Mercer County
Domestic Relations
Supervisor
Mercer County is currently seeking
an Intake/Intergovernmental Supervisor
for Domestic Relations.
Please visit www.mercercountypa.gov under the
County Employment Opportunities section
to learn more about this position and how to apply.
Deadline to Apply: Sept. 21, 2024 recblid mg79kpu9xqv0jcetj0qksx18wv8kta
COUNTY OF MERCER - EMPLOYEE JOB DESCRIPTION
Department: Domestic Relations
Position Title: Supervisor
Pay Classification: P&A Grade 6 (2024 Pay Scale $42,253 - $59,734)
Reports to: DRS Director/Assistant Director
Date of Job Description Creation/Update: 8/5/2024
Overall Description of the Position:
Supervisors in the Mercer County Domestic Relations Section (DRS) are responsible for overseeing the everyday work of the workers in the various departments within the DRS in addition to carrying out specialized duties assigned to the particular position. There are two (2) Supervisor positions in the DRS. The Intergovernmental/Intake Supervisor directly oversees six (6) workers in their functions. The Enforcement Supervisor directly oversees six (6) staff in their functions. Each one sees their responsibilities overlap as they interact with all DRS workers regarding matters/issues/ questions relevant to their areas of expertise.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
- Must have a proven record of people skills and decision making and skills in negotiation and mediation.
- Must possess an ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
- Must possess technical knowledge of operating personal computers, spread sheets, windows, Email, data entry and imaging systems.
- Must possess good communication and interpersonal skills allowing for effective interaction with clients, attorneys, representatives of agencies/businesses in both the public and private sector, and other DRS personnel.
- Must possess the ability to interpret support law and communicate in writing directions for implementing changes in business practice brought about by frequent changes in law.
- Must possess ability to comprehend a variety of documents including case files, complaints, petitions, earning reports, pay stubs, W-2 statements and tax returns.
- Must possess ability to work effectively with emotional individuals in a stressful and sometimes adversarial environment.
- Must possess knowledge of interview techniques for use in personnel/policy decisions and in dealing with clients who sometimes have limited life skills and/or education.
- Must possess organizational/time management skills in order to allow for planning, organizing, and coordinating the many functions in the DRS.
- Must possess ability to adapt in a constantly-changing work environment.
- Must be able to exercise independent judgement and discretion.
- Must possess math skills allowing to calculate support obligations.
- Must possess ability to act independently.
- Must be able to work under conditions which regularly exert unusual pressures and/or demands
Essential Duties and Responsibilities Intergovernmental/Intake Supervisor:
The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned.
- Assists the Director and/or the Assistant Director in planning, organizing, directing, and coordinating the work of the DRS and implementing and monitoring policies and procedures.
- Oversees the Intake Department which includes three Intake/Locate Officers and by extension, two Senior Procedure Clerks who are commonly designated as Court Clerk and Receptionist.
- Oversees the work of the UIFSA (Intergovernmental) Officers in their pursuits in dealing with DRS cases in which one party or the other resides out-of-state. In managing both Intake and UIFSA, this Supervisor is tasked with a greater understanding of ALL Intergovernmental activities from the initiation of a case through enforcement. Since dealing with all states is different, this places one person in a position to best understand and figure out the workings of so many different ways of doing business nationwide.
- Oversees genetic testing related to the work of the DRS including scheduling, working with Children & Youth Services and the Courts, conducting buccal swab testing of each party named in a case where paternity is in question and all work with the genetic testing vendor, DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC).
- Point of contact for phone and reschedule requests.
- Assures coverage in the front of the office so that clients are served in a timely and efficient manner.
- In the absence of the Director and Assistant Director or as assigned, has responsibility for responding to inquiries from the Courts, Commissioners, BCSE, other DRSs and Legislators.
- Serves as first-line response to any questions, complaints, or problems regarding the work of the UIFSA Officers, Intake/Locate Officers, Court Clerk, or Receptionist.
- Schedules and conducts monthly meetings with the each of the departments managed to clarify policy/questions of law and to direct day-to-day operations and address special circumstances.
- Meets as scheduled with Director, Assistant Director, and other Supervisor as a means to determine the needs of the DRS, changes necessary, and the direction of the DRS.
