Independent Living Advocate II

Posted on | by Jacob

PLACER INDEPENDENT RESOURCE SERVICES

11768 Atwood Rd., #129, Auburn, CA 95603

530-885-6100; TTY 530-885-0326; FAX 530-885-3032

www.pirs.org

JOB DESCRIPTION

Independent Living Advocate II

Full time, Non-exempt

Department:  Services                               Entry Rate of Pay: $18.50/hr

Supervisor:  Director of Advocacy & Services                     Plus Benefits

PRIMARY JOB OBJECTIVES: Under the supervision of the Director of Advocacy & Services, the ILA II will carry out various duties with the primary goal of assisting persons with disabilities to live more independently.  Core services include independent living skills training, peer support, individual and systems advocacy, information and referral, personal assistant referral, transition services, and coordination of access to housing and transportation resources.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The duties of the ILA II include:

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  1. Serve as on-site manager of daily operations of our El Dorado Countybranch office including orientation, training and supervision of other staff and volunteers, assuring adherence to Independent Living philosophy.
  2. Provide core services for consumers: conduct intake, assess needs, and develop Independent Living Plans with consumers who choose to have one.  Provide or coordinate access to services needed with appropriate support that enables the consumer to learn how to access services on their own, and follow up to ensure that needs are met to extent possible.
  3. Engage in outreach to consumers, other service providers, and the community at large to promote PIRS services.
  4. Be involved in at least one major area of systems advocacy such as benefits, health care, education, etc. and keep other staff apprised of key issues related to that area.
  5. Maintain required records and submit in an accurate, legible, and timely manner.
  6. Develop community relationships and provide appropriate information and referrals to resources for consumers.  
  7. Provide self advocacy training to consumers as needed, and support their advocacy efforts to access needed resources. 
  8. Provide basic information and assistance about benefits programs, such as IHSS, Social Security, SNAP, etc., or refer to appropriate outside resources.
  9. Provide access to individual and group peer support.
  10. In collaboration with Registry Coordinator at main office, assist with personal assistant recruitment and.provide guidance to consumers on how to hire, train, and supervise their in-home assistants.
  11. Travel as assigned throughout PIRS service area, and occasionally to other areas in or out of state for training.
  12. Carry out other duties, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

  1. Bachelor degree and at least one year of related field experience working with people with disabilities. Two years of relevant experience may be substituted for two years of college education with demonstrated competence to perform the duties of the position.  Example: AA Degree in related field and three years of relevant field experience.
  2. Ability to communicate effectively in English both in writing and verbally.  Bilingual skills in Spanish or Sign Language desired.
  3. Excellent computer skills including word processing, data entry, use of internet and email.
  4. Ability to communicate effectively with people having any type of disability.
  5. Ability to write concisely and clearly in English.  Ability to read, analyze and interpret written matter appropriate for delivery of consumer services.
  6. Understanding of and commitment to the Independent Living philosophy, including experience with both individual and systems change advocacy, and the values and mission of PIRS.
  7. Ability to exercise sound judgment in providing consumer services and/or participating in community education, advocacy, and awareness projects.
  8. Personal experience with disability preferred.  Hiring preference given to persons with disabilities (Title VIIc, Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended).

REASONING ABILITY:

The ILA II must have the abilities to define problems, present solutions, collect data and establish facts and priorities; use discretion and to maintain confidentiality; and work with minimum of supervision and maintain an atmosphere of teamwork.

MENTAL/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The ILA II is regularly required to recall details, resolve problems, deal with interpersonal conflicts, and manage people, time and materials.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that should be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. These include general clerical duties, use of office machines, some travel within the catchment area, and occasionally outside that area, and the ability to work in an office setting with average conversational noise levels.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable a person with a disability to perform the essential functions of the position.

STRESS LEVEL:  Average

PIRS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

QUALIFIED MINORITIES AND PERSONS WITH SIGNIFICANT DISABILITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Revised: 6/18; 11/22