Overview
Job Summary: Independently initiates and authorizes the establishment, collection, distribution, and/or modification and enforcement ·of financial, medical, interstate, inter-tribal and other child support obligations. Assists the Child Support Program Manager in performing related duties as required.
Major Responsibilities and Duties:
Provides child support services, including: establishing, modifying and enforcing orders for child and medical support, locating absent parents, establishing paternity and child support orders, and collecting current and past due child support; ensures activities are in compliance with tribal, state and federal guidelines, regulations, case law and statutes.
Provides training to other child support staff, provides direction to child support staff in the absence of the Child Support Program Manager.
Specific Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of: techniques of interviewing and collection practices; methods of obtaining information regarding financial backgrounds and child support program eligibility.
Ability to comprehend statues, court decisions, departmental regulations and programs available to qualified applicants; adequately interview applicants to obtain all information necessary for child support services; write and speak clearly, concisely and accurately; learn and utilize computer systems; negotiate effectively.
Ability to understand and interpret complex tribal, federal and state child support laws, rules, case law and regulations, court and administrative procedures relating to child support enforcement, and principles and practices of case management. The ability to perform accurate mathematical and accounting calculations; apply investigative techniques related to establishing and enforcing support orders; use standard English grammar and usage; use interviewing techniques; and employ computer applications used in business and government.
Researches existing orders for support and reconciles multiple or conflicting orders to ascertain and calculate support arrearages which may include variable provisions and provide notice of current support due.
Researches family composition, income, resources and other legal duties of support to determine and calculate support obligations and arrearages by administrative procedures in lieu of tribal court or superior court orders utilizing the Suquamish Tribal Child Support Guidelines.
Searches for absent parents utilizing field research and interviews, credit bureau investigations, the issuance of subpoenas and informal inquiries to other agencies, employers and persons; by corresponding with other jurisdictions and Federal parent locator services and by controlling and initiating electronic locate systems within and across tribal & state lines.
Monitors ongoing debt balances on simple and complex, single and multiple cases with regard to Federal and Tribal accounting procedures.
Interprets and explains child support laws, regulations and policies to service recipients, their legal and other representatives and members of the community, and others to effect child support collections.
Calculates and collects support obligations across tribal & state lines and in cooperation with foreign jurisdictions, reconciling intertribal, interstate, intrastate, Federal and international regulations and treaties, and maintains and monitors such cooperation, payments and exchange rates;
Initiates and/or facilitates the modification of existing orders for support. Calculates and enforces court-ordered adjustments to child support obligations.
Evaluates and makes initial determinations on requests for child support services from a variety of sources.
Initiates and determines the scope, method, and extent of the investigating process judged necessary to make a determination on potential financial and medical obligations.
Conducts research and evaluates pertinent legal authority, court decisions, and other precedents of influence to determine and create financial and legal obligations of the responsible parents(s).
Determines the extent, calculates obligations, and enforces medical responsibilities of the parent.
Ensures compliance with Tribal, Federal, and State audit requirements in properly identifying and locating responsible parent for debt establishment and collection.
Independently serves and/or signs legal notices of debt, liens, garnishments, and authorizes and executes the seizure of assets.
The ability to remain calm in difficult situations with hostile clients and practice conflict resolution skills in tense situations coupled with the ability to defuse tense situations while remaining impartial while ensuring due process is critical to the job.
Independently negotiates and/or interviews custodial/absent parents, attorneys, and employers regarding their accounts and verifying the accuracy of financial and informational data.
Promptly and accurately records all actions taken, conversations held, and documents generated, received, or requested in case files.
Independently negotiates the amount of child support payments, both current and arrears, based upon thorough review of all financial and background information.
Interprets and enforces the child support laws of the Suquamish Tribe, by reviewing and evaluating on a daily basis an assigned caseload of TANF, non-TANF, Foster Care and lntertribal/lnterstate Support Enforcement cases.
Reviews and interprets Administrative, Tribal Court and Superior Court orders as they relate to paternity of children, custody and child support awards; determines appropriate services to be provided.
Interviews parties regarding paternity of children; obtains identity of putative fathers; obtains genetic testing samples as necessary.
Performs other work as required.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree and one years of professional experience in the collection of civil debts, adjustment of claims, determination of financial responsibility, research into financial backgrounds and claims, determination of program eligibility, or the field of personal finance.
OR
Three years as a Support Enforcement Technician.
OR
Two years of college and three years of professional experience in the collection of civil debts, adjustment of claims, determination of financial responsibility, research into financial backgrounds and claims, determination of program eligibility, or the field of personal finance.
A Master’s degree in Public Administration or Business Administration will be substituted for one year of professional experience.
Additional qualifying experience will be substituted, year for year, for education. Interpersonal Contacts:
Has regular contact with others inside the organization. The most common internal contacts are within own department staff, supervisor, Indian Child Welfare staff, Finance Department staff, Tribal Court staff and Legal Department staff. The most common external contacts are with Tribal members who are consumers of child support services and with those who may not be Tribal members but who are referred for such services and with the Division of Child Supports Tribal Liaisons. Internal and external interactions involve information exchange, assistance in filling out papers, information about consumers’ incomes and information of an extremely sensitive and confidential nature.
Others initiate approximately 80% of contacts. Of those, approximately 70% are with consumers external to the organization and 30% from staff within the organization.
Approximately 60% of those contacts will be face-to-face, while 40% will be over the phone.
Job Conditions:
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Work is performed in an office setting.
Occasional local travel using employee’s own transportation as required. Occasional regional or out-of-state training is required.
Requirements
State and Tribal Background check required
Valid WA State Driver’s License required
Pre-Employment drug testing required
Native American preference
Random Drug Testing
Suquamish Tribe Required Vaccines
About The Suquamish Tribe
The Suquamish Tribe believes that our employees are one of the most important assets to the success of Tribal Government operations. We have a strong commitment to provide employees with a positive, productive work environment with opportunities for personal satisfaction and growth in a safe, healthy, and harmonious work environment. The Suquamish Tribal Government currently employs staff in the areas of Administration, Human Resources, Community Development, Early Learning, Education, Finance, Fisheries, Human Services, Health Benefits, Indian Child Welfare, Information Systems, Legal, Maintenance, Natural Resources, Public Safety, and Tribal Court.
