Job DescriptionAPPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE ASSOCIATE BENEFITS OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST CIVIL SERVICE TITLEFamily Independence Administration provides temporary help to individuals and families with social service and economic needs to assist them in reaching self-sufficiency via essential and diverse programs/services, such as: temporary cash assistance, SNAP, childcare, eviction prevention services, adult protective services, job training, employment plans/support, domestic violence assistance, child support enforcement, etc.Under direction of the Director of Housing Court Application Processing Team and with latitude for the exercise of independent action, coordinates the work of Associate Benefits Opportunity Specialists I (ABOS) Staff in the Housing Court Processing Team involved in determining eligibility for housing, assessment of social needs and prevention of homelessness and to ensure that services are adequately delivered to assist families in preventing homelessness for the purpose of moving participants and their households towards economic independence and self-sufficiency. The Family Independence Administration (FIA) Housing Court Processing Team is recruiting for one (1) Associate Benefits Opportunity Specialist II, to function as Housing Court Processing Team Leader, who will:
Supervise subordinate staff and coordinate the work of several Associate Benefits Opportunity
Specialists (ABOS) I, who ensures that services are delivered in a timely manner in order to
prevent homelessness.
Review and approve issuance and re-issuance of grants to enable families to pay appropriate
rents, to supplement aid, to doubled up families or to overcome failure of 3rd party rent pledges.
Review specific case and authorize benefits as required.
Act as liaison to the Rental Assistance Unit.
Develop appropriate approach for anti-eviction/housing plans to suit the needs of the participant.
In addition, coordinate team efforts with Legal Aid and Housing Court staff.
Monitor subordinates’ activities by visiting Associate Benefits Specialists-I assigned Diversion and
Screening Teams to observe staff and assure that clients are being adequately serviced with
respect to housing and related needs.
Monitor the workflow of BOS workers who handle the entire application process for all new applicants;
Family Assistance cases which have been closed for over sixty days; all Safety Net case reopens
which have been closed regardless of date; and one-shot deals.
Manage a team of BOS workers who interview applicants and assess eligibility for immediate needs
grant (food and non-food); for eligibility for public assistance, food stamps and Medicaid; makes
referrals to other services as needed.
Ensure adequate planning, scheduling and monitoring of case management activities and will conduct
regular reviews of outcome reports, work list, audit and assess client feedback. to ensure the team is
maintaining adequate levels of performance necessary to move participants toward self-sufficiency.
Assist with case consultation on individual cases and guidance on difficult cases in the case planning
process as necessary, to ensure the appropriate approach is developed to suit the participant’s needs
and achieve the best plan for the individual to progress to self-sufficiency.
Conduct and attend regular and special meetings and conferences to study, discuss and interpret
policies and procedures.
Oversee staff that interview and determine housing needs of tenants at risk for homelessness or already
homeless reporting to Benefit Access Centers (BAC). Develop ant-eviction/housing plan of intervention
for referred participants.
Monitor conference activities and prepare regular reports on unit activities.
Perform related task.
May conduct fields’ visits.
Hours/Shift: 9:00am - 5:00pmQualifications
A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and three years of
full-time satisfactory experience working directly in social/human services or arelated setting, providing either:a) client services.b) employment planning/counseling services which involves job development,skills assessment, and employment placement or other economicopportunity programming.
A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full time satisfactory
experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist; or
A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; plus eighteen months of full time satisfactory
experience as described in one (1) above.
College credit from an accredited college may be substituted for this experience
on the basis of 60 semester credits for 9 months of the work experience describedabove. However, all candidates must have at least 18 months of full-timesatisfactory experience working as a Benefits Opportunity Specialist or performingsocial/human services work as described in one (1) above.Additional InformationThe City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
