FAMILY CAREGIVER ADVOCATE

Family Service; Champaign (IL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off after 90 days

Mileage reimbursement

Great work-life balance

Excellent employer reputation

Job summary

Family Service is seeking a dedicated Caregiver Advocate to support unpaid caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren in Champaign & Piatt Counties. You’ll build referral networks, connect clients with services, and provide information and training in homes or community settings.

Ideal candidates have experience in children’s services, a related degree, and the ability to work independently with sensitivity to diverse families. A background check is required and training will be provided.

Qualifications

• In our ideal world, our Family Caregiver Advocate will have knowledge or experience in children’s services.
• A background in elementary or high school education, CASA, DCFS, or similar would help a lot.
• A bachelor’s degree in social work or related field is preferred; high school graduates with 5 years relevant age-related experience are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Make contacts in Champaign and Piatt Counties with organizations that work with caregivers or grandparents raising grandchildren to build a referral network.
• Connect with potential clients via social media, in-person events, and other outreach
• Provide clients with information and assistance about services available to them.
• Train clients and families through classroom/workshop settings and in-home meetings so they gain skills to advocate for themselves.
• Develop and implement support groups for caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren in Champaign & Piatt Counties.
• Collaborate with grandparents raising grandchildren on school navigation, tech use at school/home, and behavior and grief support.

Skills

Children's services experience

Client communication

Case documentation

Cultural sensitivity

Reliability/transportation

Education

Bachelor's degree in social work or related field

High school diploma with 5 years relevant experience

Job description

Before you scroll by: If you’re thinking that this job post isn’t for you because it’s senior services and your social service experience is with kids, please keep reading! This job listing might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Your Crucial Role in Caring for the Carers: Helping Ease the Stress of Day-to-Day Caregiving

Unpaid caregivers have a remarkable place in our country. It is estimated that up to 85% of caregiving services are provided by unpaid caregivers, and one-quarter of the households in Illinois have a member who is looking after an older adult in some capacity.

Caring for an older adult is one side of the caregiving spectrum; the other comprises adults 55+ who are raising their grandchildren. Though the two caregiving scenarios look different, they share themes of concern, stress, and the need for resources and self-care.

To respond to the needs of unpaid caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren, the State of Illinois offers a Caregiver Advisory service. The Caregiver Advisory helps caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren build knowledge and skills, navigate services, access resources, and reduce caregiver stress.

Our Caregiver Advocate offers that support and guidance to caregivers of older adults residing in Champaign or Piatt County.

Your Role as A FAMILY Caregiver AdvOCATE

As our Caregiver Advocate, you’ll be a key member of our Senior Resource Center staff. You’ll enjoy variety and opportunities for creativity in this role. This means you’ll be:

Making contacts in Champaign and Piatt Counties with other organizations who work with caregivers or grandparents raising grandchildren to build a robust referral network.

Finding ways to connect with potential clients (e.g., social media, in-person events).

Providing clients with access to information and assistance about a wide variety of services available to them.

Giving instruction and training, both in a classroom / workshop setting and through personalized in-home meetings, so the client has the skills they need to do the best job they can.

Develop and implement support groups for both caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren in Champaign & Piatt Counties. (You’ll get plenty of training.)

Working with grandparents raising grandchildren on solutions to challenges specific to their situation. They often have questions about navigating the school system, dealing with technology at school and at home (Chromebooks, video games), and handling behavior issues and children’s grief and frustration.

Being a listening ear and reliable support person who checks in on the client, gets to know them, follows up, and lets them know in word and action that they are not alone on their caregiving journey.

You’ll get all the tools you’ll need to be a fantastic Family Caregiver Advocate in your training, and your coworkers in the Senior Resource Center will provide robust support.

Who You Are: The Ideal Candidate

In our ideal world, our Family Caregiver Advocate will have knowledge or experience in children’s services. A background in elementary or high school education, CASA, DCFS, or similar would go a long way in this position. A willingness to learn about social services for children for our grandparents raising grandchildren works, too.

If you are the ideal candidate, you have at least a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field. High school graduates with at least 5 years of relevant experience with the aging or youth population are encouraged to apply, as well.

You’ll have the following abilities:

• Cordial and friendly with clients, maintaining professionalism and kindness at all times
• Understanding of casework & how to properly document with case notes
• Organized and efficient with minimum supervision
• Respectful of various lifestyles, cultures, temperaments, and needs
• Reliable transportation, ability to meet clients in their homes, at school, or in a public third place.

You must also be able to pass a background check.

Any individual who is the subject of a pending investigation by the Department of Children and Family Services for child abuse or neglect, or who has been the subject of an indicated abuse or neglect report which has not subsequently been overturned on appeal, is not eligible for employment at Family Service. Current investigation by or substantiation of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation by an adult protective services agency also disqualifies a person for employment at Family Service until and unless allegations are found to be unsubstantiated.

THE FAMILY SERVICE CULTURE

Family Service has a culture that is reflected in our name: We are both family-focused (both the families we serve and the families we are from), and we pride ourselves on being strongly service-oriented. We are cultivating a workplace that is humble and diligent, a place where you can enjoy your coworkers, be proud of your impact, and always look for new and better ways to enhance our community. We train our people thoroughly and consider ourselves a training ground for being the best humanity has to offer. If you are looking for a position in an organization that values kindness, fresh ideas, hard work, and going the extra mile to help our clients and our community, Family Service might be the place for you. (Of course, we’re an Equal Opportunity Employer.)

THE PACKAGE

• Paid time off after 90 days — can accrue up to 200 hours
• Mileage reimbursement for community travel

QUALITY-OF-LIFE PERKS

• Fantastic work-life balance
• Great work mission: you will genuinely make a difference here
• Family Service is an institution with an excellent reputation as an employer
• We’re evolving from a local to a regional nonprofit. Things are moving fast, and it’s exciting.

Work location: In person at 405 South State Street, Champaign, IL