community intervention specialist

BID/JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

COMMUNITY INTERVENTION SPECIALIST
Department of Family and Support Services
Number of Positions: 1
(additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary:
$
66,612.00/Year
Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on 10
/30
/202
5
This position is open to the public and all current City employees covered under the City's collective bargaining agreement with
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) – BARGAINING UNIT 1, 3, 4 & 5
. Only employees in City job titles in this bargaining unit are eligible to bid.
BID INSTRUCTIONS: Apply on the bid site:

AND

• Check the box on your profile titled "Currently employed by the City of Chicago"
• Enter your employee ID (located on your pay stub labeled 'payee/employee number')
• Select your correct bargaining unit

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN A REJECTED BID APPLICATION
Under supervision, the class works primarily in the field as part of the Homeless Outreach and Prevention (HOP) team canvassing communities providing crisis intervention and social services support to the unsheltered population, and performs related duties as required.

Essential Duties

• Travels by vehicle or on foot to encampment sites and locations throughout Chicago where the unsheltered population resides and proactively initiates non-judgmental conversations to create and maintain relationships and provide a consistent presence
• Engages individuals in need of services and consistently works to meet those needs, particularly with those who may not independently seek services
• Provide crisis counseling to vulnerable populations (homeless or at risk of homelessness)
• Conducts needs assessments (e.g., intakes, coordinated entry system assessments, housing assessment and UHI Prioritization), obtains pertinent information and establishes short and long-term case management goals for clients
• Stays abreast of eligibility requirements and guidelines for other social service programs and community partners
• Creates and maintains a list of resources, services and contacts to better serve the clients
• Assists individuals in applying for federal and state benefits (e.g., Medicaid, food security applications, and Social Security disability)
• Updates case management system with client information by using designated systems (i.e., HMIS and ECM)
• Refers and advocates for clients to delegate agencies, shelters and other social service providers for continued and ongoing social service needs (e.g., housing, medical, mental health services)
• Conducts follow up to ensure clients receive appropriate needed assistance
• Assists in the placement of individuals affected by emergency housing situations (e.g., fires, vacates, evictions, etc.) by developing relocation plans and/or arranging shelter or nursing home placement and transportation
• Develops and maintains strong working relationships with staff at key City departments, health care professionals, homeless/housing service providers, and the community at large to provide intervention and services to high-risk clients who are homeless and in need of services
• Coordinates and participates in the cleaning of encampment sites (e.g., proper disposal of food and garbage, and the appropriate handling of unsheltered populations personal items)
• Accompanies and transports clients to appointments
• Provides assistance when emergency shelters or other temporary shelters are activated in a crisis
• Participates in annual homeless count
• Manages the inventory and documents the distribution of supplies provided to the clients
• Collaborates with outreach partners to connect client to services

Location:
Department of Family and Support Services, HOP

Address: Community Service Center/Multiple Locations
Shift:
Mon — Fri, 8:30am — 4:30pm

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in the Social Sciences or a directly related field, plus two years of community or social service work experience involving the unsheltered population; or an equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience

Licensure, Certification, Or Other Qualifications

• A valid State of Illinois driver's license is required
• May be required to work various hours, as required

Selection Criteria
This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral interview will be selected.

Preference Will Be Given To Candidates Possessing The Following

• Previous experience providing street outreach to unsheltered homeless
• Bachelor's degree in social work
• Previous experience conducting needs assessments, crisis counseling and resource procurement
• Proficiency with computers and managing data entry programs

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:
Click Here

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:
Click Here

APPLICATION EVALUATION:
Initial evaluation will be based on the information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resources staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow all required employment/hiring plan provisions, federal, state, and local laws, and collective bargaining agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:
To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience, the City of Chicago has adopted ordinances and The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States, residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA), and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. The learn more about our hiring processes click here.

ALL
REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ANY
AND
ALL
APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR
CITY
EMPLOYMENT.
The City of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity and Military Friendly Employer and Fair Chance Employer
City of
Chicago
Brandon Johnson, Mayor

Job Posting
Oct 16, 2025, 12:00:00 AM

BU
03