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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
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POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING |
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Position Number: 50559979 |
Description Activated On: 3/13/2025 9:36:38 AM |
Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. This position, in the Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries, Division of Vital Records, supports the bureau’s mission of managing a statewide registry for vital events by providing advice and counsel to the general public regarding vital event records and certificates, examining and processing a range of applications for vital event certificates, and amending birth and death records. |
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Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor. Perform all vital records activities in accordance with the bureau policies and procedures to ensure accurate and timely provision of data and birth certificates issues against live birth records. Provide in-person advice and counsel to consumers regarding a myriad of issues related to vital event records, certificates and permits. Apply knowledge of the Vital Statistics Law of 1953, Title 28 regulations and select Domestic Relations statutes to the nuances of specific situations to provide consumers with immediate and accurate guidance on issues such as but not limited to: • Access to adoption records by adoptees and their dependents • Paternity issues for birth records • Eligibility and appropriate documentation to apply for certificates of vital events • Issuance of a Certificate of No Birth, Death or Fetal Death Record when the requested vital record does not exist. • Amendments to birth and death records • Apostilles • Fee Waiver At all times, maintain the confidentiality of information contained in vital records. When interacting with consumers, be vigilant not to divulge information, especially when they may be a parent, relative or friend but not an eligible applicant. Use discretion in each consumer interaction. De-escalate situations when a consumer becomes inpatient or angry about access to records or certificates or wait times. Make recommendations to enhance existing operational procedures or policies for conduciveness to customer service as well as effectiveness, efficiency, safety and security. In the absence of the branch administrative coordinator, prepare documents for daily deposits of revenue and ensure secure physical transfer to the financial institution. (This is a rotational assignment among the branch clerks.) This position may be given an assignment to support the public health emergency response mission of the Department of Health. Emergency assignments could at times be received with little or no advance notice and may continue for any period of time – ranging from a few hours to several weeks, depending on the nature of the circumstance. The emergency assignments may at times be performed under adverse conditions and may require travel to another site other than the employee’s assigned headquarters for a period of time. Participate in periodic Continuity of Operations (COOP) tabletop exercises to ensure readiness. Participate in emergency evacuation training exercises. Assemble data about the type and amount of work performed, and complete daily production report. Maintain filing systems, purging as necessary in accordance with established records retention schedules. Perform the following intake duties related to applications for birth, death and fetal death certificates: • Assess each applicant’s eligibility based on his/her relationship to the subject of the record and an analysis of the documentation provided. o for a death certificate, if eligibility is based on direct interest and the applicant is not a family member or the funeral home that reported the event (such as a government agency, financial institution, attorney or the executor of the estate), then review all supporting documentation to determine if sufficient evidence exists to justify the direct interest. If documentation is insufficient, contact the applicant to request the necessary documentation. If the supporting documentation is a court order, refer the court order to the Special Services Unit for review. • Assess the photo identification provided by the applicant to ensure it is a valid identification for that applicant. • Determine if the applicant is eligible for a fee waiver due to armed forces status of the applicant or subject. • Type information from the application into the vital statistics system. • Refer all unresolvable issues to the Application Resolution Unit. Participate in training events for identifying and responding to fraudulent applications, identifications and documents. Maintain training materials as a reference. When processing applications for birth certificates, exercise vigilance when examining the information on the application in comparison to the facts in the vital record for signs of fraudulent activity that could pose a risk to identity of the subject of the record or to national security. Also review the record for a flag for a missing child, deceased subject, directors flag or other less obvious indicator of potential criminal or fraudulent activity. Subtlety informs supervisor of suspicious information or inconsistencies while maintaining normal interaction with the consumer. Process and analyze applications for birth certificates by performing the following duties: • Utilize various computer applications and indices to search for live birth records. If the record cannot be found, refer the application to the Birth Certificate Processing Unit for further research and possible issuance of a Certificate of No Birth Record Found, and use that to fulfill the order. • Process applications for all status codes, including the following: Deceased (all purposes), Delayed Birth, Father’s Right Terminated, Hold, Late File, Mother’s Right Terminated, or Tracer. Process applications if the status code is for Adoption, AOP or Rescission of Paternity Affidavit, especially when the record will require updating. If encountering a status code of Adoption Pending, Missing Child, Directors Flag or Fraudulent Activity, refer the application in accordance with bureau policy. • Process applications for certificates. When the parent or parents listed on the application are not the same as those in the live birth record, check with the Department of Human Services to see if an Acknowledgement of Paternity (AOP) was filed. Amend the record, if necessary, based on those findings and process the application. If paternity cannot be confirmed, communicate the ineligibility to the applicant along with guidance on how to become eligible (such as filing of AOP, court ordered blood tests, waiver of trial, custody, etc.) • If the full name of the parent(s) is not contained in the vital statistics system, locate the image of the paper live birth record to find the full names. Type that information in the vital statistics system. Analyze any notes, amendments or handwritten information on the record to