Intake Specialist

Position: Intake Specialist

Supervisor: IL Administrator

Classification: Exempt

Position Summary:

The intake specialist assists in overseeing and managing the process from referral to placement in a host family home or a family friend assignment. This involves initial calls, assessment, identification of an appropriate hosting arrangement, coordinating transportation and pickup, assigning family coach and family coach supervisor, and ensuring the host families is prepared to care for the child.

Core Responsibilities:

1. Handling incoming referrals. Being the point-person for incoming phone calls and emails from agencies working with at-risk families, such as social workers; and dealing directly with in-crisis parents. Creating a case file on the database and entering all relevant info.

Information gathering and screening.Following up referrals and screening them according to pre-determined risk thresholds, mainly by telephone. Being friendly but discerning, obtaining relevant facts and information and building up a picture of the crisis. Screening out inappropriate placements at an early stage. Liaising with other agencies who may hold relevant information pertinent to the case.

Ensure that all calls gather appropriate information, are assessed thoroughly, and an appropriate decision is made whether to accept the placement/arrangement.

Screen out youth who: are a danger to themselves or others, their problematic behavior cannot be managed in a family-like setting, etc.

Provide an initial assessment of the parent and identify targeted behaviors that need to be resolved and approximate length of stay in a host family home.

Make a determination that the hosting of the child will not encourage the parent to continue in problematic behavior.

Make every effort to arrange placements within the same day of the request if that is desired by the parent or referral source. Will respond within an hour for urgent placements.

Make sure that placement information is appropriately and accurately entered into the database.

Ensure that the host family has all significant information and paperwork to effectively care for the child.

Create innovative strategies for identifying available family and facilitating the child to the host home.

Any other duties as may be assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Experience of working within children and family’s sector and alert to issues of safeguarding and child protection
• Must be able to communicate and work effectively with all team members.
• Excellent telephone manner conveying both compassion with struggling parents and credibility with referring agencies
• Well organized and able to prioritize effectively and manage time efficiently.
• Discreet in dealing with confidential / sensitive information.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $40,000.00 - $42,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Paid time off

Schedule:

• Day shift
• On call

Application Question(s):

• Please describe any volunteer or professional experiences you have working in a faith based setting

Experience:

• Crisis intervention: 2 years (Preferred)
• Customer service: 1 year (Required)
• Computer skills: 2 years (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Chicago, IL 60641: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chicago, IL 60641