Location
Salinas, CA | United States
Job description
Performs a wide variety of child support duties consisting of maintaining a caseload, locating and interviewing custodial and non-custodial parents and others to elicit factual information for the purpose of establishing child support obligations and enforcing child support laws; arranges for support payments when possible; prepares cases for court hearings as necessary; and performs related work as required.
Working under close supervision, Child Support Specialist I is the entry/trainee level in the Child Support Specialist series. Employees in this class receive in-service training, and are given detailed instructions in the performance of duties related to child support laws, regulations, and a broad range of child support casework activities. As requisite skills and knowledge are developed, greater independence and the full scope of responsibility are exercised. Employees are expected to promote to Child Support Specialist II after one year of satisfactory performance at the entry/trainee level.
Duties for the Child Support Specialist I may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Manages a general caseload consisting of child support legal actions and the establishment, enforcement and collection of child support payment obligations based on established guidelines.
- Coordinates appointments for personal interviews with custodial and non-custodial parents, employers, and attorneys.
- Develops and analyzes information for the establishment of paternity.
- Uses a variety of methods, systems and procedures for locating information on custodial and non-custodial parents' assets, income, and liabilities.
- Evaluates income and expense data of custodial and non-custodial parents to determine and recommend child support payment obligations based on established guidelines.
- Responds to general inquiries and explains general child support laws, court orders, rules, regulations, and policies to public and staff.
- Participates in interviews to secure support agreements and to persuade responsible parties to make payments without recourse to legal action.
- Prepares and processes legal documents necessary for the Documents and updates customer information, contact information, case actions/history logs, and records using a state-wide automated system.
- Provides case status information, explains the complaint resolution process, and answers case specific questions for all involved parties ensuring the verbiage used cannot be interpreted as legal advice.
- Applies federal, state, and local codes, procedures, and rules in establishing and processing child support cases.
- Coordinates and/or conducts genetic tests when needed.
- Performs related duties as assigned.
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS
Note: The level and scope of the knowledge and skills listed below are related to job duties as distinguished between the two levels in the Definition section.
Knowledge of:
- Civil and criminal law, and Federal and California laws and regulations pertaining to the establishment, and enforcement of child support obligations.
- Sources, methods and techniques used to locate non-custodial parents, relatives and related persons, assets, income, and liabilities.
- Techniques and methods for establishing paternity.
- Child Support specific collection methods and techniques.
- Legal terminology used when explaining legal procedures to customers or the public.
- When and how to prepare and process a variety of child support related legal documents in a clear and concise manner.
- The structure and content of the English language.
- Basic mathematics and business arithmetic, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, percentages, and decimals.
Skill/Ability to:
- Apply specialized Federal child support laws and procedures as they apply to intergovernmental and international cases.
- Explain child support procedures, regulations, and requirements to individuals from a wide variety of educational and cultural backgrounds.
- Use effective interviewing techniques to interview a wide variety of people, over the telephone and in person.
- Use patience, tact and courtesy in firmly dealing with people who may be uncooperative, unreasonable, angry, upset, or hostile.
- Collect DNA samples to establish paternity.
- Use sound independent judgment to analyze factual information, situations, and people.
- Understand financial records such as tax records, income and expense reports, and employer earnings records to determine the amount of child support payment obligations.
- Compile multiple pieces of information clearly and concisely into an organized and understandable written report or oral presentation.
- Organize work and set priorities in order to meet critical deadlines with minimal direction.
- Exercise initiative within the limits of assigned duties.
- Maintain the confidentiality of sensitive or personal information.
- Establish rapport and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, courts, attorneys, other agencies, and the public.
- Be flexible and supportive of change.
- Ability to prioritize multiple assignments having conflicting deadlines.
- Effectively use computer and other resources to prepare and manage cases.
Two (2) years of full-time clerical experience which included interaction with the public;
OR
One year of full-time experience performing debt collections duties which included interviewing others for the purpose of collecting information;
OR
One year of full-time experience performing duties of a Child Support Assistant I or Office Assistant II in a Child Support Services Department;
OR
Completion of 60 semester or 90 quarter units of college.
Qualifying experience or education may be combined in order to meet the above requirements. When combining education and experience; fifteen (15) semester units or twenty-two (22) quarter units equals six months of experience.
Additional Information: - The ability to speak, read and write Spanish in addition to English is optional .
- Employees who drive on County business to carry out job-related duties must possess a valid CA Driver License for the class vehicle driven.
- The Department of Child Support Services will conduct a thorough background and reference check process which includes a Department of Justice fingerprint check.
- Monterey County, like all employers, is required to verify an employee's right to work in the United States. Accordingly, on the first day of employment, employees must have and show those documents that verify their legal right to work in the United States. Examples of accepted documentation are a U.S. Passport or Alien Registration Card, or a driver's license and Social Security Card, or a driver's license and U.S. Birth Certificate.
