Child Support Specialist

Job Summary

Work closely within assigned team and with case participants to initiate and establish paternity, child support and medical support, and to modify and enforce existing orders throughout the life of a IV-D case. This position requires individual judgment, initiative, and knowledge in carrying out the mission and responsibilities of the Racine County Office of Child Support Services (OCSS).

Key Responsibilities

1. Review KIDS (and/or any other child support data system) for referrals from IV-A and IV-E through CARES/KIDS interface as well as applications for services to determine if there is an existing IV-D case and determine appropriate child support services. Perform all tasks of child support services including but not limited to paternity establishment, actions to establish child support and medical support obligations, locate research, modification of existing orders, enforcement of existing orders, and various financial tasks when needed.
2. Contact and effectively communicate with custodial and non-custodial parents, relatives, friends, employers and other governmental and nongovernmental sources to gather information required in the course of child support enforcement/modification and paternity activities while exercising appropriate professional discretion.
3. Perform necessary locate work and contact appropriate sources such as employers, public tax records and governmental/nongovernmental records, to determine income, assets, and other relevant information.
4. Generate appropriate correspondence, forms, orders, and legal documents for child support, paternity and juvenile court matters. Prepare legal documents for electronic filing with Circuit Court, and prepare and monitor service of process documents.
5. Process mail, answer correspondence and phone calls, interpret court orders and respond to inquiries regarding child support services, while effectively providing allowable information to clients, governmental/nongovernmental entities and the public.
6. Work in a team setting with individuals within the OCSS, while maintaining a professional atmosphere. Perform reception and clerical duties when needed. Coordinate cases with attorneys for any court activity.
7. Perform all tasks to schedule, organize and execute appointments as well as conduct interviews, appointments and walk-in appointments for the purpose of establishing paternity, support or to enforce existing court orders. Perform computer data entry and review information in KIDS (and/or any other child support data system) and perform all child support related tasks necessary to each IV-D case. Maintain and coordinate enforcement activity on all assigned cases on KIDS.
8. Work special projects, tasks and reports as assigned by the management team.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma
• Experience in conducting interviews and gathering information preferred
• Work experience in the use of personal computer and Microsoft Office programs.
• Experience in maintaining large volume caseload in an effective, organized, professional manner performing a variety of tasks required for child support enforcement and paternity establishment.
• Prompt and regular attendance.
• Or and equivalent combination of education, training, and experience, which provides the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities.

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Experience with computer programs to include Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel
• Experience in accounting or reading data system financial accounts preferred.
• Ability to evaluate information and exercise judgment in making decisions regarding OCSS issues such as enforcement of child support and paternity establishment in the best interests of the public.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, within the bounds of confidentiality.
• Ability to effectively find information using governmental and nongovernmental sources.
• Knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to child support.
• Legal knowledge through education and experience to interpret and implement all child support and paternity court orders.
• Ability to evaluate information and exercise independent judgment in making decisions regarding the enforcement of child support and establishing paternity while receiving supervision and working suitably with a child support team.
• Ability to appropriately and professionally represent the OCSS, county and state in performing assigned duties and responsibilities following office policies and procedures.

This description has been prepared to assist in properly evaluating various classes of responsibilities, skills, working conditions, etc., present in the classification. It is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and characteristic levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions that will be given this title. It is not intended as a complete list of specific duties and responsibilities; nor is it intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind and level of difficulty.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
NON-EXEMPT COURTHOUSE EMPLOYEES
(For a complete list of benefits, refer to the Human Resources Policy Manual)

Full Time, Regular Employees - (40 hours per week)

• Racine County is self-insured. The Third-Party Administrator is UnitedHealthcare. Coverage is effective the first of the month following thirty days of employment.
• Premium sharing: Racine County pays 85%, employee pays 15%.
• IN NETWORK: Individual deductible $400, family deductible $800 per calendar year. After the deductible is met, the plan pays 80% of allowable charges. Out-of-pocket maximum per calendar year is $2000 for individual and $4000 for family.
• OUT OF NETWORK: Individual deductible is $800, family deductible $1600 per calendar year. After the deductible is met, the plan pays 60% of allowable charges. Out-of-pocket maximum per calendar year is $3000 for individual and $6000 for family.
• Prescription drug, vision, and mail order maintenance drug benefits.

Dental Insurance Coverage:
Coverage is effective the first of the month following thirty days of employment. Choose either basic coverage or premium coverage.

• Racine County is self-insured. The Third-Party Administrator for basic dental coverage is UnitedHealthcare.
• Individual deductible $25, family deductible $75 per family per year.
• No deductible for diagnostic or preventative services.
• Co Insurance 80% of usual and customary charges of covered services paid. Maximum of $1200/year per person.
• Fully paid insurance premium by Racine County.
• No orthodontic coverage.

