Caseworker - Crisis Advocacy

at  Catholic Charities

Job Description: Meets with clients for crisis counseling, advocacy, and referrals for general and special needs assistance, in an atmosphere respectful of each client’s dignity.

Job Duties:

• Assists those in need with food, clothing, furniture, and household vouchers.
• Provides crisis counseling, advocacy, and referrals for “crisis of the day” assistance.
• Provides special Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday assistance for special family food orders and gifts and works with holiday donor contributions.
• Interacts with other institutional and organizational service providers, such as service agencies and programs, resource provider agencies, parishes/churches, hospitals, physician offices, etc.
• Promotes individual and organizational donations in support of various community services assistance programs.
• Represents Catholic Charities Community Services at Resource Provider meetings, etc.
• Providing financial advocacy and referral assistance, budget counseling, and direct financial assistance.
• We are allocating and reporting FEMA fund expenditures.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in social services or related field or commensurate experience.
• Three years of comparable experience or a combination of comparable experience with educational coursework in the desired areas.
• Workable knowledge of community providers and resources available on referral.
• Special communication skills during case interviews and in advocacy referrals.
• Sensitivity and respect for persons in need and in crisis.

WHO WE ARE:

Catholic Charities is proud of its nearly 100-year history of providing vital social services in our Diocese. Today, we maintain a substantial presence in eight communities throughout the twenty-eight counties of central Illinois. Area Offices operate in Alton, Carlinville, Decatur, Effingham, Granite City, Mattoon, Quincy, and Springfield communities. In addition, Catholic Charities manages facilities in Alton (Catholic Children’s Home) and Beardstown (The St. Anne Residence). The agency has earned national reaccreditation through COA, the Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services, which certifies that all programs meet best practice social service standards.
Our vast array of services includes counseling programs, senior services and guardianship, health care, residential care, independent living; special education, family preservation services, food and clothing distribution, St. John’s Breadline, Meals on Wheels in Decatur, crisis assistance, Med-Assist, Mobile Food Pantry, Catholic Charities Legal Services, The St. Anne Residence and discount resale stores. Catholic Charities seeks to respond to the needs of its communities through these diverse programs. Every year, this objective is realized as literally thousands of children and families are positively impacted by our efforts.
Catholic Charities provides a competitive salary and an outstanding benefits package including generous paid time off benefits and retirement options. As a faith-based ministry, Catholic Charities espouses the social values of the Church and works daily to fulfill the mandate to serve the poor. As a leader in social services, Catholic Charities enjoys a positive community reputation and a myriad of public and private partnerships that help ensure our clients’ needs are met

• Assists those in need with food, clothing, furniture, and household vouchers.
• Provides crisis counseling, advocacy, and referrals for “crisis of the day” assistance.
• Provides special Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday assistance for special family food orders and gifts and works with holiday donor contributions.
• Interacts with other institutional and organizational service providers, such as service agencies and programs, resource provider agencies, parishes/churches, hospitals, physician offices, etc.
• Promotes individual and organizational donations in support of various community services assistance programs.
• Represents Catholic Charities Community Services at Resource Provider meetings, etc.
• Providing financial advocacy and referral assistance, budget counseling, and direct financial assistance.
• We are allocating and reporting FEMA fund expenditures.
• Other related duties as assigned