Lead Paternity Caseworker – Prosecutor’s Office

Under the supervision of an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, assigns and reviews work of support staff, establishes paternity and child support Orders; coordinates staff development for caseworkers, and performs systems administrator tasks.

1. Evaluates court action referrals. Evaluation may include researching guardianship or abuse and neglect cases.
2. Interviews clients for the purpose of initiating and/or settling out-of-court cases relating to the Family Support Act, Paternity Act, or the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act. Sets family violence indicator and protecting confidential, personal information in domestic violence situations.
3. Establishes paternity by scheduling genetic testing in paternity cases for parties. Analyzes DNA reports. Assists parties in executing Affidavits of Parentage and accomplishes filing with the Department of Health and Human Services. 
4. Schedules and conducts settlement conferences with the parties. Utilizes Michigan Child Enforcement System program to apply the Michigan Child Support formula to calculate child support obligations. Calculates reimbursements for genetic testing and birth expenses. Negotiates settlements as appropriate. Utilizes independent discretion in establishing orders that are consistent with legal requirements, federal, state and local policy without engaging in a one-size-fits-all approach. Obtains financial and other wage and employment information from employers and IVD customers. Investigates financial status and income of custodial and non-custodial parties by researching National Labor Relations Board statistics and by running queries in Business Objects software. Inputs income to parties who fail to participate in settlement conferences.
5. Drafts provisions in proposed court orders regarding legal custody, physical custody and parenting time in a frequency, duration, and type reasonably calculated to promote a strong relationship between the child and the parent granted parenting time.  Drafts complaints, motions, and orders for review and approval by attorneys. Updates notes in Onbase and monitors queues; notarizes various legal documents.
6. Communicates verbally, electronically, and in writing with various agencies regarding the cases including contacts with the interstate IVD partners, Department of Health and Human police agencies, Friend of the Court staff, attorneys, child protective services staff, and DNA Diagnostics. Explains basic legal concepts and procedures regarding paternity and child support to IVD customers and the public.
7. Generates ALRT reports on a quarterly basis to review status of assigned court action referrals.
8. Assigns and reviews the work of support staff.
9. Imposes sanctions regarding food assistance, cash assistance and child care assistance for IVD custodial parents found to be in non-compliance for failing to appear or provide information. Reinstates benefits when terms of compliance are satisfied.
10. Monitors software upgrades and system releases in the Michigan Child Support Enhancement System as they relate to templates and changes in best practice/work flow. Assigns Michigan Child Support Enforcement System user roles. Transfers cases to other jurisdictions, generates ad hoc queries, and sets up system calendars. Assigns Learning Management System Module role which includes participation in training, ability to view reports, enroll others in the module and the ability to approve external training.
11. Participates in ongoing education by attending Michigan Family Support Council annual conferences and/or Prosecuting Attorney annual conferences. Attends Prosecuting Attorney Forum quarterly meetings. Liaison to Prosecuting Attorney User Group. Onbase Administrator roles – utilities management, trouble shooting, user acceptance testing and reporting. Also responsible for unlocking users from court action referrals. May participate in audits with the Michigan Auditor General as well as audits with representatives from federal IVD management teams.
12. First line resources for caseworkers in connection with best practices. Maintains local best practices manual and insures caseworkers have up to date information. May lead discussions or present workshops for caseworkers on new policy and procedures. Provides guidance, instruction and assistance for caseworkers, Investigators/Process Servers and clerks. Collaborates with others to enhance functionality of the family support unit. Trains newly assigned attorneys and caseworkers in connection with workflow, software systems and best practice strategies.
13. May be assigned special projects assigned by the division Unit Chief.

Other Functions:

• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Must adhere to departmental standards in regard to HIPAA and other privacy issues.
• During a public health emergency, the employee may be required to perform duties similar to, but not limited, to those in his/her job description.

(An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the above tasks. These examples do not include all of the tasks which the employee may be expected to perform.)

Education:  Two years of college coursework in social work, legal, psychology, technology, or the social sciences. Bachelor’s Degree preferred.

Experience:  Five years of experience in a legal setting, a court or closely related area with some social agency, or technology experience desirable.

(The qualifications listed above are intended to represent the minimum skills and experience levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. The qualifications should not be viewed as expressing absolute employment or promotional standards, but as general guidelines that should be considered along with other job-related selection or promotional criteria.)

Working Conditions:

1. This position works in an indoor environment. There is no planned exposure to prominent lights, noises, odors, temperatures or weather conditions.

2. This position is exposed to individuals in crisis. These individuals may suffer from mental or emotional illness, have violent tendencies or be unconcerned with their personal safety and hygiene.

Physical Requirements: 

1. This position requires the ability to sit, stand, walk, traverse, climb, balance, twist, bend, stoop/crouch, squat, kneel, crawl, lift, carry, push, pull, reach, grasp, handle, pinch, type, endure repetitive movements of the wrists, hands or fingers.
2. This position’s physical requirements require regular stamina in standing, walking, traversing, climbing, balancing, twisting, bending, stooping/crouching, squatting, kneeling, crawling, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, reaching, grasping, handling and pinching.
3. This position’s physical requirements require continuous stamina in sitting, typing, and enduring repetitive movements of the wrists, hands or fingers.
4. This position performs sedentary work requiring a negligible amount of effort in the physical requirements above.
5. This position primarily requires close visual acuity to perform tasks within arm’s reach such as: viewing a computer screen, using measurement devices, inspecting and assembling parts, etc.
6. This position requires the ability to communicate and respond to inquiries both in person and over the phone.
7. This position requires the ability to operate a PC/laptop and to enter & retrieve information from a computer.
8. This position requires the ability to handle varying and often high levels of stress.

(This job requires the ability to perform the essential functions contained in this description. These include, but are not limited to, the requirements listed above. Reasonable accommodations will be made for otherwise qualified applicants unable to fulfill one or more of these requirements.)

February 12, 2018

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