Summary : This position provides a variety of specialized services to special populations, including people who are homeless and have a serious mental illness and/ or substance use disorder, or who are refugees. The employee in this position at a residential program may be required to remain on the premises during break and/or meal periods. Individual accountabilities and work volume will be established through the development of annual Success Objectives, within the framework outlined below.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Works to outreach and engage participants into services.
- Provides basic advocacy, assessment, planning and casework services. Demonstrates an ability to carry out these services to individuals, families, and groups. May participate in the implementation of counseling, education or activity groups.
- Utilizes and discusses personal experiences regarding his or her recovery from mental illness, homelessness and/or substance use, or experiences as a refugee when providing services to participants as determined appropriate with his or her supervisor.
- Works as an advocate for participants and helps to reduce barriers to change and the enhancement of service provision by sharing his or her own struggle with the change process as determined appropriate with his or her supervisor.
- Participates in external advocacy work as negotiated with his or her supervisor.
- Completes accurately, and in a timely manner, all-necessary forms, case recordings and statistical reports, and submits such documentation to his or her supervisor within designated timelines.
- Participates and contributes actively in regular supervisory and team/unit meetings, in-house training sessions, conferences, seminars and independent study. Participates in program and operational planning.
- Works toward developing a broad knowledge of casework and carries the volume of work as determined with his or her supervisor.
- Participates in the Prosumer Support Group as determined by his or her supervisor.
- Actively encourages participants to attend the Consumer Advisory Council.
- Other duties may be assigned.
Qualifications: 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.
- Education and/or Experience: Must be in recovery from homelessness, mental illness and/or substance use or abuse, or have gone through the refugee resettlement process. Willing to utilize and discuss personal experiences of recovery or transition while performing job duties.
- License/Certificate: May be required to be a Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) or be able to obtain certification within 6 months of hire.
- Other Qualifications: A valid driver’s license may be required. May be required to have access to a personal vehicle and use it for organizational purposes This includes the ability and willingness to travel throughout the Chicago-land area and to transport others.
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Frequently required to stand, sit, walk.
Heartland Alliance makes all hiring and employment decisions, and operates all programs, services, and functions without regard to race, receipt of an order of protection, creed, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, amnesty, physical or mental disability, protected veterans status, genetic information, sexual orientation, immigrant status, political affiliation or belief, use of FMLA, VESSA, military, and family military rights, ex-offender status (depending on the offense and position to be filled), unfavorable military discharge, membership in an organization whose primary purpose is the protection of civil rights or improvement of living conditions and human relations, height, weight, or HIV infection, in accord with the organization’s AIDS Policy Statement of September 1987.
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