Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAM SPECIALIST I

Opening Date: November 3, 2023

Closing Date: November 17, 2023

Job Class Code: 5092
Grade: 22 (Professional/Technical)
Salary: $20.77-$27.87/hourly

Position Number: 02000-4096

Location: Portland

Core Responsibilities:

As a General Assistance Program Specialist, you will oversee the municipal General Assistance (GA) program within Portland, ME. This includes, but is not limited to conducting field audits, providing training, and assisting with staffing the GA hotline. To excel in this position, excellent communication skills are necessary.

Typical Duties:

Minimum Qualifications:

Six (6) years of education and/or professional experience in social services casework, social services program development/delivery, or social services related fiscal/budget administration/analysis work.

Possession of a current and valid State of Maine driver’s license for the purposes of conducting field audits and trainings.

Agency information:

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.

The Office for Family Independence (OFI) is responsible for administration of eligibility determination for a number of programs, including MaineCare, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Food Supplement, Fraud and Recovery, and Child Support.

Application Information:

Please submit all documents or files in PDF format.

For additional information about this position please contact Marcus Hatch at Marcus.Hatch@maine.gov or (207) 890-6810.

To request a paper application, please contact Ashley Smith at Ashley.Smith@maine.gov .

To apply, please upload a resume, cover letter, and transcript (transcript needed only if education is used to meet the minimum qualifications).

Benefits

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Balance – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays , 12 days of sick leave , and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($10,150.80-$11,942.16 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.

• Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements .

• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($350.40 annual value).

• Retirement Plan – The State of Maine contributes 13.16 % of pay to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement – Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts – Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness – The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office .
• Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.

• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive four weeks of fully paid parental leave . Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act .
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation – Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.
• Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness .

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Thinking about applying?

Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If you’re currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your lived experience and passion set you apart.