Federal Survivor Benefits Program Administrator

Summary

Job Title

This position is a hybrid position.

About this position:

This position serves as the statewide program administrator and subject matter expert responsible for implementation, oversight, and continuous improvement of Federal Benefits for Youth in Foster Care. The position develops rules, statewide guidance, fiscal controls, monitoring systems, and training to ensure counties comply with statutory screening, representative payee, conservation, non-supplantation, notice, and release requirements. This role ensures consistent and lawful administration of federal survivor benefits across Colorado's 64 counties. The position develops statewide rules, policy guidance, fiscal controls, monitoring systems, and training infrastructure to ensure federal survivor benefits are individually conserved and protected for the direct benefit of children and youth in foster care in accordance with statute and federal regulations. This position serves as the primary statewide liaison and subject matter expert coordinating with the Social Security Administration (SSA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), Colorado ABLE within the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE), and other state and federal partners to establish implementation processes and fiscal safeguards related to federal survivor benefits for youth in foster care.

Summary of Job Duties:

Senior Authority Statewide Policy Development & Program Implementation Serves as the statewide expert in federal survivor benefits and the lead policy developer responsible for drafting and revising administrative rules and standards required under CRS 19-7-105 and related sections. Leads development and implementation of statewide policies, rules, procedures, and operational guidance to ensure compliance with statutory requirements governing federal survivor benefits for youth in foster care. Drafts policy manuals, procedural guidance, templates, and training materials. Ensures alignment between state statute, federal regulations, fiscal constraints, and county operational practices. Coordinates and consults with SSA, IRS, HCPF, Colorado ABLE within CDHE, and other governmental entities to develop statewide implementation standards, fiscal safeguards, representative payee procedures, account establishment processes, and eligibility protection protocols associated with federal survivor benefits for youth in foster care. Designs and implements statewide transition protocols for federal survivor benefits, including procedures for benefit initiation upon entry into foster care, reassessment during placement changes, continuity of representative payee services, coordination of interagency transfers, and final benefit release and account closure when youth exit care or reach eligibility milestones.

Representative Payee & Screening Oversight Develops statewide screening protocols and monitoring systems to ensure counties consistently identify eligible youth and pursue federal survivor benefits as required by statute. Designs and implements statewide oversight mechanisms to monitor county compliance with screening timelines, eligibility determinations, appeals processes, benefit conservation requirements, notice obligations, and fund release procedures. Conducts desk audits, compliance reviews, and risk assessments.

Fiscal Compliance & Conservation Oversight Develops and oversees fiscal accountability systems, ensuring counties do not use federal survivor benefits to offset foster care maintenance or cost-of-care expenditures, consistent with statutory prohibition under CRS 19-7-105 and related sections. Develops fiscal tracking standards to ensure benefits are conserved in youth-specific accounts and properly released at required milestones. Reviews accounting structures, ledgers, and interest accrual practices. Ensures compliance with asset and resource limitations. Tracks statewide accumulation and release of funds. Collaborates with HCPF, Colorado ABLE, SSA, and IRS representatives to ensure statewide fiscal conservation practices and account structures do not negatively affect Medicaid eligibility, public assistance eligibility, tax compliance requirements, or federally protected resource limitations.

Technical Assistance, Training & Stakeholder Coordination Provides ongoing technical assistance and training to county departments regarding screening processes, benefit applications, appeals, representative payee determinations, conservation requirements, and youth notification standards. This includes travel across the state to provide this technical assistance and training to county departments. Coordinates stakeholder engagement and facilitates implementation workgroups. Responds to complex case inquiries and escalated issues. This position is charged with designing interagency coordination practices that will govern how these benefits are administered across Colorado's child welfare system.

Other duties as assigned, including but not limited to: Data Analysis, Reporting & Legislative Support Develops data tracking tools and prepares reports regarding eligibility determinations, applications submitted, appeals filed, benefit amounts conserved, and funds released to youth Provides subject matter expertise to CDHS executive leadership, JBC staff, and legislative stakeholders regarding implementation status, fiscal impacts, compliance findings, and recommended statutory refinements

Job Description

Job Title

This position is a hybrid position.

