State of Maine Jobs Near Me – Disability Claims Adjudicator

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

Opening Date: October 28, 2022

Closing Date: November 10, 2022

Job Class Code: 3065
Grade: 23 (Pro-Tech)
Salary: $45,136.00-$60,881.60

Position Number: : 02024-1621

Are you interested in a career in Public Service and assisting some of Maine’s most vulnerable? Do you enjoy complex, fast-paced work with a high degree of independence? Do you want to be part of a growing team and positive work culture?

Maine Disability Determination Services is hiring! DDS provides disability decisions for Social Security Disability Benefits. As a Disability Claims Adjudicator, you request and research prior medical records, collaborate with in-house Doctors and Psychologists around functional limitations, conduct vocational work analyses, and ultimately make disability determinations for the Social Security Administration. Good candidates will have a dedication to public service, the ability to learn quickly and manage different and complex tasks efficiently, and display a collaborative approach with excellent and compassionate customer service. In-depth training will be provided and a remote option for up to 3 days a week is available after the first 8-12 months. On-going staff development available as well as the ability to collaborate with many state, local, and federal partners.

Core Responsibilities:

This is administrative work involving the review and analysis of initial, reconsideration, and continuing disability review claims for disability benefits under the Social Security Act. Duties include:

• Collect, review, examine, and analyze medical, psychiatric, and vocational claimant reconsideration appeals, continuing benefits applications, and complex initial applications in order to determine final adjudication of eligibility and benefit payments eligibility.
• Determine eligibility for disability benefits according to federal regulations, and complete written disability determinations in order to provide assistance.
• Determine eligibility for advanced payments for claimants with severe disabilities in order to provide immediate aid to those eligible.
• Contact and interview claimants and physicians in order to obtain medical and vocational evidence.
• Authorize and arrange for consultations and medical and psychiatric examinations in order to comply with program requirements.
• Write detailed letters to claimants, medical consultants, and state and federal agencies in order to request information and inform claimants of the reasons and results of disability decisions.
• Assign codes to written decisions in order to develop and maintain statistical data.
• Perform additional special duties such as quality assurance, mentoring, training, professional relations activities, processing Canadian claims, and other special projects in order to meet division needs.

Ideal candidates will have:

• Ability to work in a production environment with quality and processing speed goals.
• Sensitivity to the needs of the public and customer focus.
• Ability to communicate effectively and work cooperatively through phone, email, video-conferencing, and other communication technologies.
• Attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to learn complex medical information, vocational policies, and ongoing technologies.

Positive attitude and a desire to work in a team atmosphere.

Minimum Qualifications:

A five (5) year combination of education, training, and/or experience providing knowledge and abilities required to obtain, evaluate, and adjudicate medical, psychiatric, and psychological evidence pertinent to claims for disability benefits – OR – a Bachelors degree and 1 year of related experience.

Your conditional job offer, and access to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) system, data, information, and/or premises are contingent upon you passing the SSA suitability process.

• Note: This covers the preliminary screening (pre-screen) and the final background adjudication stage of the suitability process.

Agency information:

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State’s population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.

Within the Office for Family Independence (OFI) is the Division of Disability Determination Services (DDS). DDS is responsible for evaluating and making medical decisions on claims for Social Security disability benefits. DDS has vacancies in Winthrop.

Application Information:

Please submit all documents or files in a PDF format.

For additional information about this position please contact Luke Monahan at [email protected], or by phone at (207) 287-9644.

To apply, please upload a resume, cover letter, and transcript (transcript needed only if education is used to meet the minimum qualifications).

To request a paper application, please contact [email protected] .

Benefits

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—”Dirigo” or “I lead”—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce’s health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Balance – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($10,150.80-$11,942.16 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.

• Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.

• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($350.40 annual value).

• Retirement Plan – The State of Maine contributes 13.16% of pay to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement – Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts – Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness – The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office.
• Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.

• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive four weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation – Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.
• Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

Maine State Government is an Equal Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.