Child Support Specialist I

Alameda County Department of Child Support Services (ACCSS) believes that all parents should be fully engaged in supporting the wellbeing of their children. To meet our Vision ACCSS is committed to serving the children and families of Alameda County in ways that are innovative responsive efficient compassionate and in tune with the rich diversity of our community.

Our customers are mothers fathers caregivers children community partners and the residents of Alameda County. ACCSSs core business is to provide assistance to families through establishment of parentage the establishment of child support orders for monetary and medical support and through the enforcement of child support orders. To carry out this Mission our employees are dedicated and talented people who leverage their skills and passion for public service to meet customer needs. Through coordinated efforts and collaboration with community partners ACCSS collects and distributes important child support enhancing self-efficiency and the well-being of families throughout Alameda County.

Alameda Child Support Services culture and business operations are shaped by the following key principles:

For more information about Alameda County Child Support Services clickHERE.

For more information about the State of CA Child Support clickHERE.

Under close supervision at the lower level and general supervision at the higher level Child Support Specialists perform a wide variety of child support duties; manage an assigned caseload; locate and interview parents and others to elicit factual information for the purpose of establishing child support obligations and enforcing child support laws; negotiate collect and arrange for support payments of court ordered child support prepare cases for court hearings attend hearings as necessary; and perform related work as required.

For more detailed information about the job classification please visit:Child Support Specialist I (#1401)

Education:

Graduation from high school or possession of a Certificate of Proficiency issued by the California State Board of Education or possession of a G.E.D. certificate.

AND

EITHER I

Experience:

The equivalent of one year of full-time experience in the class of Child Support Assistant II or in an equivalent or higher level class in the Alameda County classified service.

OR II

Experience:

The equivalent of two years of full-time experience in the class of Customer Service Representative or in an equivalent or higher level class in the Alameda County classified service.

OR III

Experience:

The equivalent of two years of full-time experience in a public contact position with responsibility for performing any combination of the following as the primary element of work performed: interviewing applicants or case participants exchanging detailed verbal information with customers communicating with employers/customers to elicit information and interpreting and applying policies laws or regulations.

OR IV

Education:

Possession of a bachelors degree from an accredited college or university in sociology public administration liberal arts or closely related field.

Substitution:

Possession of an associate degree from an accredited college or university in sociology public administration liberal arts or closely related field may be substituted for six months of the required experience is pattern I II or III.

Special Requirements:

1. Must possess a valid California State Motor Vehicle Operators license.

2. A thorough background investigation including fingerprinting will be conducted of all candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of employment to ensure suitability for Child Support related work. A felony conviction may be disqualifying.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• General case management principles child support establishment enforcement and collection methods and techniques.
• Federal State and local laws pertaining to the establishment collection and enforcement of child support.
• Sources and methods to effectively locate absent participants and related financial information.
• Interviewing principles and research techniques.
• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word Excel Outlook).
• Basic arithmetic to perform calculations and understand financial records.
• Principles and practices of customer service.
• Modern office methods procedures tools and equipment.
• Proper English usage spelling grammar and punctuation.
• Terminology and processes related to child support laws and regulations.
• Legal forms and documents used to enforce support orders.
• Child support case management computer systems or similar programs and applications.

Ability to:

• Learn and utilize a variety of collection methods techniques and procedures in child support collection work.
• Research and extract personal and financial information from a variety of sources.
• Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
• Interview participants in person and over the telephone to obtain specific information.
• Organize assigned work effectively and manage multiple priorities.
• Adapt to changes in policies and regulations which require learning and applying new information.
• Use sound judgement to analyze factual information in order to solve problems accomplish tasks and make recommendations within guidelines
• Maintain systematic detailed and accurate case files/records and notes of activities.
• Deal tactfully and courteously with people from diverse backgrounds; establish and maintain good working relationships with internal and external customers.
• Read understand apply and explain Federal and State laws and county policies relative to the collection and enforcement of child support.
• Maintain integrity and confidentiality of sensitive and personal information.
• Draft and compose standard business correspondence using proper English usage spelling grammar and punctuation.
• Follow oral and written instructions.
• Comply with Federal State and court mandates.
• Work independently with initiative and sound judgement in absence of direct supervision.

The examination will consist of the following steps:

1. A review of applicants application to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.
2. A written component that will be weighted as qualifying only (pass/fail). Candidates who pass the written test will be invited to the final step in the examination process.
3. An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this recruitment.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position in which case the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process please visit the What You Need to Know section of our website AND SELECTION PLAN