• No deductibles
• 100% coverage at participating dental center
• Employee pays for lab work (prosthetics, i.e., caps, crowns, bridges, dentures)
• Premium sharing Employee pays difference between basic coverage and Dentacare.
• Orthodontic coverage - Employee pays 50% of the fee up to a maximum payment by the employee of $695.
• Choose one dental clinic from a provided list for services.

• Optional - Regular full-time employees are eligible to contribute to two flexible spending accounts: Health Care Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account. Newly hired employees may enroll by submitting an enrollment form to Human Resources within thirty (30) calendar days from their date of hire.

• Coverage is effective the first of the month following thirty days of employment.
• The County provides Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage in the amount equal to one times the employee's annual base salary rounded to the nearest $1000.
• An employee can elect to pay for additional life and dependent life insurance on a payroll deduction. The premium is determined by age and increment of insurance.

• Employees accrue five casual days per calendar year. Unused casual days will be paid out. Upon completion of introductory period, newly hired employees will receive pro-rated casual time at the rate of one half day for every full month remaining in the calendar year, not to exceed five (5) full days.

• Eligible after completion of six (6) months of service in a benefit-eligible position and upon successful completion of the introductory period. After a twelve (12) day elimination period, eligible employees may receive short-term disability coverage for a period of up to thirteen (13) weeks. All short-term disability coverage will be at 60% pay.

• Coverage becomes effective after six (6) months of continuous employment in a benefit-eligible position and upon completion of the elimination period. The elimination period is 90 days of continuous employment subject to the conditions of short-term disability (90 days). Racine County pays the full premium amount for covered employees. In the event of a total disability due to injury or illness, the long-term disability plan pays 60% of covered salary to a maximum monthly payment of $6,000.00. Benefits payable to employees may be reduced by Worker's Compensation, Wisconsin Retirement Annuity or Disability payments, Social Security or other specified income.

Social Security:

• Racine County contributes the statutorily required employer's share of social security contributions.

• Effective from date of hire. The County contributes the employer's share to the Wisconsin Retirement fund. The employee contributes the employee's share, through automatic payroll deduction, to the Wisconsin Retirement fund, as required by State statute.

Holidays:
The following holidays are observed by Racine County and shall be granted with pay to covered employees:
New Year's Day
Friday before Easter
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Friday following Thanksgiving Day
Day before Christmas Day
Christmas Day
Day before New Year's Day

Vacation:
Anniversary date of employment Weeks of Vacation
1st through 4th 2 weeks
5th through 7th 2 weeks, 3 days
8th through 12th 3 weeks, 3 days
13th through 17th 4 weeks
18th through 22nd 4 weeks, 3 days
23rd and beyond 5 weeks

• Eligible after completion of the introductory period. Reimbursement of up to three (3) paid days for the purpose of arranging and attending the funeral of a member of the employee's immediate family.

• Time and one half regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of forty hours per week. Compensatory time, at the rate of one and one-half hours per overtime worked, may be taken in lieu of pay. Benefit time such as vacation, holiday, casual or short-term disability does not count as hours worked.

• Optional - Automatic payroll deduction from salary prior to tax deductions into a tax deferred savings program. Employees may enroll at the time of hire or during the designated open enrollment periods.

• County employees are required to arrange for direct deposit of their pay to accounts in financial institutions.

• Racine County has an Employee Assistance Program. EAP is a resource for emotional, financial, and legal support. EAP is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Racine Employee Health & Wellness Center:

• Racine County has partnered with the City of Racine and with Racine Unified to create a health center for:
  • Racine County full-time employees, who are covered under the county health plan;
  • Dependents of Racine County employees who are covered under the county health plan; and
  • Racine County retirees and their dependents that are covered under the county health plan.

Visits are by appointment only. Available services include primary care, chronic disease management, wellness consultations, immunizations, physicals (including school and sports physicals), diagnosis and treatment of urgent care needs (e.g., ear or sinus infections, strep throat), and lab work. There is no fee or co-pay for visits to the center, but there may be costs for services referred outside of the health center (radiology, some lab services, etc.). County health coverage may be applied to any of those costs. Some medications are dispensed for free at the Wellness Center.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
PART TIME AND LIMITED-TERM EMPLOYEES
NON-EXEMPT COURTHOUSE EMPLOYEES

• The classification of "regular part-time employee" shall include all County employees who are scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week on a regular basis (see Racine County Code of Ordinances, Section 15-81).
• Regular part-time employees who are scheduled to work twenty (20) hours or more per week, but less than forty (40) hours per week on a regular basis, are ineligible to participate in County group health, dental or life coverage. Other benefits such as vacation, disability leaves and holiday pay shall be pro-rated.
• Employees who are scheduled to work less than twenty (20) hours per week shall receive no fringe benefits, except that employees who are eligible to participate in the Wisconsin Retirement system will be enrolled therein.

• Employees appointed to limited term positions for an anticipated duration of less than six (6) months will receive no fringe benefits, except that employees who are eligible to participate in the Wisconsin Retirement System will be enrolled therein.