DHS Benefits Program Specialist II

Important Note: Arlington County requires all applicants to thoroughly complete each section of the application, including prior job responsibilities, duties, and supplemental questions. While you may attach a resume, it will not replace a completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Arlington County Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking a Benefits Program Specialist for the Housing Assistance Bureau, which will serve under the direction of the Housing Assistance Bureau’s (HAB) Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Lead Coordinator. This position has a department with wide focus and collaborates with the Department of Behavioral Health Disability Services (DBHDS), Arlington County’s Behavioral Health Division (BHD) and other DHS departmental stakeholders.

This is a full-time grant-funded position determining subsidy eligibility for federal, state and locally funded rental subsidies to participating stakeholders within the PSH program. This position will administer PSH rental subsidies by apartment units, collect and report client income and benefits data into systems of records and assist clients to complete annual subsidy recertification paperwork.

The Department of Human Services is committed to delivering client services in an effective, equitable, respectful, and trauma-informed manner. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring our clients are approached, engaged, and cared for in ways that demonstrate competency, sensitivity and awareness of factors which impact the client experience including but not limited to, cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation, and linguistic needs. People with lived experience and expertise in homelessness or other affordable housing or housing subsidy programs are encouraged to apply.

Specific duties include:

• Determining applicant benefit level eligibility in accordance with established policies, procedures and guidelines;
• Providing customer service, frontline support, and addressing tenancy related concerns to internal and external stakeholders;
• Compiling information to determine client eligibility or ongoing client eligibility for PSH rental assistance;
• Conducting client interviews to determine their initial eligibility for benefits to process intake and enrollment and conducting annual recertifications to determine continued eligibility for PSH;
• Collecting and safeguarding confidential data into system of records by funding source and securely uploading sensitive documents in state and local electronic databases;
• Processing PSH applications in a timely manner so that rental assistance payments are made to landlords without undue delay;
• Coordinating with clinical case managers, landlords, and other PSH staff to resolve tenant related subsidy issues;
• Monitoring PSH contract rents and compliance requirements associated with each of the program’s rent subsidy funding sources and responding to data management issues in the subsidy administration database;
• Conducting PSH educational briefing sessions for applicants on program requirements to assist with maximizing the use of their housing subsidy and being a good consumer in the housing rental market;
• Generating reports to track and analyze housing history data while monitoring client repayment plans in cases of fraud to ensure compliance with County obligations, correct errors, and isolate discrepancies; and
• Performing a variety of administrative functions such as document filing, chart creation, document scanning, archiving, form updates.
  

The successful candidate will possess:

• Ability to analyze data to determine eligibility for PSH rental assistance.
• Knowledge of practices of public social service organizations and relevant policies and regulations governing client benefits.
• Familiarity with on-line subsidy administration software programs.

• Strong interpersonal communication skills to resolve complaints, persuade others, and develop trusting positive relationships with tenants, landlords and service providers. Excellent time management skills and ability to prioritize competing tasks.

Minimum:

• Bachelor's degree in the social sciences or other directly related field; and
• Some full-time experience in eligibility determination, employment, interviewing, social work, casework, or other closely related work.

Substitution: Additional qualifying experience can substitute for the education requirement.

Desirable: Preference will be given to candidates with one or more of the following:

• Proficiency with YARDI Voyager software systems;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and/or Excel;
• Experience with local and state grant funded housing programs;
• Experience with and knowledge of tenant/landlord negotiation, lease negotiations, eviction prevention and property management issues; and/or
• Experience providing supportive housing needs for individuals with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders.
  

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Background check: A pre-hire background check will be made on all candidates who are selected for employment. It may include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You may be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information.

The candidates selected will be required to complete a State of Virginia Central Registry check.

Applicant must possess, or obtain by the time of appointment, a valid motor vehicle operator's license from the applicant's place of residence or the applicant must have the ability and willingness to use alternative methods of transportation to perform assigned duties and responsibilities at locations other than the primary worksite. If the applicant possesses or acquires a license, the applicant must provide or authorize Arlington County to obtain a copy of the applicant's official state/district driving record. Any offer of employment may be contingent on a favorable review of the applicant's driving record.

Employment restrictions : To ensure that dual relationships are avoided and that employees who are also clients do not relate to their service provider as co-professionals, employees will not be hired by the County to provide or support services to the team or program in which they are current clients:

• You cannot concurrently receive behavioral health services from Arlington County Community Service Board (CSB) programs while employed in an Arlington County CSB program (exception Crisis Intervention services).
At least 24 months must have passed between receipt of CSB services from Arlington County and employment in an Arlington County CSB program.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Work hours : 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Monday through Friday. This position is office-based and is not telework eligible.

This is a grant-funded position and contingent upon funding availability.

Your responses to the supplemental questionnaire are considered part of the selection process and required for this position. Please do not give "see resume" as a response. Incomplete applications may not be considered.