Paralegal 1/2 (Pcn 03-1278)

What You Will Be Doing

In your role as the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) Paralegal, you will work closely with prosecutors and investigators during every aspect of the investigation and prosecution of cases involving Medicaid Fraud.

Some of the duties include doing research on prospective defendants and witnesses associated with cases including Corporate entities and their officers.  Your research will consist of the standard legal query into case law and the many statutes and regulations associated with, and governing, Medicaid providers. Additional research and investigative duties could including extensive research of public records, law enforcement activities, previous criminal and civil proceedings, locating and tracking prospective defendants and/or witnesses and obtaining and providing the documentation that supports the investigation and prosecution of Medicaid Fraud cases.

You will also play an important role in the investigative and prosecution process which may include assisting with witness interviews, assisting on search warrants, preparing exhibits and evidence such as photos, posters and CD/DVDs for grand jury and other court proceedings.  These preparations may include redacting audio and other pertinent records, enlarging and mounting diagrams and photos, creating illustrative exhibits and handling physical evidence that requires special precautions.

Mission and Culture

Our mission is to seek justice, promote public safety and public respect for government through prompt, effective, and compassionate prosecution of cases in a matter that advocates for the interests of the victims, respects the law enforcement agencies, responsibly stewards public resources, and holds offenders accountable while at the same time protecting the constitutional and legal rights of the accused.

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) is part of the Office of Special Prosecutions, Criminal Division for the Department of Law.  The unit has statewide jurisdiction and authority to investigate and criminally prosecute violations of the Alaska Medicaid Program in accordance with state and federal law.

The MFCU Paralegal is part of a prosecution team which consists of three Assistant Attorney Generals, a Forensic Accountant, Six investigators and a Law Office Assistant.

In this position, you are expected to assist and help manage all investigative and prosecutive aspects of complex cases involving Medicaid Fraud providers. Cases often involve a wide range of Medicaid providers, such as doctors, dentists, nurses, therapists, facilities, clinics, Behavior and Personal Care agencies and their employees.

 These cases not only deal with Medicaid Assistance Fraud, but may also consist of patient abuse and/or misappropriation of recipient's assets.  The cases can bleed over into other types of white collar crime and are generally document intensive and often extremely voluminous in nature.

Benefits of Joining Our Team

You will have the opportunity of working with the MFCU team in working through the criminal justice system to resolve legal issues, including building relationships with other agencies such as law enforcement, court personnel and victim advocates.

You can make a difference in someone's life and take pride in knowing that you have assisted members of your community. The work you will be part of will have a direct impact on promoting safe and secure communities throughout Alaska.

This position is considered a flex position. After successfully demonstrating the core competencies outlined in the flex agreement, the incumbent will become eligible to flex to a Paralegal 2 position (Range 16).

You can expect a 37.5 hour work week; 11 paid holidays; personal leave accrual starting at 6 hours per pay period (about 21 days annually) and increasing with years of service. The general office hours are 8:00AM to 4:30PM but there is flexibility in establishing your regular hours around core business hours.

The Working Environment You Can Expect

The Office of Special Prosecutions is located at 310 K Street, Suite 702 in Anchorage, AK.

The office environment is friendly, fast-paced, and never boring.

In our office, you can become a leader, work as part of a team; work in one or more areas of law and build your office and computer skills

Who We Are Looking For

To be successful in this position a candidate will need the following core competencies:

• Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.

• Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others: develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are different, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

• Reading: Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.

• Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

Paralegal 1

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:

• Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.

• Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

• Reading: Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.

• Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Post-secondary and/or vocational education in a legal or legal support area and/or experience preparing, reviewing, or processing legal documents such as affidavits, court reports, demand letters, discovery requests or responses, hearing transcripts, memoranda of advice/instruction/understanding, letters of agreement, motions, legal opinions, subpoenas, and/or writs.

Paralegal 2

Successful completion of training under a formally established Paralegal 1-2 flexible staffing training plan with the State of Alaska;

OR

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:

• Adaptability: adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands and competing priorities in a changing environment.

• Administrative Law: Knowledge of State and federal administrative laws, including procedures, regulations, guidelines, and precedents related to case preparation and settlements.

• Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.

• Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

• Stress Tolerance: Deals calmly and effectively with high stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency situations, dangerous situations).

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Post-secondary and/or vocational education in a legal, paralegal, criminal justice, or similar legal support area and/or experience performing paraprofessional legal investigation, discovery, and providing support in the preparation of legal cases, reports, documents, and exhibits.