- Signs for all packages coming into the DRS assuring they are appropriately delivered letting DP Technician know if gone so the task can be managed accordingly.
- Has responsibility for developing policies and procedures for all functions at Intake and assures that such material is collected and placed in a single source/site for all to use.
- Has responsibility for developing policies and procedures for all Intergovernmental functions and assures that such material is collected and placed in a single source/site for all to use.
- Works in conjunction with the Assistant Director to see that each New Hire completes the mandated PACSETI New Hire Training in a timeframe established in the DRS (6 months maximum by BCSE mandate).
- Works closely with the County Assistance Office (CAO) regarding referrals of new actions and reopened cases involving clientele receiving public assistance, ideally finalizing plans allowing for these clients to file via eServices.
- Reviews each and every referral from Juvenile Probation and Children & Youth Services for appropriateness and sees that all needed information is provided and that the case is scheduled.
- Has responsibility for the use of the Work Number, getting needed case information within the allowances and requirements of the BCSE.
- Continues to serve as the point of contact (POC) for all dealings with the Social Security Administration (SSA).
- Assists Director and Assistant Director in reviewing applications for hiring within the units managed and participate in interview process before recommendation is made to the Courts for hiring when positions are vacated and need filled.
- Receives Supervisory alerts in PACSES for each UIFSA Officer, Intake/Locate Officer or Senior Procedure Clerk in assigned departments and directs the work of each individual for resolution of any issue.
- Reviews changes in Pennsylvania Rules of Court, Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Statutes and Federal Regulations for input on the direction and changes necessary in the DRS and provide direction via email or memorandum as directed.
- Oversees the Intake Unit involved with the initiation of cases in the office or serving as first- line contact for inquiry or scheduling of Hearings/Conferences.
- Assists Intake/Locate Officers in determining venue and/or jurisdiction when necessary.
- Monitors any mail received during the initiation of any case in order to assure timely response to questions and needs of clientele.
- Assures adequate back-up in the absence of any Intake/Locate Officer so that proper service is available to clientele and conducts initiation interviews as necessary.
- Maintains all records regarding matters scheduled for genetic testing once a defendant fails to acknowledge paternity at conference.
- Provide parties to a paternity action with genetic testing results.
- Does all work necessary with other Courts or genetic testing laboratories to see that the UIFSA/IFSA actions are properly and timely handled.
- Does all computer work in PACSES regarding paternity establishment once paternity civil complaint has been before a conference.
- Sends Acknowledgements of paternity and Adjudication Orders to the Bureau of Vital Statistics.
- Processes and prepares express mail packages for pick-up by UPS/FEDEX for completed genetic testing kits in cases involving outside laboratories.
- Receives all Juvenile Orders from either Juvenile Probation or Children and Youth Services for processing, determines if the referral is appropriate and can be pursued, referring cases in which the defendant has inadequate earnings to the Director and monitors these cases for scheduling.
- Clears all electronic welfare referrals sending for referrals and closure as needed when they are not properly transmitted. Contacts the County Assistance Office (CAO) as needed and serves as keeper of all 643A intake forms to insure proper referral is received.
- Works all PACSES and Data Warehouse generated reports involving the locate and UIFSA departments.
- Submits employers to the Employer Maintenance Table.
- Works PACSES to assure members only have one member ID and SSN (CDUP).
- Attends meetings, training and/or seminars as required.
- Submits PACSES service requests (PSRs) to the Bureau of Child Support Enforcement for fixes in the PACSES System.
- Approves and monitors the vacation and sick time requests of all assigned staff and assure adequate back-up in the absence of any individual so that proper service is available to the clientele using the automated county system.
- Participate in periodic meetings with the solicitor, discussing policy and procedure for questions involving Intergovernmental issues or intake.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Enforcement Supervisor):
- Assists the Director and/or Assistant Director in planning, organizing, directing and coordinating the work of the DRS an in implementing and monitoring policies and procedures.
- Oversees a unit of Enforcement Officers in the daily case monitoring any enforcement initiatives brought about by individual initiative, at the request of parties or via the requirements generated by the PACSES system.
