Careers at Family Service

The Senior Resource Center is looking for its next Aging Services Manager.  This fast-paced position is perfect for a positive person whose professional sweet spot is uplifting and motivating staff, focusing on creating great client experiences, and optimizing the systems we use to provide and document that service. 

The SRC’s Aging Services Manager works with the department’s caseworkers to find solutions to client issues as they arise; they also keep an eye on measuring the department’s performance and help report performance metrics to our grant funders. 

Do you love a challenge?  Are you a people person?  Do you love systems?  Can you execute a plan? And most importantly, do you have a heart for older adults?  If so, this might be the perfect role for you. 

What the job looks like: 

You’ll be working directly with our Aging Services caseworkers in a supervisory role.  That means you’ll be involved in their onboarding, orientation, training, and ongoing staff development.  You’ll also spend the majority of your workday providing direct supervision and consulting on client cases with staff members.  

• About 20% of your time will be spent doing direct service for clients.  You’ll also provide backup services during staff absences.  

• You will actively look for and suggest ways to improve our services within the bounds of the grants that fund the SRC. 

• You’ll act as an ambassador of the SRC at community education and awareness events. 

• You’ll be part of our well-oiled machine that keeps everything running smoothly.  This includes being an active participant on the SRC Management Team, as well as developing procedures and orientation/training materials. 

• Work with staff to arrange and provide presentations and distribute informational materials on senior issues to groups in our tri-county area. 

• Occasionally travel to support SRC staff in our other offices in central Illinois. 

• Assist with quality assurance and improvement activities. 

Qualifications: 

• A bachelor’s degree in social work or related field required; master’s degree preferred 

• Must be willing to obtain and then maintain relevant certifications, including InformUSA, PEARLS, SHIP, Options Counseling, and possibly others. 

• You’ve supervised people for at least two years. 

• You have experience working in a social service agency, preferably with the elderly and/or frail. 

• You have also worked in program management, and therefore have familiarity with budgeting and program requirements. 

• Top-notch organizational skills 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills 

• Customer-oriented 

• Ability and willingness to always represent Family Service in the best possible light in all public-facing scenarios 

• Ability to complete a background check: Any individual who is the subject of a pending investigation by the Department of Children and Family Services for child abuse or neglect, or who has been the subject of an indicated abuse or neglect report, which indicated report has not subsequently been overturned on an appeal, is not eligible for employment in the SRC Program. Current Investigation by or substantiation of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation by an adult protective services agency also disqualifies person for employment in the SRC Program until and unless allegations are found to be unsubstantiated.  

About the Senior Resource Center: 

In the Senior Resource Center at Family Service, we are dedicated to giving older adults in Champaign, Douglas, and Piatt Counties the assistance, advocacy, information, and counseling they need to live well in their own homes.   

The Package: 

• 12 paid holidays 

• Paid time off after 90 days – can accrue up to 200 hours 

• Life insurance 

• Salary range: $25.00-$26.00 per hour commensurate with experience) 

Quality-of-life perks of the job: 

• Great work mission – you will genuinely make a difference here 

• Family Service is an institution, and we have an excellent reputation as an employer 

• We’re growing.  We’ve moved from a local non-profit to a regional non-profit.  Things are moving fast, and it’s exciting and fun. 

To apply to be our next Aging Services Manager, please email a resume and cover letter in PDF format to hr@familyservicecc.org. 

Join Our Team: Family Caregiver Advocate Champaign & Piatt Counties 

Effective Date: Immediately 

Before you scroll by: If you’re thinking that this job post isn’t for you because it’s senior services and your social service experience is with kids, please keep reading! This job listing might be exactly what you’re looking for. 

Your Crucial Role in Caring for the Carers: Helping Ease the Stress of Day-to-Day Caregiving

Unpaid caregivers have a remarkable place in our country.  It is estimated that up to 85% of caregiving services are provided by unpaid caregivers, and one-quarter of the households in Illinois have a member who is looking after an older adult in some capacity.   

Caring for an older adult is one side of the caregiving spectrum; the other comprises adults 55+ who are raising their grandchildren.  Though the two caregiving scenarios look different, they share themes of concern, stress, and the need for resources and self-care.    

