Address
SalarySupplemental Information
This position is located in New Orleans, LA (Jefferson Parish).
Individuals selected for positions with the Disability Determination Services (DDS) will go through a complete federal background investigation. A suitability determination by the Social Security Administration is necessary to determine whether an employee can be issued credentials in order to have access to Social Security disability data, records, and systems.
No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.
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.
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.
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:
Keisha Thompson
keisha.t.thompson@ssa.gov
Qualifications
SUBSTITUTIONS:
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.
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.
Graduate training with eighteen semester hours in one or any combination of the following fields will substitute for a maximum of one year of the required experience on the basis of thirty semester hours for one year of experience: counseling, social work, psychology, economics, business, public administration, or health administration.
A master’s degree in the above fields will substitute for one year of the required experience.
A Juris Doctorate will substitute for one year of the required experience.
Graduate training with less than a Ph.D. will substitute for a maximum of one year of the required experience.
A Ph.D. in the above fields will substitute for all of the required experience.
NOTE:
Job Concepts
FUNCTION OF WORK:
To provide quality assurance, training or hearing officer functions for Disability Determinations Services.
LEVEL OF WORK:
Advanced.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
Broad 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 4 by presence of performing quality assurance duties, formal classroom training duties, or by the presence of the full range of hearing officer duties.
Differs from the Disability Determinations Supervisor by the absence of direct supervisory responsibility.
Examples of Work
QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTION:
Reviews a random sampling of cases for completion and accuracy to ensure that quality and program integrity are maintained. This requires expertise in adjudicating all types of cases and a strong understanding of SSA policy and procedures.
Provides feedback to the examiner, specialist and/or supervisor. Performs reviews of certain high risk cases or special studies as determined by administration. Assists the supervisor with analysis of Federal Quality Returns and prepares rebuttals.
Analyzes available federal performance data and makes comparisons to local office performance to provide recommendations for improvement to share with staff through meetings or training.
Conducts ongoing programmatic reviews to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations.
TRAINING FUNCTION:
Develops/modifies training manuals and handout material.
Trains staff on SSA policy changes and medical listing changes and other in-service training as needed.
HEARINGS OFFICER FUNCTION:
Performs as an adjudicator in the review of Continuing Disability Review 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 conflicts and inconsistencies in the evidence. Considers lay evidence, if applicable, such as claimant's appearance and testimony, and witness testimony. Weighs and considers all medical opinions and determines weight given to each opinion. Considers and weighs medical and psychological findings regarding the nature and severity of an individual's impairment.
Writes decision explaining the facts and conclusions for every case in which a hearing was conducted, showing in detail what evidence was considered, how it was weighted and the basis for the finding rendered.
