Disability Insurance Specialist Series

California State Personnel Board Specification

Series established February 7, 1979

Scope

This series specification describes classes used in the Employment Development Department to perform a wide variety of technical Disability Insurance Program development and evaluation work. Positions may exist in field offices, area offices, and central office to provide regional and statewide planning, program and systems analysis, and procedure development for the State's Disability Insurance Program. Many of these jobs include responsibility for policy formulation, interpretation, and dissemination on a full range of Disability Insurance issues. Some positions exist in the field offices, area offices, and central office levels as administrative support in the areas of program budgeting, resource allocation, personnel management and staffing, training design and instruction, premises planning, vendor contracts, and performance measures analysis.

Entrance into these classes is from the Disability Insurance Program Representative and Disability Insurance Program Supervisor classes. Some assignments may require frequent travel.

Positions in these classes are not designated as management or super visory although incumbents in the series may occasionally act as "lead persons" performing such functions as training new staff or reviewing the assignments of lower level staff. Such "lead persons" have duties substantially similar to those of their subordinates and they do not have the authority in the interest of management to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, discipline, or responsibly direct other employees, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively recommend such actions.

Definition of Levels

Disability Insurance Specialist I

This is the recruitment, training, and first working level in the series. Under close supervision, incumbents develop analytical skills; participate in policy and procedure formulation; gather and analyze data; consult with field and other departmental personnel in securing and disseminating necessary information; prepare reports and correspondence on technical Disability Insurance issues, problems and concerns; work on the development of guidelines, training courses, and other tools and materials to assist Disability Insurance office management in the administration of the Department's Disability Insurance program; and may serve as a specialist in analyzing performance measurements and recommending solutions to performance issues. This classification may be used in the field offices to act in a lead capacity and train, monitor, and advise staff on office operations.

Disability Insurance Specialist II

Positions at this level may exist in field offices, area offices, and central office. This is the journey level in the series. Incumbents perform the more difficult and complex technical work and analysis with a minimum of supervision; may be assigned total responsibility for a specific project having regional or statewide impact; formulate policies and procedures and make recommendations to management on the full range of Disability Insurance issues, problems, and concerns, and prepare reports and correspondence in these same areas. As a technical expert in a particular program area, may act in a consulting capacity to the field and other departmental staff by providing problem-solving advice and program information; may have regional or statewide responsibility for coordinating activities in a particular program or program area ensuring consistent application of policies, procedures, and standards.

As a journey level specialist, may provide assistance to lower level specialists by responding to technical questions; providing feedback on assignments, and instructing them on data collection, information gathering and dissemination, report and correspondence preparation, and other aspects of program support work. These leadperson duties are always performed in conjunction with a working assignment and should not constitute over 50 percent of an employee's time.

Disability Insurance Specialist III

A limited number of positions at this level may exist statewide. Incumbents may (1) function as ongoing interbranch or branch-specific project leaders, coordinating the work of others through task force-type organizations. This leadership role must be accompanied by a role as a highly skilled, independent consultant with the ability to act authoritatively in a functional specialty; or (2) function as a recognized technical authority in a program area of extreme sensitivity with ongoing coordinating responsibility over other analysts and/or evaluative responsibility over projects which may have statewide impact. They are responsible for writing project charters, establishing resource needs, determining the staff skills necessary, deciding the responsibilities of the project participants; or (3) be responsible for the effective resolution of a broad range of Branch issues. They conduct and/or review analytical studies and surveys; formulate procedures, policies, and program alternatives; make recommendations on a broad spectrum of program-related problems; review and analyze proposed legislation and advise management on its impact or potential impact; and do other related work.

Minimum Qualifications

Disability Insurance Specialist I

Either I

Two years of experience in the California state service performing as a Disability Insurance Program Representative, one year of which must be at Range

C.

(Candidates who are within six months of completing the required experience will be admitted to the examination, but they must complete the required experience before they can be considered eligible for appointment.)

Or II

Three years performing technical work in the field of claims eligibility determinations or adjustments under public or private insurance or health and welfare benefit plans. Two years of the required experience must have been in an analytical staff capacity.

(Experience in the California state service applied toward this pattern must include at least two years of experience performing the duties of a class with a level of responsibility equivalent to that of Disability Insurance Program Representative, Range C.)

Disability Insurance Specialist II

Either I

One year of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Disability Insurance Specialist I, Range B, or Disability Insurance Program Supervisor.

(Candidates who are within six months of completing the required experience will be admitted to the examination, but they must complete the required experience before they can be considered eligible for appointment.)

Or II

Four years performing technical or management work in the field of claims eligibility determinations or adjustments under public or private insurance or health and welfare benefit plans. Three years of the required experience must have been in an analytical staff capacity.

(Experience in California state service applied toward this pattern must include at least one year of experience performing the duties of a class with a level of responsibility not less than that of Disability Insurance Program Supervisor.)

Disability Insurance Specialist III

Either I

Two years of experience in the California state service performing the duties of a Disability Insurance Specialist II or Disability Insurance Program Manager

I.

(Candidates who are within six months of completing the required experience will be admitted to the examination, but they must complete all of the required experience before they can be considered eligible for appointment.)

Or II

Five years performing technical or management work in the field of claims eligibility determinations or adjustments under public or private health or welfare benefit plans. Four years of the required experience must have been in an analytical staff capacity.

(Experience in the California state service applied toward this pattern must include at least two years of experience performing the duties of a class with a level of responsibility equivalent to that of Disability Insurance Specialist

Ii. )

Knowledge and Abilities

All Levels:

Knowledge of: Interviewing techniques; principles of insurance payments programs, public administration; provisions of the California Unemployment Insurance Code; the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures of the Employment Development Department; precedent decisions of the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board relating to the disability insurance program; medical terminology and common medical references used in interpreting medical findings; employment practices and conditions and physical demands of occupations in industrial, domestic, professional, commercial, and agricultural employment in California; workers' compensation and employer liability laws affecting California workers and provisions of State and Federal laws affecting disability insurance programs; practices followed by insurance companies in California in underwriting disability insurance coverage and by other states in their disability insurance program; principles and practices of public administration and personnel management; and office management principles and practices.

Ability to: Gather and analyze data; reason logically and accurately; comprehend written material, and interpret and apply rules and instructions; communicate effectively; establish and maintain cooperative relations with others; analyze situations accurately and take effective action; develop, instruct, and evaluate in-service training programs; analyze operations; evaluate suggestions; and develop standards, policies, and procedures for disability insurance programs.

Disability Insurance Specialist II

Disability Insurance Specialist III

Knowledge of: In addition to the above, principles and practices of program administration and staff support services including budget, personnel, systems analysis, planning and program evaluation, procedure development, and project work.

Ability to: In addition to the above, work independently and provide consultation and training to others in a technical setting.

Disability Insurance Specialist III

Ability to: In addition to the above, coordinate in a lead capacity the work of others in a project or task force setting.

Class History