IPS Counselor

One Hope United; Mount Vernon (IL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition assistance up to $2500/year

Vacation & Personal Days

Sick Days and Mental Health Day

Medical, Dental, Vision

403b Retirement

Flexible Spending Accounts

Health Savings Account

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Career ladders & development

Job summary

One Hope United seeks an IPS Counselor to provide counseling, advocacy and case management for youth and families in a 6-month intensive intervention in community settings. The role centers on trauma-focused interventions, ARC-informed practice, and collaboration with caregivers and referral agencies to strengthening bonds and security.

Responsibilities include crisis intervention, documentation, court-ready notes, and after-hours support across Illinois regions.

Qualifications

• Experience or training in trauma-focused approaches and ARC framework.
• Ability to work with youth and families in community settings.
• Strong communication and collaboration with partner agencies.

Responsibilities

• Reports to the Child Abuse Hotline as directed by the Mandated Reporter Act.
• Provide exceptional customer service to parents, foster caregivers, referring case agencies, and other team members.
• Conduct regional and all-state in-person and virtual team meetings with staff, referring case agencies and community partners.
• Participates in frequent agency management meetings and work groups.
• Maintain confidentiality and protect client data.
• Reports any exposure to communicable diseases.
• Submit expense vouchers, renewed licenses, and insurance coverage on due date.
• Support the creation and maintenance of programmatic information in MS Teams and SharePoint.
• Assist with updating client demographic and other data in the IPS database.
• Ensure weekly filing of IPS documents in client files.
• Provide on-call support after hours across IPS offices.
• Provide on-site support to prevent placement disruption.
• Facilitate placement needs of children with referring agencies.
• Conduct home visits.
• Maintain relationships with agencies and community members.
• Complete necessary file documentation and DCFS tracking twice monthly.
• Prepare documentation for court proceedings as needed.

Job description

Under theassignedsupervisor,theIPSCounselor willprovidecounseling, advocacy,and case management services to youth and their familiesduringa 6-month intensive interventionperiodin acommunity-basedsetting. While in a Placement with caregivers, the Intensive Placement Stabilization (IPS Counselor will provide critical, intensive, trauma-focused therapeutic interventions to caregivers and youth in a non-traditional and flexible manner. Adaptingto the family's availability and needs, per their school and work schedules.The IPS Counselor willutilizestrengths-based and trauma-focusedapproachesin developing relationships,assessments,andtreatment plans. As part of the Intensive Placement Stabilization Program, IPS Counselors support both youth and caregivers in strengthening their bond and communication and improving their sense of security and permanency. IPS works with both caregivers and children in weekly sessions, operating within the framework of Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC) and otherevidence-based modalities and frameworks.

GeneralDuties and Responsibilities

• Reports to the Child Abuse Hotline as directed by the Mandated Reporter Act.
• Will provide exceptional customer service to parents, foster caregivers, referring case agencies, and other team members.
• Conducts frequent regional and all-state in‑person and virtual team meetings with staff, referringcaseagencyand community partners.
• Participates in frequent agency management meetings and work groups.
• Will maintaindiscretion, as entrusted with a client’s personal information and knowledge of their unique situation. This confidentiality extends to ensuring client data is secure.
• Reports any exposure to communicable diseases.
• Submits expense vouchers, renewed driver's licenses, and automobile insurance coverage on the due date.
• Supportthecreation and maintenance ofprogrammatic information in Microsoft Teams and onthe SharePoint site.
• Will assist with updating client demographic and other data in the IPSdatabase.
• Will ensuredirect and indirect weekly filing of all IPS documents, notes, Mentoring, and FPSS documents in client files.
• Provide on‑callsupport after hours on a rotation with all IPS offices in Central, Southern, and Northern regions.
• Provide on‑site support to prevent placement disruption.
• Facilitate placement needs of children with collaboration with the referring case agency(POS).
• Conduct home visits.
• Maintain positive relationships with other agencies and community members as applicable.
• Complete any necessary file documentation and required DCFS database tracking twice monthly.
• Prepare documentation for court proceedings, as needed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Providessupport andstabilityservices for up to 6 months to families referred
• Caseloads are approximate 10-13: 1 ratio
• The program operates 24/7
• Position is required to be available Monday–Friday, 8:30 – 5 pm
• Position requires sessions outside of normal office hours, and at times can be later evenings
• Position requires rotation of the on-call calendar monthly to offer 24/7 coverage of program needs for crisis (typical schedules are 1 week a month)
• Provides crisis intervention response, assessment, and follow-up services as deemed appropriate per the program plan.
• Conduct an initial visit within 5 days of referral opening per contractual and programmatic expectations.
• Provides crisis intervention in-home services in local coverage areas as appropriate to program requirements.
• This position will require day and overnight travel for training opportunities, advocacy for youth and families in community meetings, or staffing and client sessions.
• Provides active guidance/feedback during family contacts (e.g., sessions, crisis interventions, and other crisis-stability events).
• Completion of intake, Mental Health Assessment, DCFS Extension and Discharge processes, and Treatment Planning as outlined in IPS programmatic and contractual expectations.
• Diagnose and treat mental health disorders.
• Facilitate sessions with individuals, groups, or families.
• Demonstrate the ability to correctly identify emotions and to mirror regulated feelings in a way that promotes emotional and intellectual development (emotional intelligence).
• Assists in integrating all services provided to the client by serving as a central point of communication among service components during the crisis and, if applicable, in follow-up.
• Providessupport andstability services for up to 6 months to families referred

We Invest in You!

• Tuition assistance up to$2500 per year
• Up to 4 weeks paid Vacation Days, up to 6 paid Personal Days, up to 5 paid Sick days annually, and a Mental Health Day.
• Medical, dental, vision, 403b Retirement, flexible spending accounts, and health savings account.
• Agency paid life and ADD up to $50K based on salary
• Multiple Voluntary Supplemental plans for Employee, Spouse, and Child(ren)
• Voluntary Legal Plans and Pet Insurance.
• The agency paid long-term disability and short-term disability.
• Career ladders, professional development, and promotion opportunities

A Different Kind Of Employer

One Hope United is strong and ready to grow. Are you ready to grow with us?

• 800+ talented professionals strong, serving 10,000 children and families in Illinois and Florida
• Fiscally stable, $70 Million agency- strong since 1895
• Energetic leadership and a rich community of support

One Hope United does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. One Hope United is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug-Free Workplace. OHU participates in E-Verify.