Background Check Specialist

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS • New Braunfels, TX

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Program Specialist V with the Child Care Regulation (CCR) Centralized Background Check Unit (CBCU) performs a variety of advanced technical, training, research, planning, assessment, and consultative activities involving the assessment, development and advancement of the program and program staff. This position serves as a mentor and lead worker to support management and peers by providing training, direction, consultation, and guidance to internal and external stakeholders. This position provides technical and consultative assistance to other program staff, government agencies, community organizations and the public. This position thoroughly reviews, analyzes, researches, and processes the results of the different background check types to determine what actions are required based on the different results. This position uses critical thinking and decision-making skills to independently analyze and assess the risk to children as it relates to applicants with background check history, and uses all information gathered to determine whether an individual can be present in regulated childcare while ensuring all background check activities are carried out in compliance with federal and state statutes, and state minimum standards, policies, and procedures.

Requirements

• Knowledge of local, state, and federal laws and rules related the regulation of childcare and background checks.
• Knowledge of program processes and policies.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
• Skill in identifying measures or indicators of program and individual performance.
• Skill in multi-tasking, prioritizing, and organizing.
• Skill in assessing risk as it pertains to children in various settings.
• Skill in problem solving and critical thinking.
• Skill in effective verbal and written communication.
• Skill in providing direction and guidance to others.
• Ability to analyze background check records to evaluate risk associated with this history.
• Ability to take initiative and work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to research and analyze data from different sources.
• Ability to effectively handle multiple assignments and adapt in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to understand new information effectively and quickly.
• Ability to identify gaps and program needs and devise solutions to identified issues.
• Ability to patiently train and mentor peers and adjust training techniques based on individual learning styles.
• Ability to promote and demonstrate appropriate respect for cultural diversity and work with diverse groups of people.
• Ability to operate office equipment including computers, phones, fax machines, copiers, scanners, and printers.
• Ability to operate word processing software, such as Outlook, Excel, Word and other computer applications.
• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.
• Three years full-time work which must include at least one year with the following: developing policies and processes for completing and interpreting employment-related background checks or conducting risk and safety assessments in a child care or social services setting.
• Graduate degree may be substituted for the required experience, with a maximum substitution of two years.
• Experience in the Child Care Regulation program and background check requirements is required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in mentoring and leading peers is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a mentor responsible for supporting peers and new staff by providing individualized training and constructive feedback during their initial training and ongoing mentoring to support their professional development.
• Monitors and analyzes performance reports and data for the program and mentees and conducts reviews to determine the mentee's compliance in carrying out background check tasks according to program policies and procedures, statutes, and rules and assesses the information to recommend corrections and changes to processes and procedures.
• Conducts training and coordinates with the trainee and manager to discuss training progress and development or training needs.
• Uses feedback and observations gathered while leading and training others to analyze program trends and variations in application of program policies, identify program needs or gaps, develop plans and recommendations to improve program initiatives and resolve operational problems, and coordinate with the professional development division to adjust the training modules as needed.
• Assists in reviewing background check documents for completeness and accuracy, provides direction on complicated background check results, and facilitates background check consultations with other departments.
• Provides high level advice, support, and counsel through interpreting policies and procedures, rules, regulations, and standards related to the CCR program.
• Collects, organizes, and prepares program materials for requests for program information in partnership with leadership to provide comprehensive and detailed information to stakeholders.
• Monitors program performance reports to determine statistics and identify trends in performance to resolve operational problems and process gaps, identify and share business needs or program gaps and recommend improvements that align with agency goals to resolve issues.
• Completes user acceptance testing during technology projects related to background checks, performs special research projects, and prepares reports with findings.
• Serves as a subject matter expert to assist in the planning and development of program policies and procedures outlined in internal manuals and collaborate with program staff to implement the procedures within the program in accordance with program objectives and goals.
• Assists internal and external stakeholders with understanding background checks and provides technical assistance to resolve problems.
• Consults with stakeholders during the background check process by providing technical assistance, resources, information, and interpretation of policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and minimum standards, troubleshooting background check issues, and providing counsel and guidance to applicants on completing the background check process and obtaining documentation to resolve their background check.
• Regularly engages with community providers to increase knowledge and understanding of the program and market the program to encourage interest and support.
• Consults with various stakeholders to resolve problems, identify training gaps and needs, and determine program effectiveness.
• Provides guidance and conducts training to other program staff on the integration of new or revised policies and procedures and how it relates to the program and processes.
• Processes and analyzes background check results, risk evaluations, operation compliance and additional information to determine if an individual is a risk or threat to the health and safety of children.
• Reviews criminal history rap sheets and reports of abuse and neglect and compares to background check minimum standards to assess whether a person poses a risk or threat to children in regulated care.
• Collects, organizes, and analyzes the background check results, information submitted or obtained through research, and childcare operation compliance history and compares to background check minimum standards to determine eligibility to be present at a regulated childcare operation and whether conditions on presence are needed to address safety and risk concerns.
• Handles sensitive and confidential information and meets required timeframes.
• Reviews functions, tasks and documentation completed by program staff in other areas to ensure the accurate interpretation of background check citations.
• Identifies and escalates areas of concern where other program staff do not issue accurate citations regarding background checks, or where citations for background checks may be warranted.
• Provides guidance to the monitoring program when determining an applicable citation related to background check rules.
• Reviews and evaluates work products of the monitoring program to ensure the monitoring program holds regulated operations accountable for compliance with background check laws, rules, and policies.
• Assists in recommending and developing techniques to evaluate these work products within the monitoring programs.
• Maintains a workload of background check assignments to ensure background check tasks and functions are completed timely in accordance with statutes, rules, policies, and procedures.
• Resolves background checks to ensure a valid eligibility status is issued within the required time frame and provides exceptions on due dates as needed for pending out-of-state background checks.
• Conducts research to locate records that contribute to the assessment of the background check.
• Attends meetings and trainings as required.
• Performs other duties as required to maintain operations which includes providing coverage and support to peers and supporting management by monitoring workloads and assignments.

Benefits

• comprehensive benefits package includes 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement and more

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level