About this position:

This position serves as the statewide program administrator and subject matter expert responsible for implementation, oversight, and continuous improvement of Federal Benefits for Youth in Foster Care. The position develops rules, statewide guidance, fiscal controls, monitoring systems, and training to ensure counties comply with statutory screening, representative payee, conservation, non-supplantation, notice, and release requirements. This role ensures consistent and lawful administration of federal survivor benefits across Colorado's 64 counties. The position develops statewide rules, policy guidance, fiscal controls, monitoring systems, and training infrastructure to ensure federal survivor benefits are individually conserved and protected for the direct benefit of children and youth in foster care in accordance with statute and federal regulations. This position serves as the primary statewide liaison and subject matter expert coordinating with the Social Security Administration (SSA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), Colorado ABLE within the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE), and other state and federal partners to establish implementation processes and fiscal safeguards related to federal survivor benefits for youth in foster care.

Summary of Job Duties:

Senior Authority Statewide Policy Development & Program Implementation Serves as the statewide expert in federal survivor benefits and the lead policy developer responsible for drafting and revising administrative rules and standards required under CRS 19-7-105 and related sections. Leads development and implementation of statewide policies, rules, procedures, and operational guidance to ensure compliance with statutory requirements governing federal survivor benefits for youth in foster care. Drafts policy manuals, procedural guidance, templates, and training materials. Ensures alignment between state statute, federal regulations, fiscal constraints, and county operational practices. Coordinates and consults with SSA, IRS, HCPF, Colorado ABLE within CDHE, and other governmental entities to develop statewide implementation standards, fiscal safeguards, representative payee procedures, account establishment processes, and eligibility protection protocols associated with federal survivor benefits for youth in foster care. Designs and implements statewide transition protocols for federal survivor benefits, including procedures for benefit initiation upon entry into foster care, reassessment during placement changes, continuity of representative payee services, coordination of interagency transfers, and final benefit release and account closure when youth exit care or reach eligibility milestones.

Representative Payee & Screening Oversight Develops statewide screening protocols and monitoring systems to ensure counties consistently identify eligible youth and pursue federal survivor benefits as required by statute. Designs and implements statewide oversight mechanisms to monitor county compliance with screening timelines, eligibility determinations, appeals processes, benefit conservation requirements, notice obligations, and fund release procedures. Conducts desk audits, compliance reviews, and risk assessments.

Fiscal Compliance & Conservation Oversight Develops and oversees fiscal accountability systems, ensuring counties do not use federal survivor benefits to offset foster care maintenance or cost-of-care expenditures, consistent with statutory prohibition under CRS 19-7-105 and related sections. Develops fiscal tracking standards to ensure benefits are conserved in youth-specific accounts and properly released at required milestones. Reviews accounting structures, ledgers, and interest accrual practices. Ensures compliance with asset and resource limitations. Tracks statewide accumulation and release of funds. Collaborates with HCPF, Colorado ABLE, SSA, and IRS representatives to ensure statewide fiscal conservation practices and account structures do not negatively affect Medicaid eligibility, public assistance eligibility, tax compliance requirements, or federally protected resource limitations.

Technical Assistance, Training & Stakeholder Coordination Provides ongoing technical assistance and training to county departments regarding screening processes, benefit applications, appeals, representative payee determinations, conservation requirements, and youth notification standards. This includes travel across the state to provide this technical assistance and training to county departments. Coordinates stakeholder engagement and facilitates implementation workgroups. Responds to complex case inquiries and escalated issues. This position is charged with designing interagency coordination practices that will govern how these benefits are administered across Colorado's child welfare system.

Other duties as assigned, including but not limited to: Data Analysis, Reporting & Legislative Support Develops data tracking tools and prepares reports regarding eligibility determinations, applications submitted, appeals filed, benefit amounts conserved, and funds released to youth Provides subject matter expertise to CDHS executive leadership, JBC staff, and legislative stakeholders regarding implementation status, fiscal impacts, compliance findings, and recommended statutory refinements