| Location | Lakeport, CA |
| Salary | $21.51–$30.32 Per Hour |
Eligibility Specialist Trainee/I/II - Extra Help
Salary
$21.51 - $30.32 Hourly
Location
Lake County, CA
Job Type
Extra Help
Job Number
26-110EH
Department
Social Services
Opening Date
08/27/2026
Closing Date
9/13/2026 5:00 PM Pacific
FLSA
Non-Exempt
Job Details
EXTRA HELP - TEMPORARY WORK ASSIGNMENT
A temporary extra-help work assignment is determined by County of Lake personnel rules and regulations.
EXTRA-HELP APPOINTMENT
Extra help positions are limited to no more than 25 hours per week (unless a position is considered seasonal) and no more than 900 hours per fiscal year.
SEASONAL EXTRA-HELP EMPLOYEE
Extra help seasonal employees must perform work tied to an actual season and will not perform any work for at least 26 consecutive weeks between seasons. The seasonal employee definition is subject to change as defined by the IRS and Affordable Care Act.
CalPERS RETIRED ANUITANT ASSIGNMENT
A Retired Annuitant is a CalPERS retiree employed by the County on an at-will basis, with specific restrictions to protect their retirement allowance (pension payments). Examples of assignment for a Retired Annuitant are work to eliminate a backlog, work on a special project, and work that is in excess of what regular staff can do. Retired Annuitant are subject to work under Limited-Duration. The employment is expected to end once the specific task or project they were hired to complete is finished. All work restriction is governed by Government Code (G.C.) sections 21224, 21229, and 21221(h).
Minimum Qualifications
Eligibility Specialist Trainee
Minimum Qualifications
Pattern 1: Two (2) years of full-time clerical experience involving public contact, interviewing, math computations, completion of forms or eliciting information from the public;
OR
Pattern 2: One year of full-time experience determining eligibility for loans, financial assistance, unemployment or veterans benefits, or publicly or privately funded health, counseling or social services programs;
OR
Pattern 3: Completion of sixty (60) semester or ninety (90) quarter college units.
Qualifying experience or education may be combined in order to meet the above requirements. When combining education and experience; fifteen (15) semester units or twenty-two and a half (22.5) quarter units equals six months of experience.
Special and Drivers License Requirements
Some positions in this classification may require possession of a valid California driver license. Employees who drive on County business to carry out job-related duties must possess a valid California driver license for the class of vehicle driven and meet automobile insurability requirements of the County. Eligibility for employment for those who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the appointing authority.
Eligibility Specialist I
Minimum Qualifications
Pattern 1: One year full-time experience in an Eligibility Specialist Trainee classification in an Interagency Merit System (IMS) county;
OR
Pattern 2: One (1) year of full-time experience determining eligibility for health programs, loans, financial assistance, unemployment, or other benefits and two (2) years of clerical work involving public contact;
OR
Pattern 3: Two (2) years of full-time experience determining eligibility for health programs, loans, financial assistance, unemployment, or other benefits;
OR
Pattern 4: Four (4) years of full-time clerical work involving public contact, interviewing, math computations, completion of forms or eliciting information from the public;
OR
Pattern 5: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.
Qualifying experience or education may be combined in order to meet the above requirements. When combining education and experience; fifteen (15) semester units or twenty-two and a half (22.5) quarter units equals six months of experience.
Special and Drivers License Requirements
Some positions in this classification may require possession of a valid California driver license. Employees who drive on County business to carry out job-related duties must possess a valid California driver license for the class of vehicle driven and meet automobile insurability requirements of the County. Eligibility for employment for those who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the appointing authority.
Eligibility Specialist II
Minimum Qualifications
One (1) year full time experience in an Eligibility Specialist I classification in an Interagency Merit System (IMS) County;
OR
Two (2) years of full time experience determining eligibility for public assistance programs in a public human services agency.
Special and Drivers License Requirements
Some positions in this classification may require possession of a valid California driver license. Employees who drive on County business to carry out job-related duties must possess a valid California driver license for the class of vehicle driven and meet automobile insurability requirements of the County. Eligibility for employment for those who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the appointing authority.
General Recruitment Information
Full Job Description
Eligibility Specialist Trainee
Class Definition and Description
The Eligibility Specialist classifications determine the eligibility of applicants and recipients for public assistance programs through interactive interviewing and fact gathering; maintain current knowledge of program regulations and procedures necessary for multi-program caseload administration; initiate and process casework through automated systems; identify needs and make appropriate referrals for health, social and/or employment services; and perform related work as required.
