TENTATIVE

Occ. Code 8118100

New York State Department of Civil Service

Classification Standard

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CLASS SERIES 

Child Support Specialists administer statewide child support programs, and monitor and provide technical assistance to local departments of social services (LDSS) child support professionals in administering child support programs. Incumbents review and analyze child support program data; test statewide child support computer systems; develop, monitor, and implement child support program laws, rules, and regulations; monitor LDSS’ compliance with program standards; and provide training to State and local staff on child support programs.

Positions are only classified at the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 1: full performance level; develops, monitors, and implements child support programs; and provides technical assistance to LDSS staff on child support programs; may supervise support staff.

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 2: first supervisory level; supervises multiple Child Support Specialists 1; develops and implements policy and program guidance for LDSS child support professionals; and monitors LDSS compliance with child support laws, rules, and regulations. 

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 3: second-supervisory level; supervises multiple Child Support Specialists 2; and oversees and establishes policies and procedures for evaluating LDSS performance and compliance with applicable laws.

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 4: managerial level; oversees a bureau in the DCSE; supervises multiple Child Support Specialists 3; oversees child support policy, planning, systems, and central processing functions.

ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 1

Reviews, analyzes, and monitors program data, and communicates with LDSS child support enforcement programs to ensure compliance with State and federal requirements.

Drafts narrative and statistical reports about program operations for monitoring and compliance purposes.   

Reviews LDSS operations to determine effectiveness of the child support programs, communicates findings and recommendations to LDSS.

Conducts on-site reviews to assess LDSS operations and determine areas of non-compliance.

Develops and implements corrective action plans for child support programs, and monitors agencies’ progress in achieving compliance via follow-up visits.  

Provides technical assistance to LDSS child support enforcement programs by interpreting State and federal laws, rules, and regulations, and their impact on program operations.

Monitors and analyzes data from child support computer systems, identifies problems, and recommends solutions to improve the quality of collected data.  

Provides training to State and local staff on child support enforcement programs.

Responds to written and verbal inquiries regarding child support programs and enforcement actions.        

Researches new state and federal laws, rules, and regulations, and their impact on State operations; drafts documents describing impact for review by upper-level staff.

Coordinates the distribution of policy and procedural documents to LDSS staff and other groups.

May supervise support staff assigned to the program.

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 2

Supervises multiple Child Support Specialist 1 in the administration of child support programs.

Oversees the provision of guidance provided by Child Support Specialists 1 to LDSS child support professionals, and resolves difficult program and/or policy questions.

Conducts on-site reviews of child support enforcement programs with difficult and/or sensitive operational issues.

Recommends program and policy improvements to upper-level DCSE staff. 

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 3 

Supervises multiple Child Support Specialist 2 that direct units responsible for administering child support programs.

Oversees evaluation of LDSS child support programs through review of staff reports, and data from child support systems. 

Develops statewide plans for implementing, monitoring, and evaluating child support programs; presents to upper-level staff for consideration.

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 4  

Manages a DCSE bureau that oversees child support policy, operations, planning, systems, or central processing functions.

Supervises multiple Child Support Specialist 3 that direct program units.

Develops working relationships with agency managers, LDSS commissioners, and other groups to coordinate child support-related initiatives and objectives.

Ensures that State and federal mandates are implemented consistently on a statewide basis, through development and distribution of administrative memoranda, and review of functions on a statewide basis.

Oversees contractors responsible for production, maintenance, and updating of child support notices, cases, and accounts; develops and implements standards to evaluate contractors’ performance consistent with contractual requirements.

Develops and implements policies and procedures for child support programs and enforcement operations.

Develops short and long-term objectives for assigned bureau, considering available resources, mandates, and initiatives.  

Advises executive staff on child support program issues.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS    

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 1

Open Competitive: six years of experience supervising, monitoring, or administrating a child support enforcement program under Title IV-D of the Federal Social Security Act.

Substitution: associate’s degree may substitute for two years of the experience; bachelor’s degree may substitute for four; master’s degree may substitute for five.

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 2

Promotion: one year of permanent competitive service as a Child Support Specialist 1.

          CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 3 

Promotion: one year of permanent competitive service as a Child Support Specialist 2. 

CHILD SUPPORT SPECIALIST 4

Promotion: one year of permanent competitive service as a Child Support Specialist 3.

Revised: 1/2020

NOTE: Classification Standards illustrate the nature, extent and scope of duties and responsibilities of the classes they describe. Standards cannot and do not include all of the work that might be appropriately performed by a class. The minimum qualifications above are those which were required for appointment at the time the Classification Standard was written. Please contact the Division of Staffing Services for current information on minimum qualification requirements for appointment or examination.