Job Openings

Home Services Team Coordinator

The Home Services Team Coordinator manages a team of eight full and part-time staff.  The Home Services Team is comprised of staff who work within five distinct programs.  All programs have the goal to help persons with disabilities better access home and community-based services either through Illinois' Department of Human Services/Division of Rehab Services' Home Services Program or Illinois' Department on Aging's Community Care Program.  The Team Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the team's activity and ensuring all program goals are met. 

 Essential Functions Include:

• Serve as a resource person and specialist in regard to home and community based services.
• Supervise, train, assist and support the different members of the Home Services Team.
• Provide problem solving and individual advocacy regarding personal assistance issues.
• Organize and provide presentations to different community groups about home and community based services.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with consumers, community groups and organizations interested in home and community based services.
• Work with consumers, community groups, and organizations to advocate for increased home and community based services.
• Act as Independent Living advocate on behalf of Consumers wishing to transition from institutional to community based settings.
• Assist appropriate Consumers to establish DHS/DRS/HSP eligibility.
• Assist Consumers with developing appropriate transition and Independent Living plans.
• Provide direct advocacy for, and assist Consumers to develop, more effective self-advocacy and other Independent Living skills.
• Coordinate the completion of all monthly, quarterly and annual reports for contracts implemented by the Home Services Team in a timely manner.
• Document work performed.
• Comply with all established policies and procedures of the center.

Qualifications:

• Basic familiarity with local, state and federal administrative rules and codes relating to home and community based services.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience preferred
• Supervisory experience preferred, and/or ability to lead a team
• Must have excellent conceptual planning, organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Must be able to travel within Progress Center’s service area independently.
• Ability to work independently with self-direction.
• Excellent public relations and interpersonal communication skills, as well as oral and written communications skills.
• Experience working with people with disabilities, or first hand experience with a disability.
• Ability to work flexible work hours.
• Operational knowledge of computers

Fax Resumes to:  John Jansa, Program Director, 708-209-1735

Independent Living Advocate – IHDA/Community Reintegration

The Independent Living Advocate – IHDA/CR conducts outreach into nursing homes and provides necessary services and self-advocacy training to enable residents to move into a home or apartment.  The Advocate will meet with individual nursing home residents and work with the resident to determine the amount of assistance needed for the resident to reintegrate into the community and assist the consumer in establishing any services that are identified.  The Advocate will focus on individuals in nursing homes within the service area of Progress Center’s South Satellite office in Blue Island, Illinois.

• Act as primary Independent Living advocate on behalf of Consumers wishing to transition from institutional to community based settings.
• Assist appropriate Consumers to establish DHS/DRS/HSP eligibility.
• Assist Consumers with developing appropriate transition and Independent Living plans.
• Establish and maintain relationships with hospital and nursing home discharge planners to assist designated Consumers as needed.
• Assist appropriate Consumers to identify and obtain all needed goods and services per the individual’s transition plan.
• Assist Consumers to identify and access other appropriate independent living and vocational goals.
• Provide direct advocacy for, and assist Consumers to develop, more effective self-advocacy and other Independent Living skills.
• Assist Consumers with identification and development of an appropriate support system within the community.
• Document all activities required for both internal and State mandated purposes and monitor achievement of Community Reintegration goals.   
• Report to the Home Services Team Coordinator.

• Bachelors or Associates degree preferred.
• Three years professional or equivalent experience.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of DRS/HSP regulations and community resources.
• Ability to travel independently throughout suburban Cook County.
• First hand experience with a disability or experience working with people with disabilities.
• Prior experience living in a nursing home or other institutional setting an asset.

Fax Resumes to:  John Jansa, Program Director, 708-209-1735

Independent Living Advocate – Personal Assistance  

Essential Functions Include:

• Report to and coordinate activities with the Home Services Team Coordinator.
• Provide referrals from our database to Personal Assistance Employers in suburban Cook County.
• To organize regional support groups of Personal Assistance Employers around PA issues.
• Assist PA Employers to develop more effective PA recruitment, interviewing, management and self-advocacy techniques.
• Actively recruit, interview and provide training for new PA's.
• Provide information on funding benefits and other services available to PA Employers and PA's.
• Provide peer counseling to PA Employers in order to facilitate the philosophy of independent living.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors or Associates degree preferred.
• Three years professional or equivalent experience.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of ORS/HSP regulations and community resources.
• Ability to interact effectively with and organize consumer groups.
• Experience working with people with disabilities (prefer direct personal experience) or first hand experience with a disability.

Fax Resumes to:  John Jansa, Program Director, 708-209-1735

Personal Assistant

Progress Center is looking for caring and dependable men and women to work as personal assistants for people with disabilities and the elderly in their homes in surburban Cook County. Experience is helpful. Both full and part-time hours are available.

Anyone interested in becoming a personal assistant must first attend a one-day orientation. Call our Personal Assistants Team for the day and time for our next orientation. For information on getting to our office, visit Mapquest at www.mapquest.com/directions.

Call our Personal Assistants Team at 708-209-1500 for answers to any questions you have about being a Personal Assistant. TTY users can call 708-209-1826.