Job Description APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE ASSOCIATE BENEFITS OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST CIVIL SERVICE TITLE The Department of Social Services (DSS) is comprised of the administrative units of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). HRA is dedicated to fighting poverty and income inequality by providing New Yorkers in need with essential benefits such as Food Assistance and Emergency Rental Assistance. DHS is committed to preventing and addressing homelessness in New York City by employing a variety of innovative strategies to help families and individuals successfully exit shelter and return to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. Fair Hearing Administration oversees DSS’s fair hearing process, which is an administrative law procedure designed to resolve disputes concerning benefits, services, and actions in a variety of programs administered by DSS. Fair Hearing Administration is recruiting for one (1) Associate Benefits Opportunity Specialist, Level 2 to function as Fair Hearing Agency Representative. Under general supervision of the Fair Hearing Representative and with latitude for independent judgment and initiative, the Agency Representative reviews documents for Fair Hearing Evidence Packets in defense of the Agency’s position and represents the Family Independence Administration (FIA) at New York State Fair Hearings in an effort to defend and resolve disputes on Cash Assistance (CA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Investigation Revenue and Enforcement Administration (IREA), and Medicaid (MA) case actions, in order to assist in moving participants toward economic independence. This agency representative also represents the agency position on cases related to HIV and AIDS Services Administration (HASA) The Fair Hearing Agency Representative will: - Represent the Agency at New York State Administrative Hearings by presenting and defending Fair Hearing cases or resolving when appropriate. In the course of representing the Agency, presents evidence manually or electronically, cross examines Appellants and provides the State Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) with a complete and relevant evidence packet and supporting documents to justify the challenged case action. Represent the agency at New York State Administrative Resolution/Settlement Hearings resulting from Same Day Resolution Conferences (SDRC) process. Ensure that requests for resolutions are forwarded to FIA Operations, The Fair Hearing Tracking Monitoring and Review Unit (FHTMRU) or the Office of Central Processing (OCP) as required. Review Fair Hearing decisions and recommends actions to challenge decisions when appropriate. - Update Fair Hearing checklists as determined by feedback from the Fair Hearing Officer via dispositions and outcomes. Engage in post Fair Hearing activities, including preparation of reports and requests for case actions based on evidence presented or agreements made in hearing rooms and transmitting information back to the sites for follow-up actions to be initiated. Provide additional information or clarification to ensure that packets are adequate to present at Fair Hearings, providing feedback whenever additional documents are required for case presentation. Informs Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) Clerk and the (SDRC) staff of the resolution/settlement hearing outcome. - Ensure that all case actions are reflected and checked through relevant systems such as Welfare Management System (WMS), Paperless Operation System (POS), New York City Work Accountability and You (NYCWAY), Fair Hearing Informational System (FHIS), HRA One Viewer, Self-Sufficiency Employment Assessment Management System (SEAMS), Fair Hearing Evidence Management System (FHEMS) and Electronic Evidence Packet System (EEPS). - Review Fair Hearing Evidence Packet prepared by Same Day Conference AJOS I’s to assess the appropriateness of resolution actions and to ensure all pertinent documents/evidence are included. Provides guidance to SDRC AJOS I’s when needed. Approves SDRC evidence packets. Work closely with SDRC staff to ensure that cases are conferenced and ready to be presented at a Settlement Hearing. Ensure that resolutions are processed expeditiously. Conduct conferences for cases that are on the SDRC list. - Ensure that Fair Hearing staff members are trained in the performance of work activities, by holding individual and unit meeting to improve staff areas of competence; provide Performance Evaluations, timely; develops strategies and defenses to assist in increasing the Agency’s Fair Hearing win rate and to support fair hearing avoidance. - Meet on a regular basis with Center Directors, Center staff, and other Model Center/Job Center, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), IREA Operations staff, and participates in Job Center cabinet meetings to review CA and SNAP Fair Hearing trends and causal factors. Provide information and communicate trends and issues in an effort to enhance performance and maintains quality of decisions. Provide information on what needs to be addressed or emphasized at Fair Hearing Representation meeting and Fair Hearing Profile meetings. Work Location: 250 Livingston St. BROOKLYN, NY 11201 Hours/Schedule: 9am – 5 pm with flex Qualifications 1. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and three years of full-time satisfactory experience working directly in social/human services or a related setting, providing either: a) client services. b) employment planning/counseling services which involves job development, skills assessment, and employment placement or other economic opportunity programming. 2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full time satisfactory experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist; or 3. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full time satisfactory experience as described in one (1) above. 4. College credit from an accredited college may be substituted for this experience on the basis of 60 semester credits for 9 months of the work experience described above. However, all candidates must have at least 18 months of full-time satisfactory experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist or performing social/human services work as described in one (1) above. Additional Information The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.