Associate Accountant - Personal Allowance & Benefits - St. Lawrence County

  • Canton
  • The Arc Jefferson St. Lawrence
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work – 40 hours per week

Qualifications – Two-year degree in relevant field (business, accounting); 1-3 years of experience with benefit systems for developmentally disabled individuals; experience with Microsoft Word, Excel and other software; good organizational, communication and mathematical skills.

Work Authorization/Security Clearance – Authorized to work in the United States

Summary/Objective – This position is responsible for maintaining Social Security & Social Services benefits, including benefit application and changes in status. Responsible for monitoring resident’s financial resources to ensure compliance with income levels per state and federal requirements, coordinate food stamp receipts and disbursements and audit resident’s financial ledgers.

Essential Functions – Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

1. Maintain Social Security, VA, Railroad & Social Service Benefits, to include the following:

Initiate benefit applications and changes in status
Monitor financial resources to minimize fluctuations in benefit entitlements
Maintain resident’s financial status and eligibility for all entitlement programs
Coordinate food stamp receipts and disbursements
Maintain resident’s files
Resolve issues in Medicaid and other benefit entitlement

2. Maintain Client Fund Balances:

Resident Maintenance (electronic tracking system)
Audits of residents’ ledgers monthly
Cable/Phone bill reimbursements to the agency
Countable income calculations for room and board
Transfer funds as needed among personal, savings, burial
Transfer Room & Board payments to the agency

3. Reporting:

Monthly wage reporting of disabled workers on both taxable and non-taxable wages to applicable Agencies
Monthly review and correspondence that monthly benefit amounts are as expected
Admission paperwork
Annual Tax Returns for residents required to file
Respond to audits & reviews by regulatory authorities

4. Oversight:

Review Personal Allowance check requests and verify against the PEP for team approval and ensure that funds are available
Quarterly house audits

5. Serve as resource to agency staff, care managers and families

6. Food Stamp/Grocery:

Process EBT for Food Stamps - monthly
Issue checks from Food Stamp bank account
Record transactions

7. Clothing Allowance:

Provide input in bi-annual funds request to OPWDD
Record receipt of funds per resident
Issue checks
Verify funds were spent per guidelines

8. Provide back-up to Accounting staff, as requested

Competencies –

Ethical Conduct
Time Management
Organization Skills
Project Management
Personal Effectiveness / Credibility

Supervisory Responsibility – None

Work Environment -This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Physical Demands - The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; lift; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.

Other Duties – This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. I have read and received a copy of the above job description and understand the responsibilities fully. I understand that the preceding job description will be reviewed/updated at least annually; more frequent updates will depend on contract needs.

Wage Range - $20.29-$23.13/Hour, based on education and experience