Benefits and Entitlement Specialist - Temporary Assignment

Central City Concern is an innovative nonprofit agency providing comprehensive services to single adults and families in the Portland metro area who are impacted by homelessness, poverty and addictions. We hire people that are skilled and passionate to meet our mission to end homelessness through outcome-based strategies which support personal and community transformation.

CCC's Benefits and Entitlements Specialist Team (BEST) has helped particularly vulnerable individuals-most experiencing homelessness or deep poverty and living with severe disabilities that keep them from gaining their own income through employment-navigate the maze.

Benefits & Entitlement Specialist assists clients with the acquisition of Social Security benefits (SSI/SSDI). This includes meeting with clients, obtaining and reviewing medical records and lay evidence, and filing Social Security claims using the Social Security Administration's on-line application system.

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm

Location: Biltmore (310 NW 6th Ave. Portland, OR 97209)

Compensation: starting at $24.52 per hour but could increase depending on a candidate's experience.

Duration:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree or higher in medical field, mental health, or social sciences or an Associate's Degree and 2 years of work experience in a relevant field.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.
• Must have experience in case management or advocating for clients.
• Computer literacy.
• Ability to adhere to Central City Concern's drug-free workplace which encourages a safe, healthy and productive work environment and strictly complies with the Drug-Free Work Place Ace of 1988. An employee shall not, in the workplace, unlawfully manufacture, distribute, dispense, possess or use a controlled substance or alcohol.
• Will be required to carry a cell phone for work purposes. Cell phone to be provided by Central City Concern.
• Current CPR: Heartsaver & AED certification required prior to start.
• Must pass pre-employment drug screen, TB test, and background check. This includes clearance by the DHS Background Check Unit.
• Must be able to occasionally lift items of approximately 25 pounds.
• Must possess a current driver's license, qualify as an Acceptable Driver as designated in Central City Concern's Fleet Safety policy. Must pass an initial drivers training within 60 days of being an approved driver and continued recertification training. If driving personal vehicle, must maintain vehicle insurance coverage of a minimum of $100,000/$300,000 personal auto liability coverage.
• Must adhere to agency's non-discrimination policies.
• Ability to effectively interact with co-workers and clients with diverse ethnic backgrounds, religious views, cultural backgrounds, lifestyles, and sexual orientation, and treat each individual with respect and dignity.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Screen clients for potential eligibility for disability SSI/SSDI benefits.
• File clients Social Security Disability (SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applications and appeals accurately and timely.
• Establish a list of case needs for disability claimants.
• Obtain all pertinent medical records and lay evidence for review and submission to the legal record.
• Research applicable rules and regulations
• Research medical and psychiatric conditions, symptoms and medications, as well as their impact on functioning.
• Interview claimants for medical and functional summary reports.
• Provide outreach and transportation assistance to disabled clients experiencing homelessness and mental illness.
• Attend disability related appointments with doctors and the Social Security Administration offices.
• Communicate with medical providers and case managers.
• Maintain statistical spreadsheets and progress notes.
• Remain up-to-date with changes in Social Security Disability benefits.
• Attend all scheduled staff meetings and staff training as applicable.
• Adhere to all state and federal privacy regulations, including HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, and to CCC policies and agreements regarding confidentiality, privacy, and security. Support compliance with all privacy and security requirements pursuant to community partners' and outside providers' patient confidentiality agreements, including privacy and security requirements for EMR access. This includes immediately reporting any breach of protected health information or personal identification information of any person receiving CCC services by CCC or an outside provider to the CCC Compliance Department, as well as to your supervisor or their designee.

DESCRIPTION OF OTHER DUTIES

• Participate in quality assurance and quality improvement activities.
• Represent BEST at community meetings or events as directed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability to work effectively in a fast paced healthcare environment.
• Ability to communicate and interact effectively with a wide variety of people, including physically disabled or dually diagnosed clients, co-workers and general public, both verbally and in writing.
• Advanced technical writing skills to communicate with medical providers and disability analyst about patient symptoms and diagnoses.
• Ability to understand and follow verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to learn and apply extensive knowledge of SSA/DDS policy and procedures.
• Ability to learn and apply an intermediate knowledge of medical and psychological diseases, disorders and terminology as related to disability.
• Ability to pull relevant information from a variety of sources and combine them to tell the clients story of their disability.
• Ability to take directions from supervisor and work amicably with peers and partners.
• Keen observation skills, and the ability to identify symptoms and functional challenges.
• Must be able to understand pertinent information from medical and psychological records.
• Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
• Ability to perform simple mathematical computations.
• Ability to manage time, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to maintain accurate records.
• Sufficient manual dexterity and physical ability to perform assigned tasks.

BENEFITS: Central City Concern offers an incredible benefits package to our Regular/FT employees

• Generous paid time off plan which provides up to 4 weeks of PTO accrual in the first year. Accrual increases with longevity.
• Amazing 403(b) Retirement Savings plan with competitive employer match with 4.25% in the first year, 6% in the second year, and 8% in the 3rd year.
• 11 recognized Holidays PLUS 2 Personal Holidays.
• Comprehensive Medical, Vision, and Dental insurance coverage.
• Employer Paid Life, Short Term Disability, AND Long Term Disability Insurance!
• Excellent relocation package for those roles that qualify.
• Sabbatical Program offering extended time off at years 7, 14, and 21.

This description is intended to provide a snapshot of the work performed and is not designed to contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of the position.

As an agency deeply rooted in recovery, part of our policy and commitment to a drug and alcohol-free workplace includes post-offer, pre-employment drug screens. Please note we follow Federal Guidelines regarding prohibited substances, even for those legal at the state level.

Central City Concern is a second chance employer and complies with applicable laws regarding consideration of criminal background for employment purposes. Government regulations, contractual requirements, or the duties of this job may require CCC to conduct a background check and take appropriate action to address prior criminal convictions.