Caseworker for the Survivor Advocacy Program

Job Title:                             Caseworker for the Survivor Advocacy Program

Supervised By:                 Survivor Advocacy Program Lead

Supervises:                        None

Classification:                    Exempt, Full-Time, Salary

Date:                                    April 6, 2022

Organizational Summary

KAN-WIN’s mission is to eradicate gender-based violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault, especially for women and children across Asian American communities and beyond through culturally competent services, community engagement, and advocacy. To learn more about our programs, go to www.kanwin.org

Position Summary

A Caseworker for the Survivor Advocacy Program is responsible for providing: 1) comprehensive case management services; 2) housing advocacy for clients; and 3) development and organize external resources to meet clients’ needs.

Responsibilities:

Comprehensive Case Management (40%)

·        Provide crisis intervention for clients to ensure that immediate medical, legal, transportation and child care needs are met.

·        Develop short- and long-term goals with clients, check weekly or biweekly for progress, and make appropriate adjustments and plans accordingly.

·        Coordinate with legal advocates to ensure client legal advocacy needs are met. This may include accompaniment to appropriate legal services and institutions, translation and review of pertinent legal information, assessment of legal needs (such as immigration issues), and advocacy.

·        Identify client financial management needs and provide appropriate services, including conduct assessment of client's eligibility to public benefit and assist client to submit the application. 

·        Ensure that clients' social service needs are met through advocacy, accompaniment, translation, review of client cases, and collaboration with other organizations.

·        Develop community resource and make appropriate referrals to meet client’s need. 

·        Help staff the 24-hour multilingual hotline and provide callers with crisis intervention, safety planning, information and referral, etc. This involves coverage during office hours and some occasional evenings & weekends.

·        

Direct Services for the Housing Program (40%)

·        Work with the housing program team to coordinate housing search, lease contracting, moving, furnishing, and setting up payment system for rent, security deposit and utilities.

·        Provide crisis intervention and case management for housing program clients.

·        Provide housing advocacy services with the entire direct services team, providing education, information and referral resources to the team so that all team members can provide competent housing advocacy services.

·        Serve as a liaison between clients and landlords as necessary.

Service/Program Data Management and Reporting (5%)

·        Maintain service data as well as collect and maintain other relevant data for the program’s service delivery and grant responsibilities.

·        Maintain accurate, confidential timely records, reports and files.

External (5%)

·        When assigned, provide training on housing issues for the 40-hour training sessions and at other workshops for KAN-WIN clients & community members.

Organizational Duties (10%)

·        Assist and participate in all organizational activities such as program development, fundraising, and special event.

·        Participate in staff meetings and case review sessions.

·        Perform other duties as assigned or requested.

***

Qualifications: (to be completed for any new hiring process)

·        Ability to speak an Asian language (Mandarin Chinese fluency highly preferred)

·        Strong commitment to KAN-WIN’s mission, values, and goals to enhance culturally & linguistically competent services and programming

·        Empathetic listening skills

·        Ability to provide as well as take constructive feedback

·        Strong willingness to develop anti-oppression political framework

·        Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills

·        Works effectively with diverse staff and service population

Work Environment:

·        Must be based in the Chicago metropolitan area and have reliable transportation to and from KAN-WIN headquarter office in Park Ridge.

·        All KAN-WIN staff are expected to work in-office 2-3 times a week and remotely for the rest of the time (and occasionally more if projects or assigned duties require a physical presence at the office).

·        This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, scanners, and filing cabinets.

·        While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.

·        This is a full-time position. Evening and weekend work occasionally may be required.

·        Some travel to off-site locations in the Chicago metro or out-of-the-area travel area may be required. 

·        Valid driver’s license, current insurance and reliable car.

·        Workplace is a smoke- and drug-free environment.

·        Equal Opportunity Employer. Decisions and criteria governing the employment relationship with all employees are made in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, military service and/or marital status, order of protection status, handicap, disability, or any other factor determined to be unlawful by federal, state, or local statutes.

Benefits:

·        403(b) retirement plan with employer match

·        11 Paid holidays with floating holidays

·        19 Paid-time offs for first year

·        Health insurance

·        Dental insurance

·        Hybrid working environment