Quality Control Specialist

The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is seeking two experienced quality control professionals to fill the position of Quality Control Specialist. The selected candidate will perform federal quality control reviews and monitor and evaluate agency performance by reviewing work completed by Benefits Eligibility & Referral Social Worker (BERSW) staff, supervisors and managers.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Monitors and evaluates work performed by other staff using multiple standards of review, determines whether actions taken are consistent with both state and federal guidelines and reports inconsistencies within prescribed timeframes.

• Reviews and analyzes a statistically valid sample of cases in all categories of public assistance to determine the accuracy of casework performed.

• Determines the correctness of financial assistance payments made by local office personnel and assists in the computation and production of state and local office error rates.

• Performs state and federal Local Office Quality Control reviews; collects data on agency cases for the Federal Government, using Federal definitions.

• Conducts in-depth interviews with recipients throughout the state, both in the office and through home visits, with individuals who may be uncooperative or belligerent, in conjunction with research activities that are significantly different from those conducted for eligibility determinations.

• Evaluates local office operations to identify programmatic and operational deficiencies to facilitate effective corrective action.

• Monitors and implements court decisions to ensure compliance and avoid potential court sanctions.

• Conducts high-risk investigatory reviews to determine fraud.

• Performs special review projects on various topics that may involve interaction with external government and private agencies.

• Contacts collateral sources statewide to corroborate the accuracy of eligibility findings and benefit payments. Maintains collateral contacts with banks, the post office and other government agencies (Department of Children and Families, Social Security Administration, Department of Unemployment Assistance, etc.)

• Applies federal quality control guidelines and state policy standards to determine the correctness of each case reviewed for each category of assistance a client receives.

Required Qualifications

• Ability to determine the accuracy of eligibility findings and benefit payment decisions in randomly selected cases.

• Capacity to integrate multiple program criteria and apply them in the quality control review process for casework actions.

• Ability to work independently and in a team environment, plan and organize work, work accurately with names, numbers, codes and/or symbols and assemble items of information in accordance with established procedures.

• Ability to analyze and determine the applicability of client data, draw conclusions, make appropriate recommendations, prepare general reports and maintain accurate records.

• Ability to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with others who may be under physical/emotional stress as well as the ability to maintain a calm manner and exercise sound judgment in stressful and/or emergency situations. Proficient in gathering information through interviewing individuals and by examining records and documents and to exercise discretion in handling confidential information.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, and develop ideas in logical sequence.

• Knowledge of state and federal policies, procedures, laws, rules, systems and regulations governing both eligibility for assistance programs and the quality control criteria for review of eligibility findings and benefits payments.

• Knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of supervision.

Preferred Qualifications