Disability Determinations Examiner 4
: Job Details :

This vacancy is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.This position may be filled as a probational appointment or a job appointment that may last up to 48 months. Job appointments may convert to probational appointments. Also, it may be filled as a detail and promoted within 12 months.AN IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING COMPETENCIES:Selected Core Competencies:* Displaying Expertise: The ability to exhibit specialized skills or knowledge gained from experience or training* Making Accurate Judgments: The ability to form an opinion objectively and decisively based on relevant information and in accordance with established standards.* Managing Performance: The ability to direct and to evaluate the work of employees.* Networking: The ability to intentionally develop or maintain relationships with internal partners, external partners, and professional contacts.Selected Preferred Competencies:* Adapting to Change: The ability to adjust plans, expectations, and behaviors in response to change.* Communicating Effectively: The ability to relay information correctly and appropriately to connect people and ideas.* Developing Performance: The ability to assist others in advancing their skills, knowledge, and performance levels over time.* Displaying Professionalism: The ability to recognize how your actions impact the perceptions of both you and your organization.* Following Policies and Procedures: The ability to comply with policies and procedures of the organization as well as State Civil Service rules, and all applicable federal and state laws.* Managing Time: The ability to control your time to increase effectiveness, efficiency, or productivity.You must include all relevant education and experience on your official State application.Resumes cannot be submitted in lieu of completing an application.The duties that you describe in the Work Experience section of your application will be reviewed by State Civil Service as part of the process in determining if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job.Your experience WILL NOT be evaluated based on the job title alone. You must describe your actual duties. If you are a current employee of the State of Louisiana it is important that you indicate in the Duties section for each job the specific programs that you worked in to receive credit for that experience.List all prior employment. Work experience left off of your electronic application or only included in an attached resume will not be credited. Resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.Applicants qualifying based on college training or receipt of a baccalaureate degree will be required to submit an official college transcript to verify credentials claimed prior to appointment. Please make every effort to attach a copy of your transcript to your application. The transcripts can be added as an attachment to your online application. The selected candidate will be required to submit original documentation upon hire.No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.To apply for this vacancy, click on the Apply link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.* Resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.*For further information about this vacancy contact:Jaymee ...@ssa.govDCFS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Louisiana is a State as a Model Employer for People with Disabilities .MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:A baccalaureate degree plus two years of professional level experience in disability determinations.SUBSTITUTIONS:Six years of full-time work experience in any field may be substituted for the required baccalaureate degree.Candidates without a baccalaureate degree may combine work experience and college credit to substitute for the baccalaureate degree as follows:A maximum of 120 semester hours may be combined with experience to substitute for the baccalaureate degree.30 to 59 semester hours credit will substitute for one year of experience towards the baccalaureate degree.60 to 89 semester hours credit will substitute for two years of experience towards the baccalaureate degree.90 to 119 semester hours credit will substitute for three years of experience towards the baccalaureate degree.120 or more semester hours credit will substitute for four years of experience towards the baccalaureate degree.College credit earned without obtaining a baccalaureate degree may be substituted for a maximum of four years full-time work experience towards the baccalaureate degree. Candidates with 120 or more semester hours of credit, but without a degree, must also have at least two years of full-time work experience to substitute for the baccalaureate degree.A bachelor of social work degree will substitute for one year of the required experience.A master's degree in social work, psychology, sociology, counseling or education will substitute for one year of the required experience.Specialized college training will substitute for a maximum of one year of the required experience.NOTE:Any college hours or degree must be from an accredited college or university.FUNCTION OF WORK:To function as Assistant Unit Supervisor in the determination of eligibility for federal Social Security disability benefits, or to function as a professional relations officer, or to function as an entry-level hearings officer for Disability Determinations Services.LEVEL OF WORK:Advanced.SUPERVISION RECEIVED:Direct from a Disability Determinations Supervisor or equivalent level position. May receive supervision from higher-level personnel.SUPERVISION EXERCISED:May exercise functional supervision over lower-level disability determinations examiners.LOCATION OF WORK:Department of Children and Family Services, Social Security Disability Determinations Division. Other locations may be approved by SCS.JOB DISTINCTIONS:Differs from Disability Determinations Examiner 3 by the presence of responsibility for serving as Assistant Unit Supervisor, performing professional relations officer duties or functioning as an entry-level hearings officer.Differs from Disability Determinations Specialist by the absence of performing quality assurance duties, formal classroom training duties or by the presence of the full range of hearing officer duties.ASSISTANT UNIT SUPERVISOR FUNCTION:Functions as Assistant Unit Supervisor and as such assigns/reviews cases, coordinates leave usage, and provides performance feedback to employees. Employees functioning as Assistant Unit Supervisor only carry ½ a caseload.Determines type of injury, illness or disease and the associated effect on functional abilities. Analyzes medical information regarding various physical and mental impairments and related treatments.Develops medical and vocational evidence to determine if the claimant is capable of performing substantial gainful activity. Reviews all case documentation, resolves discrepancies in work activity and medical evidence, and makes required efforts to get needed evidence, request additional evidence, and schedule consultative examinations when needed. Documents all efforts to obtain evidence.Handles advanced level cases, such as those involving lack of treatment by the claimant due to the inability of the claimant to understand the need for treatment.Examines all sources of information and resolves medical source opinions when needed. Determines if the medical opinion is consistent with all of the objective data and, if necessary, resolves those inconsistencies. Addresses complex issues.Consults with internal and external professionals or contract providers, including physicians, psychologists, and vocational experts to determine whether the claimant has an impairment that meets the specific requirements of any condition described in the Listing of Impairments. Considers drug and alcohol abuse, failure to follow prescribed treatment, potential mental impairments and claimant credibility when making disability decisions.Prepares written analysis of medical, vocational and functional evidence to make a legally defensible disability determination. Completes associated forms, determining the nature and limiting effects of the claimant's impairment(s) and whether the 12-month duration requirement is expected to be met.If necessary, performs a vocational analysis to determine whether the claimant is capable of other work.Makes final determination of eligibility for Social Security Disability Benefits.Conducts continuing disability reviews for adults and children. Makes decisions regarding termination of benefits.PROFESSIONAL RELATIONS OFFICER FUNCTION:Performs Professional Relations Officer (PRO) functions and as such, serves as liaison between the public and SSA, informing and educating physicians, agencies, institutions and other interested organizations about the disability program requirements and the information needed on medical reports. Encourages providers to utilize the agency's electronic options to submit evidence which helps to improve the timeliness of medical decisions.Assists in training and monitoring the contract Consultative Examination (CE) providers, handles reporting and payment problems, investigates instances where CE reports are inadequate, conducts onsite visits to CE providers and ensures sources are currently licensed and without sanction.Establishes ongoing contacts with local medical associations, individual physicians, hospital and clinic administrators, schools, school boards and others interested in the disability program such as organizations that serve the disabled, consumer advocacy groups and bar associations. Participates in meetings and conventions of state and local medical associations and other interested organizations.ENTRY HEARINGS OFFICER FUNCTION:Performs entry-level hearings officer duties, to include the review of Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR) cessations to ensure the Medical Improvements Review Standard was applied appropriately and the cessation of benefits was the correct decision.Conducts face-to-face or telephone hearings; resolves inconsistencies in evidence and in writing drafts of hearing decisions with review by a supervisor.