Case Worker

Job Summary:

Under the general direction of the Director of Health & Wellness, the full-time Case Worker position provides comprehensive services to the Health & Wellness department in all levels of direct service to individuals and families within Ela Township. Including general case management, EA/GA assistance, community outreach, home visits, navigating healthcare, consultations, and other community-based programs. This position requires knowledge of issues affecting moderate to low-income persons and the local and state-wide services available to them and their families. This position responds to and interacts with residents, employees and/or others within and outside the organization in a professional and effective manner.

Normal business hours are Monday to Thursday, 8 AM to 5 PM, and Friday, 8 AM to 1 PM.

Responsibilities:

· Assess client’s needs, create personalized care plans, and connect client to appreciate services, including but not limited to housing, mental health, and financial assistance.

· Conduct comprehensive assessments to determine client needs, strengths, and barriers to accessing services.

· Develop individualized care plans in collaboration with clients, ensuring the appropriate support services are identified.

· Conduct assessment procedure for the Township’s financial assistance programs (EA/GA). This involves collecting basic information from residents, determining appropriate program placement and distributing application materials.

· Maintain accurate, timely, and thorough case notes and documentation, adhering to organizational and legal standards.

· Conduct regular home visits to monitor client progress, ensure safety, and reassess needs as necessary.

· Establish and maintain relationships with local service providers, ensuring clients are referred to appropriate resources.

· Advocate on behalf of clients, addressing barriers to service access and ensuring equitable care.

· Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to coordinate care and share insights on client progress and needs.

· Identify and actively seek out new referral sources to expand the network of community services available to clients.

· Monitor and evaluate client outcomes, making adjustments to care plans as needed to promote overall well-being and self-sufficiency.

· Connect clients with services in Ela Township (if appropriate).

· Manage a caseload of 25-35 clients.

· Facilitate group sessions, potentially after regular hours, to provide education, support, and resources on topics such as mental health, wellness, and community services.

· Develop and deliver educational and prevention presentations to community groups, schools, and service providers, raising awareness about available resources and promoting proactive health and wellness strategies

· Assist with Lending Closet distribution and donation pick up as needed.

· Mandated Reporter for child abuse, neglect, and elder abuse; and

· Reports directly to and performs all other duties as assigned by the Director.

Basic Qualifications:

· Must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of psychology, sociology, social work, human services, or related field.

· 2+ years of experience in human services or related field providing direct support to clients within a social welfare or nonprofit organization.

· Must be highly organized and able to work effectively with all personnel.

· Must have basic computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive).

· Must have good interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.

· Must demonstrate appropriate behavior with all types of individuals and/or clients, some of which may have behavioral, cognitive, and learning limitations.

· Ability to effectively organize and lead group programming.

· Ability to maintain professional working relationships with staff, residents, and external agencies; and

· Must pass an employment background check and/or drug testing.

Preferred Qualifications:

· Bilingual, a plus.

· At least 1-3 years of experience working in a comparable position within a local government agency (county, township, or municipality) is highly desired.

· At least 1-3 years of experience working with low-income populations, non-profit organization, or DCFS experience is highly desired.

Work Environment / Physical Requirements:

Work is performed in an indoor office environment. May be required to work outside of normal business hours of operation at times depending on the needs of the department. 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. Occasional operation of a motor vehicle. There may also be occasional standing, walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling and lifting/moving objects weighing up to 30 pounds.

Compensation and Benefits:

Benefits include eligibility for Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), health benefits, PTO.

This is a salary position. Salary ranges from $40,000-$52,000 depending on education and experience.

This position offers supervision from a LCPC.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit an employment application (see elatownship.org/jobs), cover letter, resume, and three work-related references to Sara Marx (saram@elatownship.org) Director of Health & Wellness.

This job posting will remain open until filled.