Community Support Specialist

Unclassified - Ottawa, IL

Full-time - Entry Level

Ottawa, IL

About the position

The Community Support Specialist plays a crucial role in providing individual and group services to adults and youth, focusing on case management interventions within various settings including the office, home, and community. This position requires a compassionate and proactive approach to support individuals facing mental health challenges. The specialist will act as a liaison between inpatient hospitalizations, emergency rooms, and nursing homes to ensure a smooth transition for clients during discharge and follow-up care. This involves coordinating with healthcare providers and advocating for the necessary resources to facilitate recovery and well-being. In addition to case management, the Community Support Specialist will provide person-centered counseling, both individually and in groups. This includes advocating on behalf of clients to help them access essential resources such as housing and healthcare. The role also involves facilitating interventions that teach clients skills to manage their mental and physical health effectively. Utilizing evidence-based curricula, the specialist will educate clients on various topics including symptom management, recovery strategies, interpersonal skills, daily living skills, problem-solving techniques, healthy living practices, social connectedness, medication management, and effective communication. The position requires active participation in agency meetings, training sessions, and supervision to ensure the highest quality of service delivery. Documentation of services provided is essential, as is the ability to respond to crises as needed, which may involve being on call on a rotating basis. This role is vital in promoting mental health awareness and providing support to those in need within the community.

Responsibilities

• Works as a liaison between inpatient hospitalizations, emergency rooms, and nursing homes to plan for discharge and follow-up care.
• Provides person-centered case management and individual and group counseling.
• Advocates on behalf of individuals to obtain needed resources, housing, and healthcare.
• Facilitates interventions that focus on learning skills and ways to manage mental health and physical health issues.
• Teaches skills using evidence-based curriculum about symptom management, recovery, interpersonal skills, daily living, problem-solving, healthy living, social connectedness, medication management, and communication.
• Provides appropriate linkage, referral, and assistance with entitlements.
• Actively participates in agency meetings, trainings, and supervision.
• Completes documentation of services provided.
• Provides crisis intervention as necessary on a rotating call basis.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in social service field or a related field with two years of experience in Mental Health, or an Associate of Arts Degree in a related field with five years of Mental Health experience.
• Valid driver's license, insurance, and vehicle.

Nice-to-haves

• 1-2 years of work experience in the mental health field.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• Competitive salary with potential for annual increases
• Full-time benefit package including Health, Dental, Vision Insurance, LTD, 401K, PTO, Holidays
• Additional pay for after-hours on-call and call-out pay.