Social Services Administrative Assistant

Safe Families; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Lydia Home Chicago is seeking a Social Services Administrative Assistant to support residential intake, maintain SDS profiles, handle referrals, and ensure proper documentation and confidential records in a child welfare setting.

The role requires detail orientation, strong communication, ability to manage multiple tasks, coordinate visits, and work with the treatment team to support families while complying with HIPAA and licensing standards.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience in child welfare and administrative functions preferred.
• Ability to work effectively with children and families.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Assist residential intake by monitoring consents, forms, and files in SDS.
• Input approved contacts and maintain residential roster monthly.
• Send documents for signature to DCFS and track acknowledgments.
• Sort mail and manage interoffice mail for social services.
• File client records and ensure HIPAA compliant confidentiality.
• Coordinate visits, appointments, and transportation for residents.
• Maintain training certificates and log trainings for staff.
• Disperse payroll checks to supervisors and support staff development.
• Ensure documentation is scanned and filed in the electronic system.

Skills

Written and oral communication

Technology proficiency

Attention to detail

Time management

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Education

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Tools

SDS system

Job description

All Jobs > Social Services Administrative Assistant

Social Services Administrative Assistant
Lydia Home Chicago

Full-time

Description

Requirements

• A High School Diploma or Equivalent.
• Experience in child welfare and with administrative functions is preferred.
• Must possess skills to work effectively with children and their families.
• Demonstrates effective written and oral communication skills
• Able to demonstrate sound professional judgment and problem-solving ability
• Demonstrates proficiency using current technology and is self-sufficient in managing daily administrative work and email communications
• Effectively prioritizes tasks, manages multiple projects, meets deadlines, and makes quality decisions in a fast-paced work environment.
• Must be attentive to detail, resourceful, self-motivated, and have initiative with responsibilities and assignments.
• Works effectively with interdisciplinary treatment team members internal/external to the organization
• If requested, must have a valid driver's license and auto insurance when the position requires an employee to operate a motor vehicle in connection with executing the position responsibilities, which include driving to and/or from any agency function
• Demonstrates sensitivity and respect of diverse individuals and communities served by, working in partnership with, or employed by Lydia Home
• Must be able and willing to support the mission of Lydia Home Association (LHA)

Responsibilities

• Assist the residential intake process by monitoring the completion of consents, client rights/responsibilities forms, and the 906 form, setting up the SDS profile in addition to the Residential/DCFS and Medicaid files, and monitoring the receipt of materials for intake (i.e., social history, placement history, medical cards). Conduct admission and enter any additional information for the resident into the SDS system. Assist with the referral/admission process in the absence of the Residential Program Director.
• Upon receipt of information regarding approved/unapproved contacts for the child, input such information in SDS (i.e., family members, supports, DCFS/POS Caseworker, GAL/CASA Workers, etc). Update and disseminate the residential roster at least monthly, but also upon admission/discharge of a youth, or upon receiving updated case information (i.e., change in DCFS/POS Caseworker, Therapist, etc).
• Send and track documents requiring signature from the legal guardian [i.e., DCFS] to the DCFS Consent line or DCFS Authorized Agent [e.g., DCFS Case Supervisor]
• Check social services mailbox and provide the mail to the appropriate parties. Take interoffice and outgoing mail from social services to the front office.
• File client records, physical and digital, and conduct file reviews to ensure necessary documentation is in the files. Work in collaboration with the Residential Program Director to secure the missing documentation. Maintain client confidentiality and HIPAA standards.
• Complete Level One Case Reviews and coordinate Level Two Case Reviews with the Residential Program Director.
• Be familiar with governing standards and assist in maintaining compliance with their requirements (e.g., tracking/creating supervision forms) in addition to helping with audit preparation (i.e., DCFS Licensing, Medicaid, COA).
• Ensure documentation is scanned into the electronic filing system and a hard copy filed accordingly.
• Incident Reports: Copy Incident Reports for necessary staff. Assist with ensuring all elements of the incident report are complete and supplemental forms/documents are included with the incident report [e.g., restriction of client rights; SASS report]. Compose incident report narratives, submit significant events into SACWIS, and complete 906s.
• Create Training Certificates including: The name of the training, the name and credentials of the trainer, the name of the participant, and the time/date of the training. Log trainings into the training spreadsheet. Collect training evaluations for filing.
• Log discharges. Close out children's files 6 months after discharge. Coordinate pick up with the offsite record storage company.
• Telephone and in-person reception duties, directing people to necessary personnel and resources.
• Responsible for distribution of petty cash funds.
• Directly schedule or coordinate the scheduling for the residents' visits and appointments. This includes, but is not limited to: Family visits, preplacement visits/interviews, medical/dental/vision appointments, hospital pick-up, court appointments, offsite therapy. Provide on call support as it pertains to visitation and scheduling needs.
• Schedule assigned staff to supervise visits or accompany/transport children to visits and appointments. Notify the case aide of any changes to his/her schedule in a timely manner. At times, provide coverage for visits.
• Schedule mentor visits and assist with their maintaining of appropriate, positive relationships with the clients.
• Consult with treatment team members (i.e., Lydia Home team members; DCFS/POS workers) to obtain case information pertaining to family dynamics and supervision needs. Ensure staff supervising the visits are aware of information provided.
• Stay informed about the clients' needs and presenting issues by reading the case files, talking with members of the treatment team, and processing matters with Supervisor.
• Have appointment calendar completed at least one month in advance for routine or prearranged visits. Ensure residential staff members have access to visitation calendar in written form. Communicate changes to calendar in a timely manner to treatment team (i.e., unit supervisor, unit staff, therapist, nurse, case manager).
• Maintain visitation and contact tracking log. Ensure that all visits are properly documented in a timely manner.
• Provide a copy of the visitation records to the DCFS/POS caseworkers, Therapist, and Case Manager. File visitation records in the client’s permanent file.
• Develop a healthy rapport with clients and their families. Relationships should be characterized by pro-social interactional qualities including but not limited to healthy professional borders, active engagement, cultural sensitivity, nurturance, respect, appropriate limit-setting, teaching opportunities, and having a strengths-based focus.
• Disperse payroll checks to supervisors or designees.
• Participate in personal and professional growth through attendance at trainings and staff development activities.
• Participate in supervision on an informal and formal basis (i.e., scheduled). Supervision is provided in individual and group format.
• Participate in quality assurance/quality improvement activities. Track trends in areas including, but not limited to: Client functioning and behavior patterns, family engagement, unit specific behavior trends.
• As assigned, participate in reviews/audits consistent with licensing, accreditation, and best practice standards.
• Schedules, changes to work schedule, and time off requests are approved by the Residential Program Director.
• Be familiar with and follow agency and residential policies and procedures, ethical guidelines for designated discipline, and the governing agencies policies and procedures (DCFS; COA; Family First) in addition to applicable laws and regulation. Implement agency, state, accreditation, and funding standards, regulations, policies and procedures. Comply with mandated reporting guidelines. Maintain client confidentiality and HIPAA standards. Confidential information handled includes all client information viewed and discussed [including but not limited to client files, Medicaid documentation, and the delivery of services to clients] in addition to program operations and the advancement of Lydia Home's mission and programs. No client information [e.g., photographs, etc.] should ever be posted on the internet or social media platforms.