The Eligibility Specialist Trainee is the classroom and on-the-job trainee level in the Eligibility Specialist series where emphasis is on learning the basic regulatory and statutory requirements of multiple public assistance programs. Incumbents may receive classroom instruction and/or on-the-job training prior to being assigned casework or tasks. Once incumbents are placed in a unit, they will continue to participate in on-the-job training and may be assigned a variety of duties, including some casework/tasks which will assist them in learning to determine initial and continuing eligibility for one or more public assistance programs. Incumbents work under close supervision to complete initial case functions as they continue to learn procedures and complex regulations and acquire the ability to apply the regulations during the training period. Trainees are given the opportunity to perform increasing levels of eligibility determination to prepare them for the entry-level Eligibility Specialist I classification. Incumbents are expected to progress to the entry-level Eligibility Specialist I upon satisfactory completion of one year as a trainee. Use of the Eligibility Specialist Trainee classification is optional, at the discretion of each County.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED AND RECEIVED
Incumbents in the Eligibility Specialist Trainee classification typically receive supervision from an Eligibility Supervisor and may receive lead direction from an Eligibility Specialist III.
Typical Duties, Employment Standards and KSAs
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
(Duties are performed at the trainee level, where the incumbent is learning to perform the duties and progress as more experience is gained)
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS
Note: The level and scope of the knowledge and skills listed below are related to job duties as a trainee.
Knowledge of:
Ability to:
Minimum Qualifications
Pattern 1: Two (2) years of full-time clerical experience involving public contact, interviewing, math computations, completion of forms or eliciting information from the public;
OR
Pattern 2: One year of full-time experience determining eligibility for loans, financial assistance, unemployment or veterans benefits, or publicly or privately funded health, counseling or social services programs;
OR
Pattern 3: Completion of sixty (60) semester or ninety (90) quarter college units.
Qualifying experience or education may be combined in order to meet the above requirements. When combining education and experience; fifteen (15) semester units or twenty-two and a half (22.5) quarter units equals six months of experience.
Special and Drivers License Requirements
Some positions in this classification may require possession of a valid California driver license. Employees who drive on County business to carry out job-related duties must possess a valid California driver license for the class of vehicle driven and meet automobile insurability requirements of the County. Eligibility for employment for those who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the appointing authority.
Eligibility Specialist I
Class Definition and Description
The Eligibility Specialist classifications determine the eligibility of applicants and recipients for public assistance programs through interactive interviewing and fact gathering; maintain current knowledge of program regulations and procedures necessary for multi-program caseload administration; initiate and process casework through automated systems; identify needs and make appropriate referrals for health, social, and/or employment services; and perform related work as required.
The Eligibility Specialist I is the entry-level classification in the Eligibility Specialist series. Incumbents may have prior experience determining eligibility for loans, financial assistance, unemployment or veterans benefits, or publicly or privately funded health, counseling or social services programs; have completed initial classroom training provided as part of the Eligibility Specialist Trainee training program; or may have the required level of education. Incumbents will be placed in a work team and initially may receive classroom instruction prior to being assigned casework and/or tasks. Incumbents will work under close supervision while learning to independently determine public assistance eligibility, and apply knowledge and skills learned from their training in completing eligibility tasks and applying complex regulations. As incumbents gain experience and work toward the journey level in the series, they are expected to work with more independence and have the ability to complete more complex tasks and/or handle larger client caseloads. Incumbents are expected to progress to the journey-level Eligibility Specialist II upon completion of one year of satisfactory performance in the entry-level Eligibility Specialist I classification.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED AND RECEIVED
Incumbents in the Eligibility Specialist I and II classifications typically receive supervision from an Eligibility Supervisor and may receive lead direction from an Eligibility Specialist III.
Typical Duties, Employment Standards and KSAs
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
(For Eligibility Specialist I, duties are performed at the entry level.)
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS
Note: The level and scope of the knowledge and skills listed below are related to job duties as distinguished between the two levels in the Definition section.
Knowledge of:
Ability to:
Minimum Qualifications
Pattern 1: One year full-time experience in an Eligibility Specialist Trainee classification in an Interagency Merit System (IMS) county;
OR
Pattern 2: One (1) year of full-time experience determining eligibility for health programs, loans, financial assistance, unemployment, or other benefits and two (2) years of clerical work involving public contact;
OR
Pattern 3: Two (2) years of full-time experience determining eligibility for health programs, loans, financial assistance, unemployment, or other benefits;
OR
Pattern 4: Four (4) years of full-time clerical work involving public contact, interviewing, math computations, completion of forms or eliciting information from the public;
OR
Pattern 5: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.
