Child Support Specialist

Child Support Specialist

This position helps safeguard family financial stability by ensuring that parents who live apart receive assistance in obtaining child support. Services available to families include locating parents, establishing paternity, establishing and modifying support obligations, and monitoring and enforcing court-ordered child support obligations. Depending on the work function assigned, a Child Support Specialist might perform some or all the duties as assigned. The Child Support Specialist works with parents to ensure the financial stability of families receiving or paying court-ordered child support. They provide services to families by enforcing court orders for basic support, medical support, and childcare support through a variety of case management tasks and tools, include monitoring cases for court order compliance, reconciling financial accounts, utilizing administrative and legal remedies to induce payments and working with parents when their financial circumstances change. The Child Support Specialist works closely with the Dakota County Attorney's Office in initiating appropriate legal actions and preparing legal documents to support paternity and enforcement actions.

This career is ideal for someone who enjoys performing a mix of administrative, program and legal tasks, using multiple computer programs and software, synthesizing and analyzing complex information, applying discretion in approaches to case management, and having a high degree of public contact (in person, virtually, by phone and in writing). Child Support Specialists work with individuals that may be experiencing crisis, trauma, poverty, homelessness, unemployment, domestic violence, incarceration, mental illness, chemical dependency, and other challenging circumstances. This position requires attention to detail, strong conflict resolution abilities, and interpersonal skills to work with parents holistically, using person-centered approaches to reduce barriers, solve problems and meet outcomes.

Dakota County is Minnesota's third largest county and home to more than 400,000 residents. We strive every day to achieve excellence in public service, with a focus on four values: Service, Integrity, People, and Innovation. Dakota County aims to create an environment that is welcoming and inclusive of diverse people, backgrounds, and experiences. Our goal is to have a workforce that is reflective of the communities and individuals we serve. We promote an equitable and culturally aware work environment where everyone can be their authentic selves.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree OR Associate's degree and two years full-time experience working in an office setting providing services to the public OR High School graduate or equivalent (G.E.D.) and four years full-time experience working in an office setting providing services to the public AND Must be proficient at keyboard skills including typing at least 35 WPM.

Duties & Responsibilities

1. Engages with parents and others in child support matters to obtain information and documents to establish paternity and establish, modify, and enforce support obligations.
2. Reviews and assesses cases to develop implementation strategies and appropriate case actions, including but not limited to income withholding, suspension of driver's licenses, seizure of bank accounts, suspension of occupational or recreational licenses, referral to the Dakota County Attorney for contempt of court actions, and/or working with jurisdictions outside of Minnesota to establish paternity and obtain, modify or enforce child support orders.
3. Manages and updates case files using state child support computer system and county electronic document management system. Reviews and ensures accuracy of case information and retention of records requirements.
4. Monitors payments, determines and ensures correct charging pursuant to court order, ensures incoming payments are applied correctly to obligations, reconciles accounts using business mathematical computations and completes case financial adjustments.
5. Monitors cases for change in parents' circumstances and recommends modifications of existing child support obligations when appropriate.
6. Conducts interviews and uses investigative tools, software/computer systems and other resources to locate individuals, and records regarding income, employment, public assistance benefits and assets.
7. Resolves case disputes, conflicts, and complaints.
8. Negotiates payment plans in lieu of implementing administrative remedies. Prepares affidavits for legal actions and may testify in some legal hearings.
9. Educates parents and others about child support, including participating in child support community outreach initiatives and events.
10. Attends regular and periodic meetings and training consistent with the role and participates in workgroups and committees as requested.
11. Provides technical assistance and mentoring to less experienced staff.
12. Actively supports Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) initiatives, including efforts to address racial disparities in child support program outcomes and to address the needs of diverse and underserved populations.
13. Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities and Work Environment

• Ability to think analytically and critically.
• Ability to interpret federal regulations, state statutes, state policy and county procedures, and to apply them to assigned work.
• Ability to employ effective research, interviewing, negotiating and investigative principles, methods and techniques.
• Ability to work cross-culturally, collaboratively and to engage the strengths and perspectives of diverse team members.
• Ability to organize, prioritize and process a high volume of work in an efficient and accurate manner, and according to the needs of the organization and families.
• Ability to learn and apply parent engagement principles to work effectively with families.
• Ability to work independently and in a self-directed manner, and to work successfully and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Effective business writing and verbal communication skills, sometimes under conditions where relations may be confrontational or strained.
• Conflict management and problem-solving skills.
• Skill in MS Office software and data entry for the performance of essential duties.
• Skill in record keeping and documentation principles and practices.
• Skill in basic math/accounting principles.
• Emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills to work effectively with diverse individuals from various socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, and with those experiencing challenges such as mental illness, substance use disorder, disability, family violence, etc.

Work is performed in a Dakota County office building and remotely. Occasional exposure to challenging and unpredictable behavior from clients. Work performed is primarily sedentary. Wrist and finger manipulation is required due to high volume computer work. Equipment used may include a laptop computer, multiple computer monitors, printer, telephone, copier, fax and calculator.

This is a hybrid position that involves a mix of working remotely and in the office at our Northern Service Center in West St Paul. There will be times that traveling to the office for team meetings, training, and other business reasons will be required. Work is primarily performed during regular business hours (8:00am - 4:30pm Monday through Friday), although a flexible work schedule may be considered following the probationary period.

Selection process includes submitting an online application, scoring based on qualifications, referral to hiring manager for interview consideration, conducting interviews and reference checks, and extending an offer with background and reference checks.

Benefits include comprehensive and affordable medical, dental, vision, and other benefits, excellent work-life balance, generous paid time off, eleven paid holidays each year and one floating holiday, pension with a generous employer contribution, and a hybrid work environment option once through the training period.