visits sometimes in outlying areas.

Conditions of Employment

These positions are essentially sedentary with occasional walking, lifting, or other restricted physical activity. Applicants selected for employment with Baltimore County must successfully complete a physical examination, drug screening and employment investigation, including, but not limited to criminal background, education certification and fingerprinting checks.