HUMAN SERVICES CONSULTANT

8162D2

Pay Grade:  24

DEFINITION OF WORK

This is specialized professional human services work. May serve as expert resource in a program or within a social service system.

Work may involve reviewing cases for compliance; worksite development; community integration; providing training, guidance, consultation and/or supervision to staff; teaching independent living skills to individuals; and/or investigating and documenting applications for reconsideration, reopenings, informal remands and continuance of benefits.

Supervision Received - LEVEL C: " Under direction..." Employees at this level usually receive a general outline of the work to be performed and are generally free to develop their own sequences and methods within the scope of established policies. New, unusual, or complex work situations are almost always referred to a superior for advice. Work is periodically checked for progress and conformance to established policies and requirements.

Difficulty - LEVEL B: Average...Where the employee is confronted with a variety of duties susceptible to different methods of solutions which,, in turn, places a correspondingly higher demand upon resourcefulness and concentration. Positions which require the analysis and evaluation of raw data and the rendering of conclusions would, in many instances, fall into this category.

Complexity - LEVEL D: Work is of a diversified nature that usually involves multiple unrelated steps. Analytical thought is necessary for dealing with complex data and situations. Work often involves a variety of unrelated processes and may require planning or carrying out a sequence of actions or both. Several alternatives usually exist at this level for approaching problems or situations. Workers at this level exercise a considerable amount of independent judgment. Work is controlled by occasional review and by reporting to or consultation with supervisors or superiors. When guidelines exist at this level, they are usually broadly defined or technical requiring careful analysis and interpretation.

Consequence of Actions or Decisions - LEVEL C: Consequences of actions or decisions at this level are limited in scope and effect as the work is reviewed occasionally. Errors may cause moderate inefficiency. Costs due to errors may be significant.

Contacts - LEVEL C: The purpose of the contact is to influence, motive, conduct interviews, make formal presentations or counsel to achieve common understanding or solutions to problems when the information is sensitive in nature or the individuals or groups are skeptical or uncooperative. Communication techniques and well developed communication skills become an important requirement at this level.

Physical Demands - LEVEL B: The work requires light physical exertion. The employee may be required to perform handling activities with lightweight or easily moved items (e.g. books, file folders, boxes of office supplies, small machine parts, etc.): perform moving activities for brief periods; operate light equipment; perform repetitive motions for brief periods; confined to a work area.

Environmental Conditions - Level C: The work environment involves hazards, risks or discomforts typical of working with or around machinery with exposed moving parts, irritant chemicals, heavy equipment or abusive or hostile clientele and patients. Exposure to disagreeable weather conditions and extreme levels of temperature, ventilation, lighting and sound are normal. Protective clothing or gear and specific safety standards or procedures may be required. Serious injury is possible.

Supervision/Leadership - LEVEL B: Involves functional leadership responsibility. As a "senior worker", performing essentially the same or similar work as those overseen, responsibility includes training, instructing, scheduling and reviewing. As a "project Leader" may be responsible for a phase(s) of a single project which includes planning, coordinating and reviewing the work of others. This level may also involve limited administrative responsibility such as participating in the evaluation of work performance.

Differs from a Human Services Specialist which manages a caseload, working with less difficult cases and does not involve quality control services, training of direct line staff or administration of special programs, or include acting as a lead worker.

Differs from the Human Services Supervisor class which involves the full supervision of a program unit.

Reviews case files of individuals, applying for, receiving or denied services for a Human Service Program to assure services, procedures, and decisions appropriately address the individual needs while federal and state rules and regulations are being met and followed.

Provides consultation on complex situations, guidance to staff in implementing program for individuals, and makes recommendations for appropriate action and services.

Coordinates with community providers, identifies service needs available. Refers individuals to other agencies or community as appropriate. May recommend professional consultation services and coordinate additional group activities with community providers.

Assesses skills and instructs blind or visually impaired individuals compensatory skills in areas of communication, techniques of daily living and advocacy.

Completes vocational assessment, access available community resources and completes plan of action.

Evaluates and analyses information and data used in determining eligibility/ineligibility to document and support decisions and develop appropriate treatment, assistance and activities for individuals.

Develops job tryout sites in the community.

Train, orients, mentors staff, making recommendations to supervisors regarding personnel actions. May act as lead worker and serve as backup to supervisors.

Knowledge

* Knowledge of principles of interviewing and information gathering techniques.

Knowledge of laws, rules and regulations relating to programs administered by Human Services programs.

Knowledge of job analysis, vocational rehabilitation techniques, daily living skill competencies, medical and vocational criteria used in assessment.

Knowledge of state and federal human service programs and eligibility requirements for programs.

Knowledge of English language, basis math principles, leadership and supervisory techniques.

Abilities:

Ability to communicate effectively with a variety of people, interpret written and oral materials, and establish effective working relationships with individuals, other staff and community organizations staff.

Ability to interpret and apply state and federal regulations in specific situations and programs.

Ability to understand basic legal and medical terminology and principles as used and applicable to specific programs.

Ability to assess existing community resources, and identify appropriate services for individuals.

Ability to evaluate information received from various sources for accuracy and completeness, concerning individuals applying for various Human Services programs.

Ability to conduct effective interviews, gather information and apply analytical thinking and deductive reasoning to arrive at reasonable decisions.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Five years of experience interviewing, investigating or providing technical assistance in a social/human service, employment service or problem resolution setting. Education may be substituted for experience as determined relevant by the agency.   Five years of experience interviewing, investigating, compiling information, documenting decisions, interpeting guidelines and/or providing technical assistance relevant to the agency's programs. Post secondary education may be substituted for experience as determined relevant by the agency.

NC:  09/03
REV: 08/05
REV: 10/07