What are the responsibilities and job description for the Case Manager (Bilingual, English/Spanish) position at Family Focus?
Job Title: Case Manager (Housing Advocate) - Bilingual, English/Spanish
Location: Aurora
Supervisor: Program Manager
Family Focus is your partner in building strong families across Chicago and Northeast Illinois! We're here to support families and their children including emergency assistance, immigration programs, child welfare services, family support services, educational programs, and more. Our goal? To help our community thrive and reach its full potential! With 11 centers around Chicagoland, we're eager to expand our reach and make an even bigger impact. That's why we're on the lookout for passionate individuals who share our vision to join our team as we grow and serve more families. Are you ready to make a difference? We want you to be a part of our journey!
The Case Manager /Housing Advocate provides case management, housing location, and income support services to families and youth referred by the Illinois Department of Child and Family (DCFS). This position serves families who have an open child welfare case and are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Our goal is to help families obtain stable housing and avoid family separation. This position also serves youth existing the foster care system who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This position will serve clients in Aurora and DuPage County.
Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Collaborate with clients to assess barriers to safe, stable, and affordable housing, and develop action plans to address these barriers.
- Provide life skills training, counseling, and guidance to clients to help them overcome housing challenges.
- Identify housing options that meet client needs, including market-rate apartments, family reunification, roommate situations, transitional, and affordable/subsidized housing.
- Connect clients with relevant community resources.
- Refer eligible families to the DCFS Family Unification Program for subsidized housing assistance.
- Assist qualified youth in accessing temporary subsidies and one-time cash assistance for housing costs through DCFS and other sources.
- Support clients in applying for cash assistance through DCFS or other funding sources.
- Maintain ongoing communication with DCFS caseworkers and supervisors.
- Advocate for clients with the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), landlords, employers, and other agencies.
- Educate clients on tenant rights and responsibilities.
- Prepare clients for apartment searches and assist in negotiations with landlords.
- Follow up with clients once housed, assisting with mediation of any housing-related issues.
- Attend CHA meetings and appointments with clients as needed.
- Accurately track and document all services provided.
- Complete required billing and documentation in accordance with contractual guidelines.
The ideal candidate will have the following education and experience:
- Associate degree or two years college equivalence.
- Minimum of three years experience in child welfare, social service or housing advocacy and knowledge in child welfare or social service field.
- Must be Bilingual, English/Spanish
- Reliable transportation with insurance, and ability to transport clients when necessary.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize caseload and multiple responsibilities.
- Ability to travel within the community (up to 85%) to engage with families and stakeholders.
- Experience in parent engagement, community outreach, or similar case management roles preferred
- Effective team collaborator with excellent interpersonal skills, particularly in client-focused environments.
- Dedicated to providing high-quality services to children and families in need.
- Skilled in engaging with diverse families, building trustful relationships, and fostering inclusive environments.
Salary: $45,000/year.
Schedule: Monday thru Friday 9 am - 5 pm
This is a full-time exempt position.
Discover all the benefits we offer to support your well-being and professional growth here: https://www.family-focus.org/about/careers/
Family Focus is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Keywords: Social Services Specialist, Family Advocate Worker, Housing Advocate.
Salary : $45,000
