What Does an Independent Living Specialist Do?

 

As an independent living specialist, your primary responsibilities are to guide and assist individuals who aim to live independently but have difficulty due to mental or physical disabilities. You help with cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, and whatever else the individual requires. You may work with multiple clients, usually in similar situations, and you create a program and plan to help them live independently. You offer resources to help them find job opportunities, housing options, and life skills training.

 

This is a position responsible for working with and supporting youth and young adults in the foster care system or who are otherwise eligible for independent living services through state or federally funded programs. This involves coordination of resources and technical assistance to providers and case management. This position will offer support to young adults who have aged out of the foster care system in the development of life skills. This position will also work in partnership with the local homeless coalitions and other housing providers to promote housing stability and prevent homelessness for families involved in the dependency system. The position will assist with housing barriers, process payments for housing deposits, utilities and housing applications. Must be organized, have strong interpersonal skills and have knowledge of community resources.

 

• Essential Functions:

   

  • Establish and maintain positive trauma-informed working relationship with HFC internal and external customers
  • Support young adults through re-entry into the Independent Living program
  • Assess immediate and long-term needs of young adults related but not limited to housing, employment, medical, behavioral health and education
  • Effectively relate to youth through trying to understand the young adult through their lens
  • Establish and maintain positive working relationship with HFC internal and external customers and community representatives using excellent customer service skills
  • Meet with young adults to support their independent living goals in the home and the community through the Supportive Housing Project (SHP)
  • Respond immediately to the child welfare case management staff when housing resources are needed
  • Track data elements for all cases and prepare reports as needed
  • Facilitate meetings and positive interaction among diverse groups
  • Be actively involved in various community housing activities including linking individuals and community members into the Child Abuse Prevention Network
  • Be able to successfully adjust priorities to meet operational and family needs
  • Requires information search and research skills, analytical and creative problem solving skills, question and feedback skills and commitment to quality, responsibility, high work standards and initiatives
  • Ability to enlist local businesses, civic organizations, community organizations and faith based organizations to support housing needs of families
  • Manage state/federal grants awarded to HFC involving housing stability and prevention of homelessness
  • Develop knowledge of existing and changing housing resources in Circuit 10
  • Participate in local housing coalition meetings as needed
  • Organize and prepare applications, payment invoices for deposits, letters of guarantee, etc.
  • Assist with special projects as assigned