City of New York

Company DescriptionJob Description

APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES CIVIL SERVICE TITLE, OR PERMANENT IN A COMPARABLE TITLE ELIGIBLE FOR 6.1.9, OR IMMEDIATELY REACHABLE ON EXAM # 1121

The Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) primary goal is to ensure that children are financially supported by both parents. OCSS accomplishes this by locating non-custodial parent (NCP), establishing paternity and child support orders, and collecting and disbursing child support funds to those children. OCSS also services NCPs who are unable to provide financial support due to unemployment and/or being underemployed, by partnering with community-based organizations which offer educational, training, and job placement services for eligible parents. Enforcing and establishing child support orders, combined with employment and other support, assists impoverished families gain financial independence and become self-sufficient.

The OCSS Borough Offices are the point of entry into the child support system for custodial parents who are cash assistance applicants and recipients. Custodial parents are automatically referred for child support services as a requirement for full benefits for their household. When the non-custodial parent whereabouts are or become known, cases are referred to the family court to initiate the legal child support proceedings, for pursuing orders of support and/or the establishment of paternity. Custodial parents and their families rely on the agency to provide guidance in collecting monies due to them and to use all means at the disposal of the agency to collect such monies.

DSS Court Services (DSS CS) is responsible for the filing and scheduling of hearings for petitions commenced by the Commissioner of the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) in establishment of parentage and support cases where an assignment of support rights is made to DSS by recipients of public assistance. DSS CS processes approximately 800 referrals per month from the four borough offices on behalf of families in receipt of cash assistance. DSS CS initiates and manages all child support associated court processes in conjunction with the New York City Family Courts such as scheduling of court hearings, processing adjourned cases, processing Office of Court Administration's (OCA) requests for New Summons Personal Service (NSPS), processing Office of Legal Affair's (OLA) subpoena requests, and preparing the case files for OLA to represent DSS in court.

Family Court Support Services is responsible for providing support services to non-cash assistance clients in the five boroughs who voluntarily want child support services. These services include screening custodial parents for domestic violence, locating the absent parent, establishing legal fatherhood for the child, preparing and filing the court papers necessary to establish child support and medical support orders, and serving summonses. On average, approximately 27,000 custodial parents visit Family Court Support Services offices each year. Almost all these clients seeking to establish an order are referred to court. And the Family Court offices serve noncustodial parents by helping with select customer service issues and accepting credit card payments.

Under administrative direction of the OCSS Deputy Commissioner, with very wide latitude for independent judgment, action and decision making, the Assistant Deputy Commissioner is responsible for the overall administration and management of the intake and court services functions of the Borough Offices & Court Services Division. This key Division is the entry point to the Child Support program responsible for providing child support services for approximately 250,000 cash assistance and non-cash assistance families. The functions of this Division are statutorily mandated under federal Social Security Act Title IV-D, NYS law and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance child support state plan. Annually, the Borough Offices & Court Services operation meets with more than 67,000 clients to provide intake- services, primarily the opening of a child support case, the location of absent parents and the establishment of parentage and court ordered cash and medical support obligations. The Division also requests the modification of an order when a new child is born. This Division consists of ten field offices citywide (four Borough Offices, five Family Court Support Services offices and one DSS Court Services office) with a staff of nearly 200, including caseworkers, clerical support, supervisors, site coordinators and site directors

The Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) is recruiting one (1) ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES M IV to function as the ASSISTANT DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, BOROUGH OFFICES & COURT SERVICES, who will:

• Develop and implement new policies and programs to improve the intake process, Court process, summons service, establishment rates and engagement with the child support program. Identify and develop new data matches, partnership and changes to policies, procedures and develop policy and legislative proposals to make improvements to these areas. Work closely with program partners (e.g., ITS, OPPT and OLA) to ensure infrastructure (e.g., notices and training) are in place to support the program.
• Set the program and management goals and objectives of OCSS's Borough Offices and Court Services Division. Effectuate the development and amendment of policies, multi year plans and improvement strategies to ensure that the Borough Offices & Court Services Division is aligned with OCSS’s goals and the overall goals of the Agency.
• Interpret agency and government policy and regulations and implements them. Analyze statistical data and work products to ensure quality control and compliance with current policies and procedures and ensure that programs comply with all Federal, State, and City mandates and regulations.
• Oversee the management and administration of subordinate directors responsible for planning, coordinating and directing the operations of 10 field offices citywide- four (4) Borough Offices, five (5) Family Court Support Services offices and (1) DSS Court Services office. Direct the City's intake of all cash assistance and non-cash assistance clients in need of child support services by providing location and investigation efforts, and referral of these cases to court for the establishment of parentage and/or support obligations. Ensure operational compliance with all Federal, State and City rules and regulations.
• Exercise overall responsibility for confidential personnel matters, including the hiring and disciplinary process. S/he also meet directly with union organizers to discuss issues impacting their members in the local offices. S/he works collaboratively with OCSS's Human Resources (HRS) to address and identify solutions to personnel challenges, including brainstorming with the Office of Conflict Resolution on ways to foster a positive work environment. S/he may be called on to assume responsibility for all activities, function and decision making for the program in the absence of OCSS' Executive Deputy and Deputy Commissioners. S/he also makes decisions regarding recruitment, training and coordination of professional, administrative, intake and support staff.
• Represent OCSS at meeting and serves as liaison on intake, Court process and establishment issues with various stakeholders including FIA, ODVEIS, the Office of Court Administration, NYS OTDA, Office of Legal Affairs, the Sheriff's Office, community officials, and other entities concerning child support policy, and to identify areas needing improvement in the provision of services. S/he also represents OCSS at state and local conferences and moderates’ policy panels and make presentations related to the child support program.
• Participate on committees that result in policy proposals, including the development of a new intake model for young adult parents, and re-centralization of the filing of petitions for Cash Assistance Cases.

Work Location: 4 World Trade Center, New York NY

Hours: M-F, 9:00AM - 5:00PM

ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR OF SOC - 10056

Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and four years of progressively responsible experience, in a large governmental agency, business firm, civic or community organization operating in the area of social services, including one year at the administrative or managerial level; or

2. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" above. Graduate education or a license may substitute for up to a maximum of three years of experience in the area of social services, but not for the one year of experience at the administrative or managerial level as described in "1" above, as follows:

(A) A master’s degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, business, child welfare, counseling, economics, education, finance, human resources, labor relations, management, management science, nursing, operations research, organizational behavior, personnel or public administration, political science, psychology, sociology, social work, statistics, and/or urban studies may substitute for two years of experience; and/or

(B) Graduate education beyond the baccalaureate degree may be substituted at the rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college or university in the area(s) listed in “2(A)” above for each year of experience up to a maximum of three years; or

(C) A valid New York State Registration as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) may substitute for three years of experience.

However, all candidates must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and one year of experience at the administrative or management level as described in "1" above.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.