Qualifying experience or education may be combined in order to meet the above requirements. When combining education and experience; fifteen (15) semester units or twenty-two and a half (22.5) quarter units equals six months of experience.
Supplemental Information
ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST I
APPLICANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE NATURE OF WORK PERFORMED
INTRODUCTION
Submitting an application is the first step toward a valuable and rewarding career as an Eligibility Specialist. We offer this additional information in an effort to provide you with a clear understanding of the nature of the job and its requirements. Please take the time to review this information prior to submitting an application.
NATURE OF WORK
The primary function of an Eligibility Specialist involves determining the eligibility of applicants and recipients for public assistance programs. Eligibility work is performed in an office environment, not in the field, and includes processing of a broad range of paperwork and entering information into a computer-based eligibility system with very time sensitive agency and legal deadlines. Individuals with bank teller experience are often well suited to Eligibility Specialist positions, as are those who have determined eligibility for loans, etc. Typical duties of an Eligibility Specialist include:
Eligibility Specialists are expected to handle a high volume of work which is deadline driven. Applicants must be able to prioritize, plan and project their work, but at the same time be flexible to changes at any moment, such as unscheduled visits from clients.
It is important to understand that the actions you take as an Eligibility Specialist affect the lives of clients and their families.
CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES
As an Eligibility Specialist you may be required to take actions that conflict with your own values. An Eligibility Specialist must be able to accept clients differences and interact with them in a non-judgmental manner. Some of the controversial issues encountered in an Eligibility Specialist environment include:
Special and Drivers License Requirements
Some positions in this classification may require possession of a valid California driver license. Employees who drive on County business to carry out job-related duties must possess a valid California driver license for the class of vehicle driven and meet automobile insurability requirements of the County. Eligibility for employment for those who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the appointing authority.
Eligibility Specialist II
Class Definition and Description
The Eligibility Specialist classifications determine the eligibility of applicants and recipients for public assistance programs through interactive interviewing and fact gathering; maintain current knowledge of program regulations and procedures necessary for multi-program caseload administration; initiate and process casework through automated systems; identify needs and make appropriate referrals for health, social, and/or employment services; and perform related work as required.
The Eligibility Specialist II is the journey-level classification in the Eligibility Specialist series. Incumbents demonstrate working knowledge of eligibility regulations, procedures and eligibility software systems. Eligibility Specialist II incumbents handle more complex tasks and/or caseloads independently with consultation as needed by Eligibility Specialist IIIs or Eligibility Supervisors. Positions in this class are flexibly staffed and are normally filled by advancement from the lower level or if filled from the outside, require prior experience as an Eligibility Specialist, Eligibility Worker or comparable position.
The class of Eligibility Specialist II is distinguished from the Eligibility Specialist I as the latter requires a higher level of consultation and supervision and is working toward achieving a working knowledge of program rules and regulations. The Eligibility Specialist II class is distinguished from the Eligibility Specialist III in that the latter class is assigned lead specialist duties or special assignments with a greater degree of independent judgment.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED AND RECEIVED
Incumbents in the Eligibility Specialist I and II classifications typically receive supervision from an Eligibility Supervisor and may receive lead direction from an Eligibility Specialist III.
Typical Duties, Employment Standards and KSAs
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS
Note: The level and scope of the knowledge and skills listed below are related to job duties as distinguished between the two levels in the Definition section.
Knowledge of:
Ability to:
Minimum Qualifications
One (1) year full-time experience in an Eligibility Specialist I classification in an Interagency Merit System (IMS) County;
OR
Two (2) years of full-time experience determining eligibility for public assistance programs in a public human services agency.
Special and Drivers License Requirements
Some positions in this classification may require possession of a valid California driver license. Employees who drive on County business to carry out job-related duties must possess a valid California driver license for the class of vehicle driven and meet automobile insurability requirements of the County. Eligibility for employment for those who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the appointing authority.
WORKING CONDITIONS, ADA, AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS
The County of Lake is an equal opportunity employer and will comply with its obligations under the law to provide equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Incumbents generally work in a typical office environment with adequate light and temperature. There may be occasional exposure?to?extreme temperatures, loud noise, fumes, noxious odors, dust, mist, gases, and poor ventilation; underground, confined, or restricted?workspaces; and heights more than five stories above ground level.?Incumbents may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures. Incumbents may also be subject to clients or members of the public afflicted with behavioral disorders or who are under emotionally stressful conditions.
Positions in this class typically require: sitting, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions.
Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.
Light Work: Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for light work.
Disaster Service Workers: As members of the County of Lake Emergency Services Organization, all Lake County employees are designated as Disaster Service Workers during a proclaimed emergency and may be required to perform certain emergency services at the direction of the department and / or County.