- Serves as first-line response to any questions, complaints or problems brought by Enforcement Officer or any client seeking communication beyond their Enforcement Officer concerning enforcement activities and remedies.
- Schedules and conducts monthly meetings with enforcement staff to determine needs of the office, clarification or policy, or direction in day-to-day operations for special circumstances.
- Receives all supervisory alerts generated by PACSES, reporting case needs from the caseload of each Enforcement Officer and direct the work of each Enforcement Officer in resolving any enforcement situation.
- In the absence of the Director and Assistant or as assigned, share responsibility for responding to inquires/contacts from the Courts, Commissioners, BCSE, other DRSs and Legislators.
- Serves as liaison to the PACSES Employer Maintenance Unit (EMU) making daily additions, changes and deletions.
- Serves as Point of Contact (POC) for employers and defendants, receiving all questions regarding Income Attachments.
- Meets as necessary with Director, Assistant Director and other Supervisor as a means to determine the needs of the DRS, changes necessary and the direction of the DRS in light of ever-changing laws and policies.
- Assures that three (3) year reviews are scheduled and conducted in compliance with Federal/State regulations.
- Assures that cases with Non-Financial Obligations (NFOBs) are scheduled and conferences conducted per office policy.
- Assists Enforcement Officers in computing arrearages on cases presenting unusual problems.
- Monitors Enforcement Officers' mail screens and tasks in PACSES Imaging to ensure a timely response to requests made by clients.
- Approves and monitor the vacation and sick time requests of Enforcement staff and assure adequate back-up in the absence of any Enforcement Officer so that proper service is available to the clientele using the automated county system.
- Serves as first contact for any client seeking assistance beyond that offered by the Enforcement Officer for any case in enforcement.
- Employs professional skills to diffuse angry clients.
- When situations call for it, review and approve enforcement measures to be taken against delinquent support payors, including but not limited to wage withholding, contempt, credit bureau reporting, federal and state tax intercepts, license revocations, and passport denial.
- Participates in periodic meetings with the solicitor, discussing policy and procedure for questions involving enforcement.
- Assists Director and Assistant Director in reviewing applications within the Enforcement department and participates in the interview process before a recommendation is made to the Court.
- Reviews monthly Data Integrity and Federal Case Closure reports as provided by the Director, ensuring that all appropriate actions are taken for cases on the lists.
- Oversees and develops the training of the Enforcement Officers in conjunction with the Assistant Director. Participates in all aspects of the Pennsylvania Child Support Enforcement Training Institute (PACSETI) New Hire Training assigned workers in this department.
- Assists Enforcement Officers along with the Intergovernmental Supervisor in determining appropriate action when either the plaintiff or defendant moves out of Mercer County. Must understand UIFSA/IFSA laws and regulations to make difficult calls.
- Receives all incoming Intrastate Family Support Act (IFSA) actions from other counties to review for completeness and accuracy and then assigns to the appropriate worker.
- Submits PACSES Service Requests (PSRs) to the Bureau of Child Support Enforcement for fixes in the PACSES system.
- Reviews IVR messages daily and forwards appropriate messages to the correct worker.
- Uses KidStar to check payments and assist workers and as needed, process daily over-the-counter payments (OTC).
- Ensures the consistent use of the Performance Improvement Module (PIM) by all Enforcement Officers and provides training in its use as necessary. Tracks trends in the performance of the DRS in order to maintain an adequate level of performance.
Minimum Education and Experience Required:
- Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, Psychology, Sociology, Administration of Justice, the Social Sciences or any related area of study. A combination of Child Support work experience combined with extensive outside management experience can be considered.
- Previous DRS experience is essential and past supervisory experience preferred.
- Must be able to pass mandatory PACSETI New Hire Training as required by the BCSE or have completed previously. Must be able to pass mandatory FTI background check, this requires FBI fingerprinting, local law enforcement verifications, citizen/ residency verification and a Pennsylvania State Police criminal background check.
Please send a letter of interest, salary history, resume, and completed standard County of Mercer Application (available online at www.mercercountypa.gov) for employment to:
Mercer County Human Resources
125 South Diamond St., Suite 17
Mercer, PA 16137
Deadline to Apply: September 21, 2024