East Bay Innovations - Independent Living Specialist
About Our Organization:

Established in 1994, East Bay Innovations (EBI) is a non-profit human services organization that supports people with developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, autism, and cerebral palsy. Our person centered services support people to live in their own homes, make choices about how they live, work in jobs of their choosing, and enjoy being part of their communities. We seek to further the human rights and empowerment of people with disabilities seeking to lead lives of meaning as part of their communities. We hire people who care about social justice and want to make a difference in the lives of others. 

About the Independent Living Specialist Position:

As an Independent Living Services (ILS) Specialist, you will provide case manager support and skills development, working one-on-one with people with developmental disabilities who live on their own. You will support them to reach their personal goals of independence and community participation and inclusion. 

This job is a good way to gain experience in the non-profit sector, social work, social services, occupational therapy, mental health, or case management. We seek people who want to make a difference in the lives of others and are both gifted teachers and teachable themselves. ILS Specialists must be able to deliver respectful, motivating, personal social services that enable our clients to participate in all aspects of their community. 

Responsibilities:

ILS Specialists provide vacation and sick relief for our ILS Instructors (direct support staff) and will work collaboratively with the rest of the ILS team to build new caseloads. They provide training to new ILS Instructors and provide immediate coverage and assistance as needed. Like ILS Instructors, the Specialists provide case management and support adults with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges. ILS Specialists empower and enable people with developmental disabilities to live in their own homes and participate in all aspects of their community. They teach life skills in a motivating, personalized, and professional environment. 

ILS Specialists receive training to support clients with:

• ​Money management
• Medical, dental, and medication management
• Basic cooking and meal preparation
• Utilizing public transportation
• Locating affordable housing
• Obtaining and maintaining benefits such as Social Security, Medi-Cal, Medicare, etc.
• Community and social awareness
• Household maintenance

Skills and Requirements:

• 3 years experience in human services, social services, social work, case management, mental health, occupational therapy, or non-profit sector
• Experience working with people with disabilities a plus
• Committed to the philosophy of individualized services, independence, and community inclusion 
• Excellent organizational, communication, and problem solving skills
• Self-motivated and able to work effectively both as a team and independently 
• Has a reliable vehicle, auto insurance and be willing to drive own car (mileage reimbursement offered)
• Must complete a Live Scan DOJ background check and consent to a DMV driving record pull

Work Schedule:

This is a full-time position. The schedule is Monday-Friday 9AM-7PM flex, and will require traveling throughout Alameda county.

Compensation: $27.00 per hour

This job might be for you if:

• You believe that all people should be in the driver’s seat of their own life
• You enjoy supporting and helping people, no task is too small!
• You enjoy working with people with many different lifestyles and backgrounds
• You are comfortable responding to unexpected challenges; you are cool under pressure and think quickly on your feet
• You like working independently but communicate with your team and supervisor
• You like to learn new things and can learn quickly; when things change, you can roll with the punches
• You follow through with commitments
• You have your own reliable vehicle, valid driver’s license, and auto insurance, and you are willing to drive your clients to various appointments and errands to help accomplish their goals (we reimburse mileage!)

Health & Wellness Benefits:

• Medical coverage for those working 30 hours a week or more, with two different health plans for you to choose from
• Dental and vision coverage for both full-time and part-time staff
• Free mental health counseling sessions for you and members of your household
• Annual health & wellness fair with free massage, cooking demonstration, wellness seminar, and wellness gift raffles

Pre-Tax Benefits:

• Flexible Spending Account so you can use pre-tax dollars to cover your medical expenses
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, allowing you to use pre-tax dollars to cover childcare expenses
• Commuter benefits, allowing you to save big on BART and bus with pre-tax dollars loaded onto your clipper card

Investing in Your Future Benefits:

• 403(b) retirement plan so you can invest in your future
• Free financial coaching from an expert advisor to help answer any financial questions you may have
• Education Assistance Fund, providing reimbursement for tuition, fees, and supplies for education and self-enrichment courses

Career Advancement Benefits:

• Membership in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021, helping you advocate for employment terms that work for you
• Ability to view and apply for supervisory position openings before they are advertised to the general public - we love to promote from within!
• Many opportunities for training so you can feel confident in the work you do and prepare for future career opportunities

Other Benefits:

• Paid sick leave for all employees, and paid vacation for full-time employees
• Paid holidays for all 
• Mileage reimbursement for on-the-job driving at 67 cents per mile
• Free legal consultation for any legal concerns you may have outside of work
• Staff appreciation month with a BBQ, a party, daily raffles, and more, to celebrate you and the important work that you do

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is a federal program that forgives student loan debt for nonprofit employees after 120 qualifying payments. Employees who work at least 30 hours per week for a governmental, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or other qualifying nonprofit organization may apply to have the balance of their student loans forgiven (tax free) after making 120 monthly payments.

East Bay Innovations is an equal opportunity employer. We will consider all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
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