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 wo