Income Maintenance Supervisor II

Primary Purpose This position is directly responsible for the effective operation of the Income Maintenance Unit, which consists IMCW II positions and clerical positions. The primary role of this position is to provide direction and support, to review and to evaluate the work of the assigned staff, to ensure that systems and practices of the staff result in responsive services to clients. This position requires knowledge of Special Assistance, Family and Children’s Medicaid & Adult Medicaid programs, Food & Nutrition Services, Day Care and Program Integrity (fraud). The supervisor makes assignment of cases and ensures that caseloads are balanced among the IMCW staff. The supervisor plans, assigns and evaluates client flow to ensure that assistance is provided in a timely manner. The supervisor works in conjunction seven (7)  with other Income Maintenance supervisors.  It is critical that this supervisor and all other supervisors work closely to assure that there are no gaps in service delivery to our clients.

• to provide direction and leadership to IMCW (Income Maintenance Caseworker) staff,
• to interpret and convey information to agency staff, clients and the community about programs, served,
• to train, develop and coach IMCW staff in knowledge and skills needed to perform the job,
• to monitor the work performed and correct any deviations from accepted practices or standards,
• to assist the Income Maintenance Administrator in selecting personnel to fill job vacancies in the unit,
• to network with other agencies and community groups to facilitate interagency cooperation and collaboration for the best interest of the citizens served,
• to guide and support staff in developing special projects or special activities that provide creative solutions to unique problems or circumstances involving the people served.