Special Note (All Levels):

Positions may require incumbents to be able to obtain a Notary Public upon hire, and to be able to pass a criminal background check to meet security requirements for using criminal record networks such as Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN) and National Crime Enforcement Information Center/National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NCIC/NLETS). If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.

Some positions are required to work regular overtime during the standard workweek, on weekends, and/or holidays to provide support to the assigned duty attorney. If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.

 "Competencies" means a combination of interrelated knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that enable a person to act effectively in a job or situation.

"Paraprofessional" work is typically associated with and supportive of a professional field. It involves extensive practical knowledge gained through experience and/or specific formal or on-the-job training. Work in these occupations may involve substantial elements of the work of the professional or administrative field, but requires less than full knowledge of the field involved.

"Progressively responsible" means indicating growth and/or advancement in complexity, difficulty, or level of responsibility.

"Technical" means performing tasks, methods, procedures, and computations that are covered by established precedents or guidelines and often require a high degree of skill, care, and precision.

"Training" and "education" in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.

"Typically gained by" means the prevalent, usual method of gaining the competencies expected for entry into the job.NOTE: PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY

THIS RECRUITMENT IS FOR ALASKA RESIDENTS ONLY

This recruitment is open to Alaska Residents only. Applicants must meet Alaska Residency Requirements to be considered for employment at this time.

If selected for an interview, the applicant must provide the following:

• Educational transcripts if education is listed in application.

• List of three (3) professional references to include daytime telephone and email address. One must be a current or former supervisor.

• Last two (2) performance evaluations. If unavailable, supervisory letters of recommendation can be substituted.

Special Notices

The Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN) is utilized in this position. A background check and fingerprinting will be required.

The incumbent will be required to obtain APSIN access, which will be done through the office.

Members of the Criminal Division are held to high standards of professionalism even in our personal lives. The incumbent must maintain the strictest of confidences with information they will be exposed to and have access to.

Applicants should be aware that due to the nature of the work being performed in this office, the incumbent must have the ability to tolerate some exposure to graphic pictures, coarse language, and detailed descriptions of sometimes horrific criminal acts.

Application Notice

You can ONLY apply for this position through the Workplace Alaska website or via a hardcopy application. If you accessed this recruitment bulletin through a job search portal, such as AlaskaJobs or any other database, you MUST use a Workplace Alaska online or hardcopy application to apply successfully.

Instructions on how to apply with Workplace Alaska may be found on the Workplace Alaska "How to Apply" page. Your application must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time on the closing date.

Supplemental Questions

This recruitment utilizes a supplemental questionnaire as part of the application process. These questions may be a mix of written, multiple-choice, and select all that apply questions.

The answers you provide to the questions will be an opportunity for you to tell us about your experience and/or education. The answers will be used to determine which applicants will advance to the interview phase of the recruitment and selection process; please be as thorough and accurate as you can.

A cover letter is NOT required for this position. Your complete application, including supplemental questions, will be used to determine which applicants will advance to the interview phase of the recruitment and selection process.

Education

If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed.

Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position. Transcripts can be attached at the time of application or provided at the time of the interview.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the minimum qualifications listed above. If utilizing this education, you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the post-secondary institution. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

Work Experience

If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer's name, job title, employment dates, and whether full or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and if minimum qualifications are clearly met. If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the recruitment interview and selection phase.

Note: Attaching a resume is not an alternative to filling out the application in its entirety. Noting, "see resume" or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination that your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.

Bargaining Unit

If you are a current state employee, please mark the union you are a member of at the time of application. If you are not a current state employee, do not complete this question.

Flexible Staffing

This position is flexibly staffed. The level of the job offer will be based on the selected candidate's credibly possessed and proven competencies. If hired at the lower level, you will be promoted to the higher level after completing the training plan and demonstrating competency in the work.

Multiple Vacancies

This recruitment may be used for more than one (1) vacancy. The applicant pool acquired during this recruitment may be used for future vacancies for up to ninety (90) days after this recruitment closes. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply to each recruitment notice to ensure consideration for all vacancies.

EEO Statement

The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities, who require accommodation, auxiliary aides or services, or alternative communication formats, please call 1-800-587-0430 or 465-4095 in Juneau or (907) 465-3412 (TTY) or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at: P. O.

Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal-opportunity employer.Workplace Alaska Application Questions & Assistance

Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll-free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to recruitment.services@alaska.gov.

For applicant password assistance, please visit the reset password page.

For specific information about this position, please contact the hiring manager at the following:

Tiffany Saporito

Paralegal Specialist 2

tiffany.saporito@alaska.gov