To respond to the needs of unpaid caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren, the State of Illinois offers a Caregiver Advisory service.  The Caregiver Advisory helps caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren build knowledge and skills, navigate services, access resources, and reduce caregiver stress.   

Our Caregiver Advisor offers that support and guidance to caregivers of older adults residing in Champaign or Piatt County.

Your Role as the Caregiver Advisor

As our Caregiver Advisor, you’ll be a key member of our Senior Resource Center staff.  You’ll enjoy variety and opportunities for creativity in this role.   This means you’ll be: 

• Making contacts in Champaign and Piatt Counties with other organizations who work with caregivers or grandparents raising grandchildren to build a robust referral network.   

• Finding ways to connect with potential clients (e.g., social media, in-person events). 

• Providing clients with access to information and assistance about a wide variety of services available to them. 

• Giving instruction and training, both in a classroom / workshop setting and through personalized in-home meetings, so the client has the skills they need to do the best job they can. 

• Develop and implement support groups for both caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren in Champaign & Piatt Counties.  (You’ll get plenty of training.) 

• Working with grandparents raising grandchildren on solutions to challenges specific to their situation.  They often have questions about navigating the school system, dealing with technology at school and at home (Chromebooks, video games), and handling behavior issues and children’s grief and frustration. 

• Being a listening ear and reliable support person who checks in on the client, gets to know them, follows up, and lets them know in word and action that they are not alone on their caregiving journey. 

You’ll get all the tools you’ll need to be a fantastic Caregiver Advisor in your training, and your coworkers in the Senior Resource Center will provide robust support.  

Who You Are: The Ideal Candidate

In our ideal world, our Caregiver Advisor will have knowledge or experience in children’s services.  A background in elementary or high school education, CASA, DCFS, or similar would go a long way in this position.  A willingness to learn about social services for children for our grandparents raising grandchildren works, too. 

If you are the ideal candidate, you have at least a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field.  High school graduates with at least 5 years of relevant experience with the aging or youth population are encouraged to apply, as well. 

You’ll have the following abilities: 

• Cordial and friendly with clients, maintaining professionalism and kindness at all times 

• Understanding of casework & how to properly document with case notes 

• Organized and efficient with minimum supervision 

• Respectful of various lifestyles, cultures, temperaments, and needs 

• Reliable transportation, ability to meet clients in their homes, at school, or in a public third place. 

• Can pass a background check: Any individual who is the subject of a pending investigation by the Department of Children and Family Services for child abuse or neglect, or who has been the subject of an indicated abuse or neglect report, which indicated report has not subsequently been overturned on an appeal, is not eligible for employment in the Counseling service. 

The Family Service Culture

Family Service has a culture that is reflected in our name: We are both family-focused (both the families we serve and the families we are from), and we pride ourselves on being strongly service-oriented.  We are cultivating a workplace that is humble and diligent – a place where you can enjoy your coworkers, be proud of your impact, and always look for new and better ways to enhance our community by meeting its needs.  We train our people thoroughly and consider ourselves a training ground for being the best humanity has to offer.   If you are looking for a position in an organization that values kindness, fresh ideas, hard work, and going the extra mile to help our clients and our community, Family Service might be the place for you.  (Of course, we’re an Equal Opportunity Employer.) 

The Package

 $18.00 – $23.00; commensurate with experience 

This is a full-time position where you’ll work 37.5 hours per week. 12 paid holidays, and vacation accrual after 90 days (capped at 200 hours) 

Job Type: Full-time 

Pay: $18.00 - $23.00 per hour 

Benefits: 

• Mileage reimbursement 

• Paid time off 

Work Location: In person 

If we’re describing you, let’s talk. Send your resumé and cover letter to hr@familyservicecc.org.     

Join Our Team: HomeCare Assistant, Senior Resource Center at Family Service

Effective Date: Immediately

Overcoming One of the Biggest Challenges in Advanced Aging: Living Independently

As they advance in the aging process, many older adults struggle with changes in mobility, managing pain, navigating the onset of dementia of oneself or one’s spouse, and/or growing unease with driving. Tasks that were once automatic can become overwhelming.