- Additionally, our agency requires a valid social security card in order to process employee paychecks. Accordingly, on the first day of employment, employees must have and show this document.
- Government agencies accessing US government information, which include federal tax information must ensure that background investigation requirements for all agency employees and contractors that have access to federal tax information are consistent to the IRS background investigation requirements for access to federal tax information.
- Background checks are required and must be repeated every 5 years. Background requirements consist of three components which include, fingerprinting, citizenship verification and local law enforcement checks.
VETERANS PREFERENCE
If you would like to request Veteran's preference points as part of the application packet, please attach a copy of your DD-214 form to your application.
TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EXAMINATION – WEIGHTED 100% The Training & Experience Examination is designed to elicit a range of specific information regarding each candidate’s knowledge, skill, abilities, and potential to effectively perform the duties relative to the classification. Responses to the questionnaire will be assessed based on pre-determined rating criteria. All applicants must complete the entire examination to receive a score. In order to obtain a position on the eligible list, candidates must receive a minimum rating of 70% on the examination.
ELIGIBLE LIST INFORMATION An open eligible list will be established for the county of Monterey. The list will be utilized for 12 months after it is established unless the needs of the service and conditions of the list warrant a change in this period.
RETEST PERIOD Once you have taken the examination, you may not retest for SIX (6) MONTHS from the established eligibility date.
SPECIAL TESTING ARRANGEMENTS Special testing arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants for disability, military, or religious reasons. If you require such arrangements, please contact CalHR at
[email protected] or 916-323-2360 upon notification that your application has been approved. Documentation from medical, military, school or church officials outlining the accommodation request must be received by our office a minimum of five business days prior to a scheduled examination.
APPLICATION DOCUMENTS If you are using education to meet the minimum qualifications, you must attach your transcripts to your application. Applicants with foreign transcripts must provide a transcript evaluation that indicates the number of units to which the foreign course work is equivalent. Transcripts and evaluations may be unofficial; official transcripts may be required upon appointment. Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.
GENERAL INFORMATION MSS reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the recruitment if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all competitors will be notified.
If you meet the requirements stated on this bulletin, you may take this examination. Your performance in this examination will be rated against predetermined rating criteria. All competitors who pass will be added to the eligible list. Meeting the entry requirements does not assure success in the examination or placement on the eligible list.
General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgement, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. As part of the hiring process, a background investigation may be required.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY The Merit System Services program is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.
ABOUT MONTEREY COUNTY Located on California's picturesque Pacific Coast, the County of Monterey is blessed with mild weather year-round and is home to miles of beautiful beaches, spectacular mountain ranges, groves of redwoods, low-rolling foothills, and a bountiful valley. With a population exceeding 400,000, the County is proud of its vibrant citizenry, great traditions, educational opportunities, and multicultural lifestyles. Boasting such world-renowned attractions as the spectacular Big Sur coast, 17-Mile Drive, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, the Steinbeck Center, the Monterey Jazz and Blues Festivals, and Pebble Beach - possibly the world's most famous golf course, it's easy to see why an estimated 4.3 million visitors a year make Monterey County their destination of choice.
In addition to a thriving tourist trade, Monterey County's economy is largely based on a vigorous agricultural industry. Known as the 'salad bowl of the nation' the Salinas Valley provides fresh vegetables and salad greens to the entire country. California's 16th largest county also provides many educational opportunities for its residents including California State University at Monterey Bay, the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, the Defense Language Institute (DLI), Presidio of Monterey, and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). All these factors combine to make Monterey County a healthy, economically diverse region eager to foster and sustain an enriching lifestyle for its residents.
ABOUT MONTEREY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES Monterey County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) is seeking enthusiastic applicants, who genuinely care about the community and its members, to join its team. Careers with the Department of Child Support Services offer the opportunity to enhance the well-being of children and the self-sufficiency of families by providing professional services to locate parents, establish parentage and establish and enforce orders for financial and medical support. Monterey County DCSS assists parents to establish parentage, medical and child support orders. In addition, we help parents enforce medical and child support orders through various tools available to our department. We also assist parents with modification of child support orders when appropriate. We collect and distribute child support to parents as well as provide a full accounting of all child support owed, paid and received. In addition, our office will facilitate genetic testing, as provided by law, and will help with locate services to find parents for the purpose of establishing and enforcing child support.
Monterey County Department of Child Support Services welcomes, values, and encourages diverse voices, opinions, perspectives, and backgrounds to foster an environment where all viewpoints are appreciated.
Monterey County is an Equal Opportunity Employer – minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
To learn more about the Department of Child Support Services, go to
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