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Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 330,000 students in 600+ schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity.  Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

Student Support and Engagement (OSSE) provides comprehensive support to help students become more connected to and engaged in school. We provide re-engagement services for out-of-school youth; resources to eliminate barriers for students in temporary living situations; attendance and truancy guidance for families, schools, and networks; and extended learning opportunities to enhance all students’ core academic experience while engaging parents and community members in school-led activities. Our departments include: Attendance and Truancy, Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS), Student Outreach and Re-Engagement (SOAR) Centers, Juvenile Justice Re-Entry Program, Out-of-School Time (OST) Activities, Community Schools Initiative (CSI). Our mission is to work with schools, networks, and families to establish systems of support to keep all students on track and engaged in school.

Job Summary:

The Student and Family Outreach Support role will assist with various support, outreach, and engagement opportunities via the OSSE call center. This role will ensure healthy relationships with CPS students and families, identifying barriers needed for the wellbeing, and referring students and families to services or resources. 

This part-time/temporary position will be compensated for time worked on an hourly basis. The work schedule for this role will consist of an estimated 1200 total hours beginning August 2023 and ending August 2024. Due to the part-time/temporary nature of this work, this is not a benefit-eligible position. This role will report to the OSSE Program Manager.

The part-time/temporary Student and Family Outreach Support Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Manage large amounts of outreach calls in a timely manner

• Conduct assessments/intakes by phone and facilitate support referrals 

• Adhere to outreach protocol, procedures, and practices.

• Utilize the outreach center “scripts” when handling different topics 

• Engage students/families via phone to identify student and family needs

• Provide referrals, resources, and advocacy for families

• Ensure families receive resources, conducting follow-up calls. 

• Document conversations in our CPS database 

• Acquire and maintain a high level of familiarity with CPS departments and resources

• Acquire and maintain a high level of familiarity with community organizations, local essential social services, and services of 2-1-1. 

• Engage in professional supervision and consultation 

• Attends district and network meetings and professional development activities

• Perform other duties as requested/assigned.

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the part-time/temporary “Student and Family Outreach Support” role must possess the following qualifications: 

Education Required: 

• High school diploma or GED equivalent 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university

Experience Required: 

• Minimum of 1 year of supporting families and youth 

• Google Suite experience is required 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Excellent active listening skills, with patience and empathy. 

• Compassionate and respectful of diverse values and beliefs of youth and families

• Adheres to the importance of confidentiality regarding student/family needs

• Strong communication skills (speaking and writing)

• Ability to build collaborative relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including families, youth, District and Network leadership, and community members, to support connection with appropriate supports and resources

• Ability to clearly communicate and present in a professional environment

• Ability to keep detailed records and entering data into digital platforms 

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.

• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 - Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. “Up-to-date” on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters. 

Primary Location: Central-42 West Madison Street (Office of Student Support Engagement)

Position Type: Temporary Position