determine what data should be considered part of the official live birth record. Type that data into the vital statistics system and process the application. • Review the subject’s name field. If it matches the application, proceed with processing. If the name does not match the application, research the record to determine the legal name on record and resolve the issue if possible. If the issue cannot be resolved, refer it to the Application Resolution Unit. If the subject has only one name, or if the live birth record contains “UNKNOWN” or “NOT RECORDED” in the name field, follow standard procedures to prevent these terms from printing so that only the actual name appears on the printed certificate. • Assess the reason for requesting the birth certificate. If it will require an expanded or comprehensive version, verify that the appropriate data is contained in the vital statistics system. If not, locate the image of the paper live birth record to find the required information. Type that information in the vital statistics system. • Review the age(s) and place(s) of birth of the parent(s) in the live birth record. If the age field appears correct, proceed. If not, or if it is blank or listed as “99”and the application is for a complete birth certificate type, locate the paper live birth record and type the correct information into the vital statistics system. Then proceed to process the application. If the place of birth field contains a state name (if born in the United States) or the name of a country, proceed. If not, and if the application is for a complete birth certificate type, locate the paper live birth record and type the correct information into the vital statistics system. Then proceed to process the application. • Validate the order to finalize and queue for printing. If an error code(s) generates, override any that are insubstantial or have been previously reviewed. Refer the application to the appropriate queue if error code is associated with Missing Child, Director Flags or Fraudulent Activities. Resolve issues associated with other error codes if possible. • Refer all unresolvable issues to the Application Resolution Unit. • Print birth certificates on security paper, as required. Verify accuracy of information on the certificate before releasing. • Assign appropriate special status in the vital statistics system for all applications that have been referred. Process and analyze applications for death and fetal death certificates by performing the following duties: • Utilize various computer applications to search for death and fetal death records. If the death or fetal death record is not available on image, then refer the application to the Death Certificate Processing Unit for search of the microfilm and indices. • If the record is related to a recent death and has not been published in the vital statistics system database, then refer the application to the Death Certificate Processing Unit to hand search the paper records to locate the record. • If the record still cannot be found, prepare a Certificate of No Death Record Found, and use that to fulfill the order and closing out the application. • Proceed to process the application if there is no status code in the vital statistics system and if the image of the paper record is assigned a state file number. o If the image of the paper record contains a statement such as “DO NOT ISSUE”, work with the Finance and Operations Unit to determine the status of the rejected record. Once the death record has been accepted and registered, then process the application. • Refer the application to the appropriate queue if: o The record has been assigned a state file number and is not registered in e-vitals but the image is in the repository. o The record has a status of abandoned, hold or rejected. o The record is pending approval of an amendment. • If the death record in the vital records system does not include a state file number, refer the application to the Death Certificate Processing Unit supervisor. • Assess the reason for requesting the death or fetal death certificate. If the cause of death is pending, then: o Release the certificate if the applicant is a financial institution since they are looking for proof of death and not cause of death. o If the applicant is a family member, contact the family member to determine the need for the certificate. If the certificate is needed for insurance purposes, then the cause of death typically needs finalized. o If the certificate is needed for insurance purposes, refer to the Death Registry to follow up with certifier on cause of death. • Validate the order to finalize and queue for printing. If an error code(s) generates, override any that are insubstantial or have been previously reviewed. Refer the application to the appropriate queue if error code is associated with Director Flags, or Fraudulent Activities. Resolve issues associated with other error codes if possible. • Refer all unresolvable issues to the Application Resolution Unit. • Print select death and fetal death certificates on the correct security paper, as required. Verify accuracy of information on the certificate before releasing. • Assign appropriate special status in the vital statistics system for all applications that have been referred. Maintain complete and thorough knowledge of the myriad of allowable corrections and amendments to records in accordance with applicable statutes, regulations and operational policies. Use that knowledge to perform the following duties: • Advise applicants as to what requests can be completed in the branch office opposed to those that must be handled at headquarters. Refer all requests to amend a record due to adoption in accordance with bureau policy. • Advise applicants regarding allowable documentation for a correction or amendment, especially when the available documentation outside that normally accepted. • Examine documentation for accuracy, pertinence, allowability and authenticity. • Make corrections to official birth records in the vital statistics system. • Make corrections to death records filed recently on paper that are still on site in the branch office. Maintain an accurate accounting of assigned security paper. Complete the weekly backlog report in the absence of the branch administrative coordinator. (This is a rotational assignment among the branch clerks.) Assist supervisor in providing training to new branch clerks on the full range of job duties. Participate in securing the work environment at the conclusion of each business day. Perform related job duties as assigned. |
Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature. Work is performed with considerable independence and little review. Detailed discussion occurs with the branch manager for changes in policies, procedures, standards or workflow. |
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Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License Experience: Licenses, registrations, or certifications: 1. N/A 2. N/A 3. N/A 4. N/A 5. N/A 6. N/A |
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Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.
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