NW Cook County Program Manager

Live4Lali, Inc.; Illinois; On-site; USD 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance

401k with 5% employer match

Generous PTO policy

Job summary

A nonprofit organization based in Arlington Heights is seeking a NW Cook County Program Manager to oversee harm reduction programs and manage outreach initiatives in Suburban Cook County. The ideal candidate will have at least 2 years of experience in program management, strong communication skills, and a commitment to harm reduction principles. Responsibilities include program design, grant management, staff training, and community partnership development. The position requires a flexible schedule and a commitment of 40 hours per week.

Qualifications

• At least 2 years of experience in program creation and management.
• Experience in substance use disorder or mental health is a plus.
• CPR and Basic first aid certified preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and coordinate resources for all programs across Cook County.
• Manage current and future outreach grants and initiatives.
• Conduct community needs assessments and develop programming.

Skills

Direct service delivery experience

Bilingual in Spanish

Proficiency in Google Drive

Strong organizational skills

Excellent communication skills

Knowledge of harm reduction principles

Education

Minimum of 2 years experience in program management

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Zoom

Job description

Women, trans, gender non-conforming and queer folks, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Live4Lali is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate by race, age, sex, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in its procedures and policies.Involvement in the criminal justice system is not an automatic disqualifier.

Substance use disorder continues to be a devastating public health crisis. Americans die from drug overdoses at a rate of roughly 210 to 300 people per day. In 2023, there were 105,007 total drug overdose deaths in the United States. In Illinois, 3052 residents died from an accidental drug overdose in 2023, which is more than twice the number of fatal motor vehicle accidents and more than twice the number of homicides. The increase in the number of fatalities is attributed to the rise of synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. Since 2013, synthetic opioid deaths in Illinois have increased 3,341%.

Live4Lali has been serving suburban Chicagoland for nearly sixteen years providing critical prevention, education, treatment access, support programs, community solutions-building initiatives, harm reduction, and overdose prevention services to decrease the devastating toll of the opioid epidemic. Live4Lali’s mission is to reduce stigma and prevent substance use disorder among individuals, families, and communities, and minimize the overall health, legal and social harms associated with substance use.

The NW Cook County Program Manager oversees and coordinates resources for all Live4Lali programs across Suburban Cook County and is based out of our Arlington Heights office with travel across NW Suburban Cook County. The NW Cook County Programs Manager will also participate in program design, operations, measurement and reporting, grant support, and staff training and management.

The NW Cook County Program Manager will report to the Director of Programs and will be engaged in the following activities:

• Aid/consult in development and design of Live4Lali’s Harm Reduction program across Cook County County;
• Manage all current and future Live4Lali outreach grants and initiatives—including SUPR, Mobile Outreach, and new programs—overseeing grant compliance, reporting, data collection, and performance management;
• Management of virtual and in-person Peer Support Programs including SMART Recovery Meetings;
• Management of Overdose Prevention and NARCAN Training Programs;
• Management of Education and Awareness Programs;
• Management of two Outreach Coordinators including on-boarding, training and continuing education and management;
• Program resource management including supply management, usage monitoring and budgeting;
• Utilize and analyze accessible data to identify trends based on hotspots in consideration of program promotion and provisioning of harm reduction services.
• Identify community coalitions, networks and partnerships and participate in advocacy initiatives aligning with the organizational philosophy and provision of harm reduction services.
• Identify, communicate and coordinate available resources to staff for participant engagement and use;
• Conduct community needs assessments and work collaboratively with local partners to co-develop programming and initiatives, while communicating plans, projects, and progress with key stakeholders;
• Collaborate in the evaluation of current and creation of new programs;
• Assist in data collection and program reporting;

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The NW Cook County Program Manager will be a person with at least 2 year’s experience with program creation and management. Being bilingual in Spanish is a plus. They will preferably also have a minimum of two years’ relevant work experience in substance use disorder, mental health, public health or social work, and/or be a person of lived experience with at least two years in recovery/remission from substance use disorder. This candidate will demonstrate the following qualifications:

• Direct service delivery experience in the community social services sector with a demonstrated working knowledge of community-based programs and community support systems;
• Demonstrated ability to establish rapport with a diverse range of clientele including individuals who are actively using substances and living with significant health challenges;
• Demonstrated experience to identify, develop and manage community partnerships
• Proficiency in technology, including but not limited to Google Drive, Zoom, Microsoft Office Suite and GoToMeeting;
• Demonstrated attention to detail and strong organizational skills;
• Demonstrated knowledge in the areas of safer drug use, addictions, safer sex, sex work, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, mental health, etc.;
• Demonstrated knowledge of social justice, health promotion and public health approaches and models of social support and health care;
• Demonstrated understanding and commitment to harm reduction principles and practices;
• Demonstrated ability to establish rapport with a diverse range of clientele including individuals who are actively using substances and living with significant health challenges;
• Experience managing hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication and diffusing techniques;
• Ability to problem solve with creativity, flexibility and assertiveness in dealing with complex issues;
• Ability to work as part of a team, to prioritize and handle multiple tasks, and to work independently in a high-pressure environment.CPR and Basic first aid certified preferred.
• Demonstrated understanding of the importance and role of people who use drugs in the development, delivery, and evaluation of services intended to benefit them;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills required to work effectively with co-workers, clients, community, and other service providers;
• Strong working knowledge of local health and social services;
• Must have a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance and reliable inter-suburban transportation;
• Must comply with all Live4Lali policies and procedures, including, but not limited to the Risk Management Guidelines.

The NW Cook County Program Manager position is based out of our Arlington Heights office and requires regular travel to multiple community locations. Due to the dynamic nature of street-based and mobile outreach work, this role operates on a flexible and evolving schedule that does not follow a traditional 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. workday. Hours may include evenings or weekends and will adjust as programs expand and community needs shift. The position requires a full-time commitment of 40 hours per week, with days and times adaptable and open to negotiation for the right candidate.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Salary range $50,000-$55,000
• Subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401k with 5% employer match
• Generous PTO policy

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants should email a (1) cover letter and (2) resume with (3) two references to
[e-mail] use the subject line “NW Cook Program Manager”. Only
electronic submissions will be accepted.