Intake Specialist

Background
Founded in 1988, Bridge Communities (Bridge) is DuPage County’s largest provider of transitional housing and supportive services for homeless families. At present, Bridge owns and operates twenty-six apartment buildings in 7 DuPage villages, with 154 total apartments. Bridge’s headquarter office is in downtown Glen Ellyn. Bridge serves about 120 homeless families annually, with Program staff providing intake and referral, case management, employment coaching, children’s services, nutrition counseling, donated vehicles, mental health payments, and more in a two-generation model working to break the cycle of poverty.
Bridge has a unique business model with faith-based and community-based organizations providing both financial support and volunteer mentors for families. Bridge also has two Fortune 50 companies as program partners, providing the financial support and mentors for families. Bridge has a history of collaborations with employers, public schools, medical and behavioral health, legal services, local and county government, and recreational service partners to provide holistic scope of support to families with warm reception. A strong fundraising and resource development team that has created diversity of funding streams and high donor retention. In Fiscal Year 2023, Bridge had a $5 million operating budget, $14 million in net assets, with $3.5 million endowment and 29 employees.
 
Job Summary

The Intake Specialist serves as the first point of contact for potential clients experiencing homelessness and looking for transitional housing and services. This includes answering calls from those seeking assistance, completing applications and in-person or virtual interviews, providing resources, assessing the appropriateness for the housing program, and presenting the information to case management and program staff. The Intake Specialist sets the tone for a prospective client’s experience with Bridge Communities.
 
The position requires clear and concise communication, empathy, and comfort with trauma-informed language and practices. The Intake Specialist will hold the primary responsibilities of the Intake process and performs the duties with minimal supervision. To thrive in this role, you must be a detail-oriented interviewer and note taker, have excellent listening skills, enjoy talking on the phone, have volunteer or paid experience working persons who have experienced trauma or have been marginalized. You will be required to work outside of traditional business hours up to 12 hours per month.

The Intake Specialist is a 40-hour per week, salaried non-exempt position. The position is a member of the Program Housing team. This position reports to the Director of Program Housing. This position qualifies for all Bridge Communities offered benefits, including health and disability insurance, generous paid time off, 403(b) retirement matching, et al. The Intake Specialist has an office at the organization’s headquarters in Glen Ellyn and is expected to be in the office five days a week.
 
Responsibilities
Client Intake Responsibilities: 70%

• Manage service inquiries from phone calls, emails, and walk-ins with trauma-informed language and practices
• Complete assessment of prospective client needs, including referring to specific and relevant services and advocate for their needs
• Conduct detailed in-person or virtual interviews of prospective clients, complete third-party verifications and synthesize their information to present at weekly staff meetings
• Maintain and organize information of prospects involved in the intake process
• Maintain prospect progress tracking sheet and update their records within internal (Birdseye/Salesforce) and external (HMIS) databases according to their Intake progress
• Collaborate and communicate with internal departments and external partnering agencies regarding intake activities
• Adhere to agency policies, procedures, and professional code of ethics and participate in program, department, and agency meetings and relevant trainings

• Communicate and collaborate regularly with Intake and Program Assistant and other staff to ensure all aspects of the Intake process are being completed in a timely manner and according to policy, escalating any client-related issues or concerns to Director of Program Housing
• Collaborate with Intake and Program Assistant and Director of Program Housing to ensure that client prospect files are ready to present to weekly staff meetings
• Handle the more complex intake cases, including using a foreign language interpreter when needed
• Collaborate with database manager and case managers to manage HMIS data entry at client entry, annual review, and exit
• Collaborate with database manager to manage the client database (Birdseye/Salesforce)
• Coordinate with external agencies and participate in community events to share Bridge Communities mission and outreach for new clients
• When necessary, recommend adjustments to Bridge’s intake policy and procedures

1. Education and Experience
   1. Associate degree required; bachelor's degree preferred (or equivalent experience in a related field)
   2. At least 3 years of working directly with diverse clients in a social services organization that serves persons that have experienced trauma, homelessness, abuse or have been otherwise marginalized
   3. This position is salaried, non-exempt with a salary range of $52,000 - $56,600 depending on years of experience.

1. Knowledge and Skills
   1. Computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat, as evidenced through completion of online skills assessment testing. Use of a data entry system, such as Salesforce/Birdseye or HMIS a plus
   2. Demonstrate an understanding and commitment to the organization’s mission, vision, and core values
   3. Ability to accurately record information with high attention to detail and organization.
   4. Ability to set priorities and work with little supervision and collaborate with peers and leadership
   5. Exceptional listening and verbal communication skills
   6. Ability to use de-escalation and conflict-resolution skills and establish and maintain professional boundaries when working with clients
   7. Ability to adapt to demanding, high-paced environments, and changes in processes and responsibilities.
   8. Demonstrate an understanding of the needs of diverse populations, with sensitivity to differences in culture, religion, sexual orientation, race, age, and physical and mental illness