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Putnam County

Personnel Department

SOCIAL SERVICE SPECIALIST III

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS This is an administrative position in which incumbents coordinate, plan and supervise the activity and have the responsibility for the performance of a unit of the agency involved in the delivery of case management and a financial service program including either public assistance and food stamps or medical assistance. Incumbents exercise considerable independence of action and judgment in discharging responsibilities of the unit. Accountability for unit performance is deemed essential.  Significant contact with other agency professional and managerial personnel will occur as part of the process of coordinating, monitoring and evaluating unit activities. Supervision is exercised over a number of social service personnel.  Work is performed under the general supervision of a higher level employee with substantial leeway in the performance of supervisory responsibilities and judgment.  Performs related work as required.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:  (Illustrative Only)

  • Plans, coordinates, supervises and manages the activities of an assigned unit of responsibility;
  • Develops and implements plans for workload assignments, personnel utilizations and workflow requirements;
  • Monitors staff performance, conducts performance evaluations, and institutes performance standards in the area of responsibility;
  • On a continuing basis, trains unit workers in their job duties and in the basic principles and practices of social service financial programs as well as time and work management;
  • Provides consultation to staff on federal, state, local policies and procedures;
  • Evaluates the quality and effectiveness of the work of the employees within the unit as well as the individual workers' strengths and weaknesses;
  • Carries out selected reviews of cases and signs off on various forms to insure compliance with eligibility standards;
  • Consults with staff development coordinator to assist in the planning and implementing of staff training programs;
  • Establishes and maintains inter‑agency contacts and interprets programs to the community;
  • Establishes and maintains intra‑agency contacts to insure coordination among interrelated providers;
  • May make presentations at various administrative or judicial proceedings;
  • Interviews clients and acts as an informal mediator in disputes between lower level workers and applicants/clients;
  • Participates in the formulation of policies and procedures to facilitate the delivery of financial service programs;
  • Performs a variety of related activities as required.

Typical Work Activities are intended only as illustrations of possible types of work that might be appropriately assigned to an incumbent of this title. Work activities that do not appear above are not excluded as appropriate work assignments, as long as they can be reasonably understood to be within the logical limits of the job.

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS  Thorough knowledge of applicable federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations and procedures as they relate to the area of assignment; thorough knowledge of the philosophy and operations of social service agencies; comprehensive knowledge of modern principles of supervision and management; ability to plan, direct and evaluate the work of assigned personnel; ability to instruct assigned personnel in various aspects of agency policy and procedures, job functions and improving job performance; ability to lead and motivate assigned personnel; ability to manage or resolve interpersonal problems which may exist among staff; ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; ability to identify critical program problems and to formulate and implement appropriate changes into ongoing operations with minimum disruption; ability to interpret numerical and narrative information; initiative; integrity; sound professional judgment; leadership; resourcefulness.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Either

  1. Bachelor's degree and one (1) year of experience in the provision of financial social service programs or substantially similar work; or
  2. Associate's degree, or its equivalent, and three (3) years of experience in the provision of financial social service programs or substantially similar work; or
  3. An equivalent combination of training and experience as indicated in a) and b) above.

PROMOTION REQUIREMENTS:

Associate's Degree or above, or current attendance and enrollment towards an Associate's Degree or above, and one (1) year permanent competitive class status as a Social Services Specialist II.

PLEASE NOTE: Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:

Access to transportation may be required to complete possible field work assignments in a timely and efficient manner.

 

7/90; 9/97; 2/07; 1/09

Competitive Class

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Mission Statement

Our mission is to administer, in a fair and equitable manner, the provisions of New York State Civil Service Law and Putnam County Civil Service Rules with respect to the offices and employments in the classified service of Putnam County and the civil divisions therein, which include the towns, villages, school districts, libraries and special districts.

It is Putnam County Personnel Department’s responsibility to ensure Putnam County taxpayers of a public workforce qualified for their jobs pursuant to the principles of selection according to merit and fitness as set forth in Article 5, §6 of the New York State Constitution.

  • Paul Eldridge

    Personnel Officer

Putnam County Office Building

40 Gleneida Avenue
Carmel, New York 10512

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