Case Aid presso Heartland Human Care Services

Title: Family Reunification Case Aid

Location: Rogers Park, IL

Schedule: On-site, Tuesday to Saturday (1:30pm-10:00pm)

Summary:   

The Family Reunification Case Aid for the Unaccompanied Children’s Program, under the supervision of the Family Reunification Supervisor, supports the program family reunification team in the family reunification process of children who newly arrived in our country. The Family Reunification Case Aide is a grant position related solely to the Unaccompanied Children’s Program as funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement and any successor funding. The Family Reunification Case Aid leverages industry knowledge and best practices to promote the mission and vision of Heartland Human Care Services. Supports culture development and management efforts.

Essential Functions:

Duties & Responsibilities

• Assists in the completion of the intake process for new arrivals.
• Works directly with the Family Reunification (FR) team on the completion of Family Reunification Application (FRA) and ongoing reunification reports. 
• Assists the FR team with participant file maintenance including but not limited to filing, scanning, and uploading documents on the electronic databases, data entry, and file reviews, as well as the opening and closing of files.
• Provides support in telephonic communications of parents, sponsors, and children. 
• Performs administrative duties as requested, including creating documents and reports, data entry, and cross-checking information. 
• Supports planning process oriented toward safe family reunification, preparation for return to the country of origin, transfer to a higher level of care or other alternative placements by following the case plan established by the assigned family reunification specialist.
• Consistently documents the provision of services in the case files (physical and electronic) when assigned to specific tasks by the FR Supervisor. 
• Ensures case files consistently include accurate and timely intake and clinical assessments, legal, education, medical, facility, and reunification information based on the established file maintenance requirements. 
• Assists the family reunification team in ensuring timely notification of appropriate personnel, parents, and agencies regarding incident reports, medical/dental emergencies, and other events. 
• Attends required meetings; participates in formal and informal professional training.
  • Assists the program family reunification specialists with contacting consulates, document verification, background check tracking, scheduling, etc. 
  • Assist with preparations for discharge and the physical discharge of participants to their sponsors or other agencies as required.
  • Other duties related to the essential functions as assigned.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities: 

• May be asked to assist in the milieu.
• May be asked to assist with appointments and transportation of participants.

Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma or General Education Diploma required. Bachelors preferred. 
• Minimum one (1) year experience in behavioral/social science, case management, or child welfare services required. 
• Bilingual language competency required (Spanish strongly preferred). 

Certifications/Licenses:

• Must possess a valid driver’s license. 

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities (K/S/A):

• Ability to speak and fluency in a second language including but not limited to the following multi-language abilities: 
  • Ability to read and interpret documents such operating and maintenance, and procedure manual
  • Ability to write routine reports and correspondence
  • Ability to speak effectively before group of customers or employees of organization. 
• Access to regular, dependable and timely transportation
• Ability and comfortability working with people of varying socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential and sensitive information possessing skills to handle situations in a professional and diplomatic manner.
• A high degree of collaboration and emotional intelligence, self-motivation, and analytical ability.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange; Windows operating systems; and other software routinely used by Heartland Human Care Services.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. 
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Ability to work independently and remain self-motivated with minimal direct supervision.

Work Arrangement: 

This role is in-person and not eligible for a “hybrid” or “remote” work arrangement. Staff may work in different locations depending on the need the specific day but will have the option to report to a “home” location prior to travel to a different site. Travel reimbursement is available following commute to the home site.

Work Environment: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Each program site operates on a 24/7 basis, 365 days per year.  To meet both the needs of our participants and contractual obligations, employees are required to be flexible regarding scheduling and work location.
• Program sites are located throughout the Chicago area, including the North and South sides of Chicago, as well as the suburbs.   Employees may be required to report to any one of our locations on a temporary or permanent basis.

Physical Demands: 

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.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.
• The employee is regularly required to sit, stand and walk.
• The employee must be able to stoop, kneel and/or crawl.
• The employee is regularly required to use hands to key, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• The employee must have unrestricted ability to provide physical restraint.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Heartland Human Care Services makes all hiring and employment decisions, and operates all programs, services, and functions without regard to race, receipt of an order of protection, creed, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, amnesty, physical or mental disability, protected veterans status, genetic information, sexual orientation, immigrant status, political affiliation or belief, use of FMLA, VESSA, military, and family military rights, ex-offender status (depending on the offense and position to be filled), unfavorable military discharge, membership in an organization whose primary purpose is the protection of civil rights or improvement of living conditions and human relations, height, weight, or HIV infection, in accord with the organization's AIDS Policy Statement of September 1987.