To apply, please submit resume and cover letter (both are required) to Todd Stull, Clinical Director at t.stull@journeystheroadhome.org. No phone calls.
Job Title: Intake Specialist Department: Clinical Reports To: Director of Clinical Supervises: Not Applicable Salary: $34,000 Schedule: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Overview Under the general direction of the Clinical Director, the Intake Specialist is an entry level position that assesses new clients so that the agency can meet client needs effectively. Experience in human services is a plus, but not necessary. The right candidate can easily learn the skills to be an excellent human services worker.
Specifically, the Intake Specialist must be energized by talking with people and listening carefully to a person’s life story. They must also be flexible in how they solve problems. The Intake Specialist will generally meet with clients once or twice, while also carrying a caseload of longer-term clients to clarify these clients’ short-term and long-term goals.
JOURNEYS will teach in-depth to the right candidate how to perform solid and efficient assessments with a wide range of clients. Quality assessment is the bedrock of all helping. Next, JOURNEYS will teach the right candidate how to effectively plan goals with clients and problem solve to reach attainable changes, which is the outcome that most helping professionals enjoy.
Essential Requirements The Intake Specialist must enjoy: 1. Learning about the experiences of people with housing instability, 2. Empathizing with the emotional experiences of people challenged by housing instability, 3. Problem solving in a collaborative manner with people. 4. Working with multicultural communities. 5. Becoming more culturally competent over time. 6. Establishing and maintaining appropriate boundaries with staff, volunteers, and all stakeholders, 7. Seeking supervisory help regularly and accepting constructive criticism to become more skilled. 8. Building rapport quickly with people from a wide variety of groups, including cultural and socioeconomic groups. 9. Living out the agency’s core values while on the job, of Respect, Teamwork, Mission Driven Work, and Commitment is necessary. 10. Using Microsoft products and a web-based database or be willing to be trained on them. 11. Demonstrating a passion to help the underserved. 12. Learning about the communities and non-profit organizations within JOURNEYS service area. 13. Collaborating with a tight knit clinical staff team.
Core Competencies 1. Communicate clearly while speaking and writing. 2. Listen intently. 3. Present information to people at a level they will understand. 4. Explain the strengths and limitations of what the agency can offer people. 5. Adapt to changing work priorities and procedures. 6. Manage boundaries and stressors healthfully. 7. Work on a personal computer. 8. Maintain confidentiality. 9. Problem-solve collaboratively. 10. Celebrate successes with clients and the staff team.
Essential Duties DIRECT CLIENT SERVICES | 90% · Serve as the entry point for clients at the HOPE Center by ensuring that assigned clients complete an intake at their first visit. · Conduct individual sessions with clients to goal plan and creatively problem solve challenges. · Document all services and interactions thoroughly and promptly. · Provide referrals to other services including job, housing, and mental health services. · Collaborate closely with the staff team on case reviews and care coordination. · Perform other duties as assigned by the Clinical Director.
NETWORKING | 10% · Interface with other service agencies in the area to ensure seamless client service referral. · Attend workshops and trainings to ensure best practices. Note: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. The Executive Director may modify, add, or remove duties as necessary. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
This work is primarily sedentary and requires occasional travel throughout the north and northwest suburbs of Chicago. The work schedule varies depending on the needs and services of the organization. Evening and weekend work may be necessary, depending on agency needs. This position will require exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.