Our HomeCare Assistants offer a middle-ground solution. They provide non-medical, supportive care to clients, making it possible for older adults to live in their homes for as long as possible.

Your Role as a HomeCare Assistant

As HomeCare Assistant, you’ll be a key team member who rallies around your clients, giving them ground-level help with tasks they can no longer manage comfortably. Every client has a specific care plan that outlines exactly what will be done. Each client is different, of course, but the following are typical tasks in our care plans. This means you’ll be:

• Keeping the proverbial home fires burning by helping with groceries, meal prep, laundry, and cleaning, which keeps the client in an environment that is both clean, comfortable, and nourishing.

• Being the client’s travel partner by driving them to appointments or to the store. For trips to the grocery store, you’ll bring groceries in and put them away, as well. (You'll need access to a reliable vehicle car for this.)

• Assisting with bathing, grooming, dressing, transferring, supervision, and medication reminders in accordance with the client’s care plan.

• Providing positive, uplifting companionship to the client.

Outside of client care, we need to keep detailed, accurate records. Part of caring for clients is documenting. That means you’ll be:

• Recording tasks completed for the client each day.

• Keeping a close eye on your clients and reporting back to your supervisor about changes in function, mental health, or cognitive status that you observe. This gives clients an extra layer of protection – it is often the case that you’ll notice subtle changes before family members or medical staff who see them less frequently.

• Reporting any unsafe or unhealthy elements of their living environment.

Again, all these activities are provided in strict accordance with the care plan for each client.

Our HomeCare assistants are part of our team, and as such, they participate in staff meetings and trainings. We have robust procedures and guidelines to help you do the best work you can for the clients, and we work with all our HomeCare assistants to understand, interpret, and put the policies and procedures into practice.

Who You Are: The Ideal Candidate

First, do you have interest in working with older adults? This is our most successful HomeCare Assistants’ best asset.

If you are the ideal candidate, you have a high school diploma, GED, or at least one year of directly related experience, particularly with the aging population. CNAs are a great fit for this position.

You’ll have the following abilities and availability:

• A reliable vehicle with standard safety features, a valid driver’s license, and insurance appropriate to transport clients

• Can work at least 10 hours per week during business hours

• Cordial and friendly with clients, maintaining professionalism and kindness at all times

• Willing to be flexible – things can change quickly in this industry, and we roll with it

• Organized and efficient with minimum supervision

• Respectful of various lifestyles, cultures, temperaments, and needs

• Communication: Can read and write for necessary record-keeping (we’re not terribly picky about spelling)

• Accessible by phone

• Can complete the HomeCare Assistant training program successfully

• Can successfully complete a background check:

• Employment will be conditional pending compliance with Illinois Department of Public Health licensure regulations: Does not have a disqualifying background check under the requirements of the Health Care Worker Background Check Act without a waiver in compliance with the Health Care Worker Background Check Act [225 ILCS 46] and the Health Care Worker Background Check Code (77 Ill. Adm. Code 955)

The Family Service Culture

Family Service has a culture that is reflected in our name: We are both family-focused (both the families we serve and the families we are from), and we pride ourselves on being strongly service oriented.  We are cultivating a workplace that is humble and diligent – a place where you can enjoy your coworkers, be proud of your impact, and always look for new and better ways to enhance our community by meeting its needs.  We train our people thoroughly and consider ourselves a training ground for being the best humanity has to offer.   If you are looking for a position in an organization that values kindness, fresh ideas, hard work, and going the extra mile to help our clients and our community, Family Service might be the place for you.  (Of course, we’re an Equal Opportunity Employer.)

The Package

Hourly rate of $15; $15.50 for those with a CNA

12 paid holidays per year

PTO starts accruing at time of hire (with a maximum accrual bank of 200 hours) and can be taken after 90 days.

Life insurance

If we’re describing you, let’s talk. Send us your resumé and cover letter.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $18.00 - $18.50 per hour

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule

• Life insurance

• Mileage reimbursement

• Paid orientation

• Paid time off

• Paid training

• Safety equipment provided

Work Location: In person