Options Counselor

ORGANIZATION:
Area Agency on Aging and Community Action Agency for Northwest Indiana, founded in 1965,
the NWICA Mission is to ensure the people who experience financial hardship find
opportunities, resources, and respect. We do this by helping individuals of all ages and families,
through direct services and referrals.
Serving residents in Lake, Porter, Jasper, Newton, LaPorte, Pulaski, and Starke Counties

FUNCTION:
Reporting to the ADRC Supervisor, the Options Counselor is responsible for initial face to face
assessment of client needs and resources, establishing services to meet the individual’s critical
and non-critical needs through the formalizing of supports and authorizing paid services when
needed.
Each Options Counselor in the Aging and Disabled Resource Center is responsible for providing
in-depth options counseling consisting of a comprehensive person centered assessment
process, identifying client supports and resources and providing clients with referral and linkage
to available services. The Options Counselor provides case management services, assessment
and care planning to low income, elderly, and disabled individuals to support making educated
decisions regarding their long-term care planning and in remaining independent within their
homes and community.
Each Options Counselor is expected to be an active participant in the agency’s mission, vision,
and values. He/she shall work to ensure that consistent, reliable, responsive, and quality
services are provided to the agency’s constituents, partners, and customers. He/she will
demonstrate enthusiasm, initiative, and flexibility and will maintain positive working
relationships with all agency personnel.

MAJOR DUTIES:
• Provide a holistic and comprehensive options counseling approach to all consumers
including: intake (over-the-phone and face-to-face) and on-going assessment, eligibility
determination, benefit assessment, goal setting, long-term care plan development,
monthly progress monitoring, advocacy and referrals.
• Provides Options Counseling within a person centered framework by promoting client
empowerment, encouraging client participation, self- advocacy, decision-making, selfassessment and personal accountability
• Develops support systems to meet consumer/family needs by identifying and
coordinating a variety of available services necessary to maintain independent living,
and, when possible, self-sufficiency and family stabilization.
• Collaborate with the consumer and ensure the efficient use of public and private
resources when setting goals and developing the care plan in compliance with State and
Federal regulations.
• Provides linkage to benefits counseling to help identify all potential resources available
to the client
• Provides support counseling and advocacy for consumer/family and encourage
consumer empowerment, decision-making and self-assessment.
• Maintains and manages a caseload, with utilization, defined as documented work with,
for, or on behalf of clients, of at least 55% of all scheduled work time.
• Provide timely and sufficient documentation, beyond minimum requirements, for all
Waiver (A and D, TBI) cases as measured by individual utilization of 90% or greater of all
available Waiver funds (case rate for assigned clients).
• Meet face-to-face with consumers according to the funding source requirements for
progress monitoring and if needed plan modification.
• Connect individuals/families with needed available community resources. Follow-up
with individuals/families and agencies as appropriate to document use/success of
referral.
• Facilitate and monitor the vendor services provided to consumers to ensure compliance
with care plan and funding source regulations and assist in the resolution of consumer
concerns if necessary.
• Input accurate and complete data for all contacts with individuals/families into
designated software program.
• Ensure that all documents submitted on behalf of a consumer are valid.
• Conduct client satisfaction surveys according to NWICA policy and program regulations.
• Provide all required documentation and program reports in a timely manner, which may
include consumer follow-up, outcome evaluation, consumer contact sheets, evaluations,
and program statistics according to program regulations.
• Participate in regular staff meetings, staff training programs, supervisory session, and
accept responsibility for aiding the development of positive team relationships as
requested.
• Ensure required continuing education requirements are met according to funding
source regulations.
• Conducts Pre-admission Screenings and provides Options Counseling as part of this
process
• Transitions the client to an HCBS Case Manager for ongoing case management services
or provides ongoing case management services as needed
• Other duties as assigned by Options Supervisor

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Registered nurse with one year’s experience in human services; or Bachelor’s degree in Social
Work, Psychology, Counseling, Nursing, Gerontology or Health & Human Services; or Bachelor’s
degree in any field with a minimum of two year’s full-time, direct service experience with the
elderly or disabled (this experience includes assessment, care plan development, and
monitoring); or Master’s degree in a related field may substitute for the required experience.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is driven by our mission to empower every person. 

CoAction provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Salary : $20