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 IL expands and promotes from within, holding a workforce with over 50% having experienced promotion. Check out our careers page to find more opportunities at PAYCOMONLINE.NET.
Position Type: This is a non-exempt, full-time position and reports to the Intake Manager. May include occasional non-traditional work hours or events/activities.
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. This position requires the ability to complete street outreach on foot and in a vehicle within Chicago.
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.
- Exercise prudent stewardship of agency resources.
- 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: Support Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) is a comprehensive program for Veterans who are struggling in crisis or at risk of serious instability in their lives. The program provides Veterans with the support, resources and hope they need to successfully win “the war at home” and achieve their full potential in all areas of their life, by working on a personalized service plan with our Veteran Services team. Our team offers a full continuum of supportive services and interventions that are individually tailored to meet the unique needs of each Veteran.
Essential Functions: The Intake Specialist 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 service for which they are eligible and in need of.
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.
- Identify and engage prospective participants that may benefit from VOA Illinois Social Service and Behavioral Healthcare Programs.
- Produce at least 10 new enrollments each month through no less than 12 organized outreach activities.
- Complete weekly street outreach utilizing innovative methods to reach individuals experiencing literal homelessness in the Chicago area. Outreach is conducted on foot and in vehicles.
- Maintains working knowledge of all eligibility and enrollment requirements for each program and service line provided at VOA Illinois.
- Is available in the office setting for walk-in inquiries during assigned walk-in days.
- 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.
- Submits information to HMIS databases throughout our service area.
- Maintains active relationships with all VOA Illinois social service and behavioral healthcare teams through regular attendance at team and coordination meetings.
- Provide immediate emergency services such as food, clothing, blankets and emergency transportation.
- Represent the interests of the agency, the program and the program participants in all activities.
Other Duties: As assigned by supervisor.
