Accounting Assistant

POSITION SUMMARY: Provide Representative Payee services and other support to the Residential Director as assigned, leadership staff, and assist other employees as directed. The role of the representative payee (payee) is to receive Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income payments, or both on behalf of the beneficiary and use or conserve them for the beneficiary's current and foreseeable needs or benefit.

Essential Job Functions

• Acting as the Representative Payee designee at Link Associates, be responsible for maintaining an electronic bank ledger, debit card ledger, person served financial files, adhere to SSA rep payee guidelines.
• Explain the payee’s responsibilities and duties to the person served and families/guardians.
• Meet with the beneficiary on a regular basis to ascertain their current and foreseeable needs.
• Use funds in the beneficiary's best interest.
• Conserve benefits not needed for the beneficiary's current needs.
• Provide information to leadership staff regarding spend-downs to ensure Medicaid eligibility.
• Keep detailed and accurate records of how the payee uses benefits to provide an accurate report to SSA when requested.
• Complete required forms and submit them in a timely manner.
• Report events that may affect the beneficiary's entitlement or amount of payment (including the beneficiary's death or incarceration).
• Cooperate with eligibility redeterminations.
• Resolve disputed claims by gathering, verifying, and providing additional information, following up on claims.
• Resolves discrepancies by examining and evaluating data, selecting corrective steps.
• Assist with financial reporting and analysis and other duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

• High School diploma with one (1) year of related successful work experience. Experience in Excel preferred. Exceptions must receive prior approval from the Executive Director.
• Must meet agency policy on transportation and background checks.
• Possess the ability to work daily utilizing standard office equipment.
• Proven proficient ability to implement agency rules and procedures, use verbal, presentation, and written communication skills, human relations skills, teamwork skills, and organizational skills.
  
  

About Link Associates

Link Associates is a community based non-profit organization that provides services for more than 600 individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families since 1953. Services offered by more than 300 employees support a full integration into the greater Des Moines community. Every person served by Link Associates has the primary diagnosis of intellectual disability and frequently other intellectual and physical conditions as well. Although other organizations serve people with intellectual disabilities, Link Associates provides a full range of services. People with intellectual disabilities attend school, go to work, participate in leisure opportunities and shop along with the rest of the community. However, people with intellectual disabilities and their families face exceptional challenges in maintaining support,, especially when they become adults. Adults with intellectual disabilities are often overlooked as it is more difficult to appeal to public support when they physically change from children to adults. Link Associates recognizes the unique services needs by offering residential, day habilitation, community employment, transportation, case management, and leisure services. When combined, these services meet the full spectrum of life-long needs as well as the needs of their family.