Washington County Disability, Aging, and Veteran Services (DAVS) within the Department of Health and Human Services is hiring a Program Specialist to join our Veteran Services Team!

Disability, Aging, and Veteran Services provides a variety of programs and services to maintain and enhance the quality of life for Washington County seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. To learn more about us, please use this link: Disability, Aging, and Veteran Services

About the Opportunity:
The mission of Veteran Services is to ensure that Washington County veterans and their families receive all benefits provided by federal and state law. The Program Specialist is a key resource providing information and answers to questions about Veteran Benefits to a variety of consumers and groups. In this position, you will organize events and provide important outreach to veterans and survivors in the community who are unaware that assistance with federal benefits is available free of charge through the County. As part of a two-person internal team, you will work closely with your team member to develop an outreach system, dividing tasks that could include: event planning, updating website information, and assisting with the creation of public outreach documents and fliers. A key function of this position is providing information and referring community members to the appropriate program/department. You will work closely with other Disability, Aging, and Veteran Services staff to make additional referrals to programs available through us and other agencies and community partners. You will also provide in office support to walk-in clients and assistance over the phone answering questions when a Veteran Service Officer is not available. Our team has the privilege of interacting with people who have experienced history firsthand and providing services that are often life changing.

This position is eligible to work remotely 1-2 days per week.

Who we are looking for:
The ideal candidate in this role will have an understanding of the problems that confront veterans and their families. They have knowledge of what benefits may be available, how to apply for the benefits, and the laws that govern the receipt of Veteran benefits as this position provides general information about filing federal Veterans Affairs (VA) claims for compensation, pension, and other benefits. They will be organized and possess strong communication skills, with an ability to create targeted presentations that explain our programs to various community groups. Customer service skills and the ability to explain a complex information/process to a variety of clients both verbally and in writing are essential in this role.
While the Veteran Services works as a team, this position works independently to develop contacts and organize events. The ideal candidate will be comfortable in this team environment, but also have the ability to work independently most of the time. To serve the community with the utmost care, a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and to understand and minimize the impacts of racism and other forms of discrimination to our clients and within our organization is a must.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and that candidate may come from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences. If you're interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role, even if you believe you do not meet all of the hiring criteria described above.

Why Washington County?
Are you interested in challenging, meaningful, and rewarding work? Join Washington County in our commitment to advancing racial equity. Our Board of Commissioners worked closely with various community stakeholders and subject matter experts to develop an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Resolution . Adopted in February 2020, this resolution commits to the equitable delivery of Washington County's services, resources, and opportunities for growth and development to every county resident.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

Classification descriptions are typically written broadly. To review the full information of this classification, please use the following link: Program Specialist.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:
Must meet one of the following criteria to be considered for this position.

• An Associate's Degree in a social service, business administration, or related field; AND One (1) year of work experience in program administration, development, evaluation, or coordination, and /or contract administration; OR
• Three (3) years of work experience in program administration, development, evaluation, and/or contract administration.

Additional Licenses, Certificates, Physical Abilities and Specialty Requirements:

• This position requires the completion of a criminal history check post offer in accordance with Oregon Administrative Rules.