The contents of this class specification shall not be construed to constitute any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee, nor shall it constitute a contract of employment. The County of Lake assumes no responsibility beyond the general accuracy of the document, nor does it assume responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information contained herein. The contents of this specification may be modified or revoked without notice. Terms and conditions of employment are determined through a "meet and confer" process and are subject to the Memorandum of Understanding currently in effect.
EXTRA HELP - TEMPORARY WORK ASSIGNMENT
A temporary extra-help work assignment is determined by County of Lake personnel rules and regulations.
EXTRA-HELP APPOINTMENT
Extra help positions are limited to no more than 25 hours per week (unless a position is considered seasonal) and no more than 900 hours per fiscal year.
SEASONAL EXTRA-HELP EMPLOYEE
Extra help seasonal employees must perform work tied to an actual season and will not perform any work for at least 26 consecutive weeks between seasons. The seasonal employee definition is subject to change as defined by the IRS and Affordable Care Act.
CalPERS RETIRED ANUITANT ASSIGNMENT
A Retired Annuitant is a CalPERS retiree employed by the County on an at-will basis, with specific restrictions to protect their retirement allowance (pension payments). Examples of assignment for a Retired Annuitant are work to eliminate a backlog, work on a special project, and work that is in excess of what regular staff can do. Retired Annuitant are subject to work under Limited-Duration. The employment is expected to end once the specific task or project they were hired to complete is finished. All work restriction is governed by Government Code (G.C.) sections 21224, 21229, and 21221(h).
01
I understand that all of my relevant education and experience must be included on the application form, and that an unofficial transcript MUST be included in order to use my education as credit toward the minimum qualifications of the job description. Furthermore, I understand that only information contained and submitted on the application will be used when screening my qualifications against the minimum requirements of the position, and failure to include relevant information may eliminate me from consideration for this position.
02
EST-PATTERN 1: Do you have two (2) years of full-time clerical experience involving public contact, interviewing, math computations, completion of forms or eliciting information from the public?
03
EST-PATTERN 2: Do you have one year of full-time experience determining eligibility for loans, financial assistance, unemployment or veterans benefits, or publicly or privately funded health, counseling or social services programs?
04
EST-PATTERN 3: Do you have completion of sixty (60) semester or ninety (90) quarter college units? (Qualifying experience or education may be combined in order to meet the above requirements. When combining education and experience; fifteen (15) semester units or twenty-two and a half (22.5) quarter units equals six months of experience.)
05
ES1-PATTERN 1: Do you have one-year full-time experience in an Eligibility Specialist Trainee classification in an Interagency Merit System (IMS) county?
06
ES1-PATTERN 2: Do you have one (1) year of full-time experience determining eligibility for health programs, loans, financial assistance, unemployment, or other benefits and two (2) years of clerical work involving public contact?
07
ES1-PATTERN 3: Do you have two (2) years of full-time experience determining eligibility for health programs, loans, financial assistance, unemployment, or other benefits?
08
ES1-PATTERN 4: Do you have four (4) years of full-time clerical work involving public contact, interviewing, math computations, completion of forms or eliciting information from the public?
09
ES1-PATTERN 5: Have you graduated from an accredited four-year college or university? (Qualifying experience or education may be combined in order to meet the above requirements. When combining education and experience; fifteen (15) semester units or twenty-two and a half (22.5) quarter units equals six months of experience)
10
ES2-PATTERN 1: Do you have one (1) year full-time experience in an Eligibility Specialist I classification in an Interagency Merit System (IMS) County?
11
ES2-PATTERN 2: Do you have two (2) years of full-time experience determining eligibility for public assistance programs in a public human services agency?
12
Do you have, or can you obtain, a valid California Drivers License by date of hire?
13
I MUST provide an unofficial transcript to certify that my education qualifies towards the minimum requirements of the position. A copy of my degree will not be accepted to certify my education. I have attached my unofficial transcript.
14
Can you submit to, and pass a background check prior to appointment? Depending upon the position and/or assigned department the background check may include, but is not limited to: civil and criminal history check, reference check, Livescan, and/or credit check (as allowed under state law)
15
I certify that to the best of my knowledge, my answers to the supplemental questions are true and accurate and that all relevant experience, education, certifications, licenses, and trainings are included on my application form. I understand that my answers are subject to verification and that any intentional misrepresentation may be sufficient cause to eliminate me from further consideration for this position.
Required Question
Employer County of Lake
Address 255 N. Forbes Street
Lakeport, California, 95453
Phone 707-263-2213