Case Manager, Community Connections

Illinois Action For Children • Chicago, IL

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Illinois Action for Children is seeking a dedicated and resourceful Community Connections Case Manager to champion a vital initiative combating chronic absenteeism on Chicago’s West Side. Operating under the guidance of the Community Connections Supervisor, you will provide targeted, high-impact case management services to families across six partner schools (serving PreK through 8th grade).

In this role, the candidate will act as a critical bridge between home, school, and community. The potential candidate will work directly with families to identify and dismantle barriers to consistent school attendance, co-create actionable success strategies with students and partners, and lead community-wide advocacy on the importance of education. The candidate should be a relationship-builder passionate about educational equity, family empowerment, and neighborhood-based system building, this role offers a powerful platform to drive lasting, positive outcomes for families on the West Side.

All work must be completed with minimum supervision and per organizational C.A.R.E.S: Collaboration-Advocacy-Respect-Excellence-Support standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Early Childhood Education, Family Studies, or a closely related field
• Two years of experience as a Caseworker or similar position
• Prior experience working with children and families
• Experience working in a variety of settings with culturally diverse families and communities with the ability to be culturally sensitive and appropriate
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills with the ability to establish rapport at all levels
• Good documentation skills
• A strong sense of respect for confidentiality, involving families and fellow employees
• Experience motivating others toward achieving goals
• Willingness to work flexible hours evenings and some weekends
• Skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; comfort entering data
• Valid Driver’s License required
• Reliable personal transportation and insurance required

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of families with chronically absent children
• Schedule in-person contact with families at least twice a month
• Highlight the importance of continuous attendance and early years in school
• Listen to families and problem-solve to address challenges impacting attendance
• Connect children and families to community resources and document referrals
• Assist families in writing and reaching personal goals for increased self-sufficiency
• Follow up with families and agencies to document services until the case is closed
• Track all necessary data points related to case management services
• Ensure confidentiality of information received and managed by IAFC
• Working with team and partners, create systems to address barriers to attendance
• Develop strategies to identify highest-need families as early as possible
• Develop and maintain a community resources directory
• Track obstacles to implementation for team reflection and continuous improvement
• Work with the team to design responsive strategies to address emerging obstacles
• Work with the school to develop and implement a Parent Attendance Committee
• Support community systems building and Innovation Zone collaboration
• Build ongoing relationships with North Lawndale families, children, and partners
• Promote and connect children 0-5 to formal early learning programs
• Meet with community resource partners at least twice a month to facilitate referrals, serves as a connector and an information resource
• As assigned, represent IAFC to external groups/organizations to promote the agency and increase utilization of services through events, presentations, and/or day-to-day contact
• Attend program-related events regularly
• Execute our workplace core capabilities of accountability, customer focus, continuous quality improvement (CQI), communication, competent people, and clear priorities
• The organization may assign other functions to the job at its discretion

Benefits

• Health, dental and vision insurance plans with company contribution of 95% for single coverage
• 401k with company match
• Generous PTO – first year-23 days, the second year-28 days, the third year and on - 35 days
• 11 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Account
• STD & LTD insurance
• Company paid Life Insurance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level