Client Services Specialist

Job Overview

The Client Services Specialist provides comprehensive support and mentorship to individuals seeking to improve their lives. This role focuses on life skills development, goal setting, and providing direct, compassionate assistance to adults, helping them navigate various life challenges, including housing, transportation, budgeting, fiscal literacy, job placement, and access to social services. The Client Services Specialist works across multiple communication channels and settings, ensuring that those we serve feel supported, understood, and empowered. The role will serve as a life skills mentor, assist individuals toward positive change, and help set individuals up for success.

The specialist will work closely with the Perfectly Flawed Foundation’s support staff to promote personal growth, empowerment, and positive transformation. The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, and passionate about empowering individuals to thrive.

Even if you don't feel that you meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. We are eager to meet people that believe in our mission and can contribute to our team in a variety of ways.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct initial needs assessments to identify strengths, challenges, and aspirations to develop individualized support plans for personal growth
• Assist with applications for social services, housing, and benefits
• Mentor clients in life skills, financial literacy and home management
• Assist with personal budget creation, and setting goals for employment, housing, and finances
• Provide guidance on financial literacy, including credit building and debt navigation.
• Assist in job searches, resume writing, and applications. Build connections with local employers and maintain up-to-date job resources.
• Provide guidance on housing, transportation, and legal resources. Empower clients to foster autonomy and connect with social services and recovery resources.
• Accompany or transport clients to court, treatment programs, or medical appointments.
• Develop annual health plans and assist with scheduling and reminders for wellness activities.
• Develop annual health plans with clients, assist in scheduling appointments, and provide reminders for wellness activities.
• Help clients in setting personal and professional goals. Coordinate regular check-ins to monitor progress and adjust strategies as needed.
• Provide empathetic, non-judgmental support for individuals dealing with substance use. Offer emotional support and connect clients with additional counseling resources as needed
• Facilitate conversations with family members to improve communication and, equipping them with tools to create supportive environments.
• Attend and facilitate support groups, offering peer insight and guidance.
• Monitor and respond to the text line to provide timely, compassionate support. Answer phone calls and respond to emails, offering guidance and support as needed.
• Represent PFF at events, build relationships and facilitate warm hand-offs with community partners and providers
• Connect clients with support groups and community activities.
• Uphold confidentiality and maintain professionalism in all interactions, ensuring clients feel supported and respected throughout their journey.
• Provide empathetic, non-judgmental support to individuals who use drugs or are seeking recovery support.
• Set follow-up appointments with clients and text reminders to ensure consistency in care
• Coordinate and schedule check-ins to monitor progress and provide ongoing support.
• Assist clients in setting and achieving goals related to employment, housing, and personal finances.
• Assist with resume writing and personal budget creation
• Accompany and/or transport individuals to court, treatment programs, or medical appointments when needed.
• Ensure that clients feel supported and less isolated throughout their recovery journey.
• Facilitate compassionate conversations with family members and friends to help them better understand and communicate with their loved ones about substance use.
• Equip families with tools and resources to foster supportive, non-judgmental environments.
• Participate in community outreach events to raise awareness of available resources and provide information about substance use recovery.
• Engage in group activities designed to build a sense of community and peer connection among individuals in recovery.
• Professionalism as it relates confidentiality.
• Document all outreach activities, interactions, and outcomes into our online database ensuring compliance with policies and procedures

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Strong communication skills
• Ability to provide compassionate, non-judgmental support
• Experience in facilitating groups
• Experience in leading peer-to-peer discussions
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities
• Comfortable using technology for communication, such as text messaging, email, and navigating phone systems
• Have a willingness to learn the organization's data collection processes
• Valid driver’s license
• Have the ability to sit and stand for extended for more than 1 hour
• May be asked to lift up items up to 50 lbs

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

The ideal person for this role is

• Committed and passionate about helping others and setting them up to thrive
• Highly organized and systems oriented
• Able to provide direct assistance to adults to improve life skills in a calm, professional and hopeful manner
• Familiar and able to navigate the Illinois social services including court system, child welfare system, housing and SNAP benefits
• Familiar with navigating housing and transportation barriers
• Able to assist with budgeting and creating weekly/monthly/yearly schedules
• Able to assist individuals needing to complete paperwork in various settings
• Comfortable making phone calls to social service agencies and other community organizations to coordinate needed support
• Familiar with navigating and utilizing insurance, medical and Social Security/disability service benefits

Personal Attributes and Work Environment

We encourage people who understand drug use culture and/or have experience with social and recreational drug use. We do not require someone to identify as in recovery for this role. This role will primarily be working with neurodivergent individuals to identify talents and promote and empower positive change. This position may require evening or weekend work, dependent on client and department needs. The Client Services Specialist will need to be flexible, adaptable, and committed to meeting individuals where they are in their recovery process.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit a resume and/or cover letter detailing their relevant experience and passion for the role to jobs@perfectlyflawed.org. Please include relevant experience assisting people in harm reduction or recovery settings. Applicants do not have to identify as someone in recovery or someone who has been "addicted" however, being able to relate and have an understanding of drug use and drug use culture, including social, recreational and experimental use is preferred. We encourage people to include any experience that they are comfortable sharing.

A member of our team will review your submission and connect to schedule a phone interview for qualified candidates. In the subject line, please note the job title you are interested in. After the initial interview, you may receive a request for additional interviews.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Perfectly Flawed Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals. We welcome people from all backgrounds and strive to create an environment that allows everyone to bring their authentic selves to the workplace. We seek to create an environment that accurately reflects the diverse communities we serve. We understand that voices of varied experiences and perspectives are central to our mission and our impact. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color religion, creed, gender, gender expression, genetic information, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.

People with lived or living experience of drug use including Black and Indigenous people/people of color, people from the LGBTQIA community, and people who have been impacted by the justice system are strongly encouraged to apply.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $17.00 - $23.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Volunteer time off

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Ability to Commute:

• LaSalle, IL 61301 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• LaSalle, IL 61301: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $17 - $23