Family Caregiver Advocate

Family Caregiver Advocate

Champaign & Piatt Counties

Your Crucial Role in Caring for the Carers:
Helping Ease the Stress of Day-to-Day Caregiving

Unpaid caregivers have a remarkable place in our country. It is estimated that up to 85% of caregiving services are provided by unpaid caregivers, and one-quarter of the households in Illinois have a member who is looking after an older adult in some capacity.

Caring for an older adult is one side of the caregiving spectrum; the other comprises adults 55+ who are raising their grandchildren. Though the two caregiving scenarios look different, they share themes of concern, stress, and the need for resources and self-care.

To respond to the needs of unpaid caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren, the State of Illinois offers a Caregiver Advisory service. The Caregiver Advisory helps caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren build knowledge and skills, navigate services, access resources, and reduce caregiver stress.

Our Caregiver Advocate offers that support and guidance to caregivers of older adults residing in Champaign or Piatt County.

As our Caregiver Advocate, you'll be a key member of our Senior Resource Center staff. You'll enjoy variety and opportunities for creativity in this role. This means you'll be:

• Making contacts in Champaign and Piatt Counties with other organizations who work with caregivers or grandparents raising grandchildren to build a robust referral network.
• Finding ways to connect with potential clients (e.g., social media, in-person events).
• Providing clients with access to information and assistance about a wide variety of services available to them.
• Giving instruction and training, both in a classroom / workshop setting and through personalized in-home meetings, so the client has the skills they need to do the best job they can.
• Develop and implement support groups for both caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren in Champaign & Piatt Counties. (You'll get plenty of training.)
• Working with grandparents raising grandchildren on solutions to challenges specific to their situation. They often have questions about navigating the school system, dealing with technology at school and at home (Chromebooks, video games), and handling behavior issues and children's grief and frustration.
• Being a listening ear and reliable support person who checks in on the client, gets to know them, follows up, and lets them know in word and action that they are not alone on their caregiving journey.

You'll get all the tools you'll need to be a fantastic Family Caregiver Advocate in your training, and your coworkers in the Senior Resource Center will provide robust support.

Who You Are:
The Ideal Candidate

In our ideal world, our Family Caregiver Advocate will have knowledge or experience in children's services. A background in elementary or high school education, CASA, DCFS, or similar would go a long way in this position. A willingness to learn about social services for children for our grandparents raising grandchildren works, too.

If you are the ideal candidate, you have at least a bachelor's degree in social work or a related field. High school graduates with at least 5 years of relevant experience with the aging or youth population are encouraged to apply, as well.

You'll have the following abilities:

• Cordial and friendly with clients, maintaining professionalism and kindness at all times
• Understanding of casework & how to properly document with case notes
• Organized and efficient with minimum supervision
• Respectful of various lifestyles, cultures, temperaments, and needs
• Reliable transportation, ability to meet clients in their homes, at school, or in a public third place.

You must also be…