What are the responsibilities and job description for the Client Support and Service Coordinator_Intake Specialist position at VOA Illinois?
Client Support and Service Coordinator_Intake Specialist
About Us: Volunteers of America is a national, faith-based nonprofit organization founded over 125 years ago. VOA Illinois is one of the oldest affiliates of the Volunteers of America family delivering strength-based trauma-informed, gender-responsive and culturally sensitive programs and services at the highest standards of excellence to our clients. We have never stopped reinventing our services and we continue to innovate based on our communities’ evolving needs. VOA Illinois, a certified “Great Place to Work,” fosters an organizational culture focused on faith, innovation and collaboration. Year after year VOA Illinois expands and promotes from within, holding a workforce with over 50% having experienced promotion. Check out our careers page to find more opportunities at Careers - VOA Illinois.
Position Type: This is a Full-time, in-office position and requires a 40-hour week on average. May include occasional weekend and/or evening hours as assigned. This position involves travel to other sites and locations. This position is non-exempt and reports to the Program Manager for the Housing is Recovery program and has a dotted line to the Program Manager for the Intake Team.
Environment: Physical demands include sedentary work, operating a computer and other office productivity machinery with frequent communication with clients and colleagues of VOA Illinois and others involved in the care and custody of clients. The individual hired must be able to move, traverse and travel in the community in a vehicle, assist clients in and out of a vehicle if necessary and transport clients in the community. Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
Core Competencies: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to meet or exceed the following;
- Drive engagement and communication with clients that embodies empathy, patience and emotional intelligence.
- Advocate for clients using active listening to determine resources and meet various needs.
- Collaborate with VOA colleagues, outside organizations or vendors, etc. to connect clients and obtain necessary resources.
- Display discipline in managing time and attention to assigned caseload, tasks or projects.
- Attend all assigned outreach events within the community (i.e. stand-downs, employment/job fairs, employment training programs) to actively recruit participants.
- Assist in cultivating ongoing relationships with other service providers (such as mental health and substance abuse providers) and providing important referral and resource information to participants to immediately assist them in meeting urgent needs during first encounters with VOA Illinois.
- Exercise prudent stewardship of agency resources.
- Is available in the office setting for walk-in inquiries during assigned walk-in days.
- Exhibit cultural competence while serving clients of diverse backgrounds and commit to expanding knowledge and understanding of different communities and people groups.
- Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior at all times.
- Engage with trauma-informed care approach and practice principles.
- Recognize and display ability to de-escalate and resolve conflict as necessary.
Program Overview: Housing is Recovery is a program to prevent persons with serious mental illness at high risk of unnecessary institutionalization, persons with substance use disorder at high risk of overdose due to homelessness, a lack of access to recovery support services and repeat cycles of hospitalizations or justice system involvement from being institutionalized or dying. This goal will be accomplished by enabling affordable housing using a bridge rental subsidy combined with access to recovery support services or treatment.
Essential Functions: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Provides general case management, (i.e. evaluation of social, psychological and physical needs, and the development of a service plan) for a client when the general service community is not providing such service.
- Conducts home visits minimally once monthly for each assigned case.
- Completes housing inspections for client, when appropriate.
- Provides clients with support and monitors progress on the service plan.
- Delivers services with sensitivity to the clients’ cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
- Acts as a liaison between community agencies, service providers, and clients.
- Uses the least intrusive intervention necessary to alleviate a problem situation.
- Facilitates and monitors the delivery of services to clients to ensure they are appropriate, timely, and satisfactory.
- Educates clients on service availability, application procedures, client rights, etc., both individually and as a group.
- Advocates and may negotiate on behalf of clients for adequate, timely, and cost effective provision of services.
- Meets with service providers as needed and appropriate.
- Acts as an entrance point for all VOA Illinois social services and behavioral healthcare programming.
- Completes outreach activities, engages community stakeholders, and completes all intake and enrollment assessments for prospective participants.
- Is an expert in eligibility requirements for all services offered at VOA Illinois and ensures participants are enrolled in every services for which they are eligible and in need of.
- Pursues avenues for additional services through private local, state, and federal sources.
- Documents contact with clients, providers, and families.
- Uses databases such as EchoVantage and HMIS for data entry.
- Upholds the mission and values of VOA Illinois at all times.
Other Duties: As assigned by supervisor.
Education and Experience:
- Position requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Acceptable degrees include those related to human services.
- Position requires some demonstrated experience in the helping/service field.
- Experience in service management, including organizing, problem solving, and advocating.
- Experience and demonstrated proficiency/success in leveraging and working with community resources.
- Ability to communicate effectively and maintain good relations with clients and employees.
- Excellent communication, writing, problem solving, and organization skills.
- Must be proficient in Microsoft Office, with especially spreadsheets, databases, and reporting tools.
Compensation and Benefits: Base Hourly Range: $22.20 - $26.64
- Medical Dental, Vision
- 403b/403b Matching
- Paid-Time Off
- Life Insurance
- PSLF
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA) / Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Referral program
- AFLAC Supplemental Insurance options
VOA Illinois provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by state, federal or local law.
Reasonable accommodations will be considered to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities upon request.
Salary : $22 - $27
