Brendan Lopes

Background

About Brendan Lopes

Over two years’ experience as an Eligibility Review Officer at York Region – investigating and auditing cases to ensure compliance with the program mandate, interviewing witnesses, referring alleged fraud cases to York Regional Police, and pursuing the collection of reimbursements owed to York Region from overpayments and assignments- Seven years of experience within a social service branch program as an Integrated Benefits Caseworker with Ontario Works – analyzing and interpreting legislation to provide eligibility decisions and make recommendations to clients, planning and implementing strategies to improve client outcomes, analyzing financial and statistical reports and administering financial benefits- Excellent understanding of York Region Social Services branch programs and functions – As an Integrated Benefits Caseworker interfacing directly with staff from Children's Programs, Ontario Works, Employment Services, and Community Homelessness Initiatives daily- Served local office leadership role on the implementation of multiple new Ontario Works initiatives including the York Region Reloadable Payment Card rollout, the Ontario Works “MyBenefits” reporting system pilot, and served as a member of the Social Assistance Digital Application Prototype team- Experienced with the development and implementation of new evidence-based service initiatives, measuring actual outcomes, and revising strategies to meet objectives and define best practices- Ability to monitor key performance indicators and broad outcome measures to ensure efficient service delivery compliance, provide analysis to uncover areas for potential improvement, and make recommendations for implementing further efficiencies- Excellent written communication skills – able to generate detailed reports and background materials for presenting complex information in a clear and concise manner- Honours Bachelor's degree in Psychology involving extensive experience researching and identifying problems, collecting personal data, using that data to provide evidence-based solutions and recommendations for best practices, and organizing the information into statistical reports and presentations.