Intake Specialist

The Legal Aid Society (LAS) is the legal services arm of MFS. Since 1886, LAS has been working to strengthen families and ensure equal access to justice by providing free legal services to under-resourced communities, including families experiencing poverty, victims of violence and crime, and the elderly. LAS provides assistance with a wide range of case types, including domestic violence, family law, elder abuse, immigration, human trafficking, expungement/sealing, and housing.

LAS serves clients in Cook County, DuPage County, and Central Illinois.

We are now hiring for a full-time Intake Specialist to join our LAS team.

SALARY: The average starting salary for this position will fall in the range of $44,000 and $50,000 annually. Where candidates fall in this range will be based on skill and experience level.

Provide client-centered, welcoming, responsive, and helpful intake and referral services to individuals and families that result in being connected to appropriate services and/or resources. Effectively gather and process pertinent information to provide referrals for services and resources the person may be eligible for. Work with community resources to expand needed external referrals. Effectively triage and de-escalate persons in crisis who are seeking services and/or resources.

Effectively work with diverse staff and service population.

• Provide client-centered, welcoming, responsive, and helpful intake and referral services to individuals and families that result in being connected to appropriate services and/or resources.
• Effectively gather and process pertinent information to provide referrals for services and resources the person may be eligible for; work with community resources to expand needed external referrals.
• Effectively triage and de-escalate persons in crisis who are seeking services and/or resources.
• Effectively work with diverse staff and service population.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Good computer skills and ability and willingness to learn a variety of applications. Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs.
• Must be detail oriented with good organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written).
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to multitask within a fast-paced environment and meet multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Demonstrated courtesy, patience, and good judgment under pressure.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse individuals and groups.

• High School with 3+ years of human service experience required. Qualified human service experience includes direct service to a client to improve quality of life (e.g., case management, advocacy for client needs, helping client meet basic needs, coordinating care, assessment of needs, crisis intervention).
• Ability to complete required 40-hour domestic violence training.
• An associate’s degree in a relevant field and 1+ years of human service experience OR a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field preferred.

• Satisfactorily pass all relevant screening and criminal background checks.

• Driving not required.

While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is required to sit and stand for sustained periods of time, frequently talk, hear, use hands and fingers to feel, handle, and operate objects or controls, and occasionally stand, bend, stretch, stoop, kneel and crouch. The employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, and viewing a computer terminal.

The employee will lift and/or move with capability of at least 50 pounds.

Metropolitan Family Services puts our people first with a top-of-the-line benefits package. Highlights include:

• Medical Coverage, Guardian Dental Coverage, and VSP Vision Coverage.
• Metropolitan Family Services contributions of $2,000 to individual, and $4,000 to family, HSA accounts, pro-rated to your benefits start date.
• FREE General Medicine and Behavioral Health Teladoc services provided to all team members.
• Asce…