Telephone counseling specialist

Every day, people across Illinois are denied the basic rights to which they are entitled under the law simply because they can’t afford a lawyer. It’s our mission to change that.

Prairie State focuses services on legal problems that impact the ability of our clients to meet their basic human needs, including adequate housing, public benefits, education, physical safety, access to healthcare, and similar needs. Our Telephone Counseling Service is staffed by 20+ attorneys and Intake Specialists who qualify applicants for service and provide legal advice by phone. The Telephone Counseling Service is the entry point for the majority of over 20,000 applications for legal help and over 15,000 clients annually.

Intake Specialists at PSLS interview applicants for service, assess legal issues, input case information into our case database system, and refer clients to Telephone Counseling attorneys. The Telephone Counseling Intake Specialist position is a remote position.

Responsibilities

• Candidates must reside in Illinois and within 50 miles of a PSLS office to attend training events
• The intake specialist will be responsible for interviewing applicants who apply for legal services through an online access system or by phone to determine eligibility for services
• Collect information from applicants about their legal issues
• Enter detailed client information into case management database
• Refer eligible applicants to attorney staff members or volunteer attorneys for service
• Provide referrals to other resources in situations where PSLS cannot assist the applicant
• Telephone Counseling Service staff will be required to travel to the West Suburban office for training and meetings occasionally throughout the year

Salary and Benefits
The Intake Specialist position is full-time at 37.5 hours per week. PSLS offers a salary that is competitive with similar organizations. The salary range of this position is $38,000 to $48,983 annually. The starting salary for the successful candidate will be determined based on prior relevant experience. PSLS is committed to providing generous benefits to its full-time employees that include:

• Health insurance, including the opportunity to qualify for a wellness credit
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• 403b Retirement Plan
• Training and education program
• PTO that starts at 3 weeks/year and increases with additional years worked
• Paid sick leave
• 6 weeks of paid parental leave after one year of employment
• 12 paid holidays per year

Qualifications

• Must have the ability to work remotely
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent oral/written communication, organization, and research skills
• Excellent computer competency, including video calls and meetings
• Ability to work effectively independently and as a team member
• Previous social service or legal experience is highly desirable
• Paralegal certificate is strongly preferred
• Candidates who are Spanish-English bilingual are highly preferred

Application Details – Resumes accepted until position is filled
Please indicate “Intake Specialist” in the subject line and email a letter explaining your interest and experience, resume, and three references to [email protected].

PSLS is an equal opportunity employer that strives to create a welcoming environment. We recruit, employ, pay, and promote qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, national origin or citizenship, ancestry, religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, military status or unfavorable discharge from military service, or other characteristics protected by law.

The Organization
Prairie State Legal Services is a not-for-profit civil legal aid organization that has served northern and central Illinois for more than 45 years, maintains 11 office locations, and has a staff of over 200 employees, including training and litigation staff with extensive experience. Our 36-county service area includes rural communities, suburban areas, and mid-size urban cities, which necessitates the development of diverse strategies. We encourage our staff to cultivate and utilize creative approaches to reach and serve our client population. Employees of PSLS benefit from the expertise and community connections of their local office staff, along with robust program-wide resources. We strive to provide an array of services responsive to the needs of our clients. PSLS has excellent fiscal controls and upholds the highest rating from Charity Navigator and Guidestar. For more information regarding PSLS services and operations, please visit our website at

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $38,000.00 - $48,983.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Location:

• West Chicago, IL 60185 (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in West Chicago, IL 60185