Essential Functions Planning 15% General duties would include planning with the unit to assure that the agency’s plan for taking applications, determining eligibility, and assuring delivery of assistance is carried out according to the rules and regulations of the various programs. In the area of planning, the supervisor would be responsible for providing information for budgeting, determining future needs of the unit based on studying trends and analyzing the needs of the population served by the agency, as well as planning for individual staff members for their own growth and development as Income Maintenance Caseworkers. The supervisor is responsible for establishing priorities and objectives for the work group in relationship to overall agency priorities and objectives. This involves fostering an attitude both in participation and sense of ownership of the work plan developed. The supervisor identifies barriers and gaps in services and develops strategies to resolve problematic issues or remove barriers. This involves providing technical assistance to staff, coordinating with other agencies and resources to resolve problems, exploring alternatives, assessing effectiveness of services and programs.  Managing 30% The supervisor manages the workflow of the unit. This includes assigning work or delegating responsibility. The position is responsible for communicating to staff the nature of assignments. The supervisor differentiates the individual capacity of each IMCW staff to perform certain job assignments. The supervisor manages the cooperation and collaboration of staff of the unit with other work units within the agency and with other agencies/organizations in the community. In the area of organizing, the supervisor will be responsible for ordering the flow of work, assignment of cases to individual staff and assuring that assignments are made in an equitable and productive manner. The supervisor will be responsible for establishing procedures for assignment of cases to each Income Maintenance Caseworker in each area to assure that cases are evenly distributed. The supervisor will review all mail received and direct it to the proper staff person to assure it is received timely in order for the staff to act on any information in a timely manner. The supervisor will have lead worker staff to which certain responsibilities will be delegated to assure that the intricate day-to-day operations of the agency are consistent and systematic. The supervisor will establish daily, weekly and monthly priorities according to the demands of the unit; the rules and relations of programs operated by the agency, as well as identified trends that are unique to the consumers of agency programs. The supervisor, with the assistance of the lead workers, conveys information to staff about policy, programs, directives, mandates and standards for accomplishing the job. This individual conducts group meetings and has individual conferences to facilitate the involvement of staff in order to foster a sense of commitment and ownership and to intervene and manage conflicts. The supervisor is responsible for developing good staff working relationships within the unit, and assure that the unit performs on a consistent & systematic basis to deliver quality services to the public in a timely manner. Training 15% Training of all workers involves staff meetings to discuss new policies & procedures, revise policies & procedures and to discuss problem areas & error trends. The supervisor holds individual training sessions to help workers improve their job performance, such as interviewing techniques, time management, case management and self-management. The supervisor also coordinates the various staff and sections of the unit to provide better working relationships within the unit and with other units within the agency. The supervisor is aware of staff development needs and seeks out training to develop staff. The supervisor has the responsibility to evaluate the performance of all IMCW staff on a regular basis.  The supervisor is responsible for monitoring the work of each employee and providing regular feedback.   Monitoring 10% The supervisor is responsible for monitoring certain ongoing activities of the unit such as: second party case file reviews, timely application processing & redeterminations, and making sure we are coordinating with other units & staff.  The supervisor also evaluates the effectiveness of activities performed in accomplishing the intended goals of the public assistance programs and takes corrective action when there is deviation from established standards of practice. The supervisor reviews cases with staff to assess how the agency is responding to client need, determining if response is timely, accurate and based on desired standards. The supervisor is responsible for assessing assignments of each IMCW and determining the need for adjustment of caseloads or the adjustment of worker’s duties and responsibilities. The supervisor would be responsible for working with the Director to chart trends of programs, respond to the community and persons served, as well as to assist in decision making to assure that the agency implements programs according to rules and regulations from the state & federal government. This position requires an individual to establish timetables and standards and assure that staff adheres to them.  Personnel Activities 15% The supervisor is available to work with employees and be an intermediary in disputes or misunderstandings between two (2) or more employees of the agency as well as addressing problems that arise between employees and persons served by the agency. The supervisor is responsible for working with individual staff to resolve individual problems as well as problems that involves units or the agency as a whole. The supervisor works closely with the Income Maintenance Administrator and the Director when discipline is involved, particularly if it appears it will lead to a disciplinary action. The supervisor is responsible for evaluating all employees supervised, to include an annual performance evaluation. The supervisor is responsible for having conferences with each person supervised and maintaining notes/records of problems, problem resolutions, barriers or other information to substantiate the ongoing activity between the employee & supervisor. The supervisor has responsibility for administrative direction of each staff person, educational direction of each staff person and supportive responsibility to each staff person supervised. The supervisor will work with the Income Maintenance Administrator on certain functions relative to personnel management. These functions will include recruiting and selecting staff. The supervisor, along with the Income Maintenance Administrator or other persons as appropriate, will be responsible for interviewing potential applicants for staff vacancies. The supervisor will be responsible for making a selection in conjunction with the Income Maintenance Administrator or other appropriate staff as indicated. Once a new staff person is selected, the supervisor has the responsibility to provide an orientation on the specific programs, policies, guidelines or any other information necessary for the job. Involvement with new staff is on a one-to-one basis through conferences, observation of client interviews, and monitoring work performed via second party reviews.  Financial Management 1% The supervisor provides information to the Income Maintenance Administrator on the need for additional staff, equipment or unique supplies in order to incorporate the cost into the annual budget preparation. The supervisor will work with staff to determine the equipment, supplies, funding, etc. needed to develop and maintain programs according to rules and regulations. The supervisor assists the Income Maintenance Administrator in planning for unit operations and for expenses associated with the public assistance programs supervised.    Administration 10% In the area of administration and coordinating, the supervisor will be responsible for working with other supervisors within the agency to assure individuals receive all services that they are eligible to receive through the agency if they request or need such services. The supervisor must be knowledgeable of other agency resources, and must be able to work cooperatively with other agencies and persons in the community, the regional office staff, state office staff, and any other individuals or organizations that can mesh with services delivered by the Department of Social Services or that can extend services to individuals whom the agency is unable to assist. Coordination within the agency requires that the supervisor develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with other supervisors and other staff within the agency. The supervisor will be responsible for coordinating the flow of work within the unit, the assignment of cases, the procedures to be used by the unit to assure that the staff performs timely and quality work. In the area of directing the work of the unit, the supervisor must be continuously available to interpret policy, rules, procedures and regulations of the various programs as well as the agency and the county. The supervisor will schedule the work time of all staff and assure that the staff works according to the agency schedules. The supervisor will be responsible for approving all leave time of staff and scheduling work in order to provide continuous coverage for all programs supervised. The supervisor is responsible for exhibiting good work habits and stands in the role of leadership for the individuals supervised. The supervisor shares responsibility for training of staff with the state office and the income maintenance representatives. The supervisor is responsible to assure that staff is provided with necessary equipment, supplies and training so that the staff can perform efficiently. The supervisor  is responsible for providing information from staff, and for disseminating information to staff. The supervisor will provide input to the Income Maintenance Administrator on the needs of the individual unit supervised and how that unit can best serve the general public, as well as fit into the overall agency goals.  Public Relations 4% The supervisor may speak to various groups about the public assistance programs and may serve on various committees as a representative of the agency. The supervisor also is available to listen to complaints from clients who desire to talk with someone other than their assigned worker. Minimum Education and Experience Three years of experience as a caseworker or investigator in an income maintenance program, preferably with one year of supervisory experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.