Emergency Assistance Specialist

Salary: $21.90 - $27.73 Hourly
Location : Community Service Center 616 America Ave NW, Bemidji, MN
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 202600058
Department: Human Services
Division: Economic Assistance
Opening Date: 09/16/2026
Closing Date: 9/29/2026 4:30 PM Central


The Position


Beltrami County is creating an eligibility list for a full-time, benefited Emergency Assistance Specialist to work in the Consolidated Intake office. The successful applicant will be responsible for administering County emergency assistance programs, providing support to applicants and other staff, and related work as apparent or assigned. Work is performed under the moderate supervision of the Economic Assistance Program Manager.

Preferred hiring salary range is $21.90 to $23.93 per hour with a full range of $21.90 to $27.73 per hour. Placement depends on factors such as qualifications, internal equity, market conditions, and applicable policy guidelines.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience
Minimum requirements are:

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Three years of work experience in clerical, business, public welfare programs or administrative support.

Essential Functions & Requirements

Qualification Requirements
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions

• Interviews clients applying for emergency assistance; obtains necessary verifications; schedules appointments; provides information regarding the emergency assistance program to applicants.
• Enters applicant information into state database.
• Determines eligibility for emergency assistance/general emergency assistance; issues payments through state system.
• Contacts related agencies to coordinate payments.
• Communicates with applicants regarding application status; transfers applications and cases to other counties and tribal partners as needed.
• Reviews applications for County income maintenance programs for completeness and verification.
• Pre-screens clients to collect and verify information; explains programs and procedures; provides application forms;
• Assists clients and provides ongoing support.
• Performs administrative duties in the Beltrami County EDMS.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Thorough knowledge of emergency assistance policies and emergency general assistance policy; thorough knowledge of EDMS; thorough knowledge of income verification statements and associated program reports; thorough knowledge of standard office equipment, standard office and accounting software and MAXIS; ability to make arithmetic computations using whole numbers, fractions and decimals; ability to compute rates, ratios and percentages; ability to understand and apply governmental accounting practices in maintenance of financial records; ability to communicate orally and in writing with applicants, outside agencies and County staff.

Physical Requirements
This work requires the frequent exertion of up to 10 pounds of force; work regularly requires speaking or hearing and using hands and fingers, frequently requires sitting and repetitive motions and occasionally requires standing, walking and reaching with hands and arms; work has standard vision requirements; local communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating machines and observing general surroundings and activities; work has no exposure to environmental conditions; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Supplemental Information

Special Requirements

• Employment offer contingent upon successfully passing drug screening and background check.

There are a wide variety of benefits available to Beltrami county employees. Visit the Employee Benefits Summary under our website's for more information.
01


I understand that my answers with regard to experience must be supported by the information I have included in my online application. I affirm that the information provided is accurate and true to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any falsification may disqualify me for consideration for this and subsequent recruitments with Beltrami County.

• Yes
• No

02


As a minimum qualification, do you have a High School Diploma or GED?

• Yes
• No

03


How many post-secondary education semester credits have you earned?

• At least 1, but less than 30 (1-44 quarter credits)
• At least 30, but less than 60 (45-89 quarter credits)
• At least 60, but less than 90 (90134 quarter credits)
• At least 90, but less than 120 (135-179 quarter credits)
• More than 120 (180 quarter credits)
• None of the above

04


What is the area of study?

• Business Administration
• Public Welfare Programs
• Administrative Assistant
• Clerical
• Other
• None

05


If you answered "Other" to the question above, what is your area of study?
06


As a minimum qualification, do you have at least three years of full-time work experience in clerical, business, public welfare programs or administrative support? Convert any part-time experience to full-time equivalent (i.e. 20 hours per week for 2 years equals 1 year full-time).

• Yes
• No

07


In response to your answer above, with which employer(s) listed on your application did you earn this work experience? If no, type N/A.
08


Select the option below that best describes your PAID, FULL-TIME experience working as a Case Aide or Office Support Specialist in a county, state or federal human services agency. Convert any part-time experience to full-time equivalent (i.e. 20 hours per week for 2 years equals 1 year full-time).

• I do not have this experience
• Less than 1 year
• At least 1 year, but less than 2
• At least 2 years, but less than 3
• 3 years or more

09


In response to your answer above, with which employer(s) listed on your application did you earn this work experience? If no, type N/A.
10


Select the option below that best describes your PAID, FULL-TIME experience working in an agency or business providing support services in a social services type agency, health related facility or other organization providing similar services. Convert any part-time experience to full-time equivalent (i.e. 20 hours per week for 2 years equals 1 year full-time).

• I do not have this experience
• Less than 1 year
• At least 1 year, but less than 2
• At least 2 years, but less than 3
• At least 3 years, but less than 4
• At least 4 years, but less than 5
• 5 years or more

11


In response to your answer above, with which employer(s) listed on your application did you earn this work experience? If no, type N/A.
12


I certify that I have work related experience appropriately handling client information that is sensitive and confidential. (i.e. medical, financial, legal)

• Yes
• No

13


In response to your answer above, with which employer(s) listed on your application did you earn this work experience? If no, type N/A.
14


Which of the following functions have you performed with coordination of services and/or providing assistance in accessing public programs?

• Interview applicants to determine eligibility
• Processing payments to vendors
• Coordinate payments with providers and agencies
• Communicating with applicants regarding application status
• Assisting with money management and budgeting
• Collecting applicant information and verifications
• Referring applicants to available resources
• Contacting agencies, landlords and utility companies
• None of the above

15


In response to your answer above, with which employer(s) listed on your application did you earn this work experience? If none, type N/A.
16


Which of the following type(s) of assistance have you provided to clients/customers?

• Answer phones
• Greeted visitors
• Resolved routine customer inquiries or complaints
• Provide instructions, directions & referrals
• Assisted a diverse group of customers
• None of the above

17


In response to your answer above, with which employer(s) listed on your application did you earn this work experience? If none, type N/A.
18


Which function(s) of an Electronic Data Management System (EDMS) have you performed?

• Electronic records
• Work Flow
• System Trainer
• None of the above

19


Briefly describe your duties involving the EDMS. Include with which employer(s) listed on your application you earned this experience? If none, type N/A.
20


Indicate your highest level of proficiency using Microsoft Word to create, modify and edit a document, using tables, graphics and forms.

• None
• Familiar with these skills
• Advanced user of these skills

21


Indicate your highest level of proficiency using Microsoft Excel to create and edit spreadsheet formulas, formatting and charts.

• None
• Familiar with these skills
• Advanced user of these skills

22


Indicate your highest level of proficiency using Microsoft Outlook to manage contacts, e-mails & attachments, share calendars and schedule appointments

• None
• Familiar with these skills
• Advanced user of these skills

23


Indicate your highest level of proficiency using Microsoft Access to create reports and queries and work in an existing database, update data.

• None
• Familiar with these skills
• Advanced user of these skills

Required Question