Purpose: This position provides telephonic and in-person consultation, advocacy, resource referrals, and support to empower and enhance the quality of life of adults 60 years of age and older.

Reports To: Rights & Benefits Supervisor

Category: Regular, Full-time; Non-exempt, Hourly

Compensation: Starting from $22.07 per hour (Dependent upon relevant education, experience, and preferred qualifications). This position is eligible for a bilingual pay benefit of $1.50 per hour. Your bilingual proficiency will be determined by a standardized Speaking/Listening & Reading/Writing fluency exam with a minimum score of 8 to receive the benefit.

Schedule, Post of Duty, & Travel Requirements:
• 37.5 hours weekly, primarily Monday-Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm.
• This position is initially located at PCOA’s Lupu Bldg, 8467 E Broadway, and will be assigned to one or more community partner locations.
• Some travel is required between community partner and PCOA locations.

Major Duties & Responsibilities:
• Speaks with clients on the phone, in the office, or the client’s home to assess and identify comprehensive needs.
• Facilitates referrals for community services that enhance and maintain stable housing.
• Advocates and mediates to facilitate effective communication between clients, other residents and residential staff.
• Screens clients for public benefit eligibility and assists with the eligibility requirements.
• As needed, provides additional client support to access public benefits and services such as SNAP, LIHEAP, ALTCS, behavioral health and utility discounts.
• Follows up with clients until the level of stability possible is achieved.
• Researches resources and speaks to collaterals pertinent to client issues.
• Maintains client records in database and manages other administrative tasks.
• Attends and actively collaborates with others at all scheduled meetings.
• Builds and maintains a cooperative working relationship with others.
• Utilizes technical expertise to complete all assigned tasks with an emphasis on quality and timeliness.
• Works independently and collaboratively with others with minimal supervision.
• Ensures that work adheres to local, state, and federal governmental regulations, and other applicable rules and requirements.
• Uses virtual collaboration platforms to perform work as necessary (e.g. Zoom or Teams).

Qualifications:
An equivalent combination of education and experience related to the position may be considered.
• A Bachelor’s degree in Social or Human Services, Public Health, or a closely related field; a Master’s degree is preferred.
• At least two (2) years of experience working with older adults, behavioral health, or case management; three (3) years is preferred.
• At least two (2) years of experience with community resources and making referrals; three (3) years is preferred.

Additional Qualifications:
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is required.
• Must obtain HEAPlus and LIHEAP application administrative training and access (in-house training provided).
• Must have reliable transportation.
• Must successfully obtain and maintain AZ Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance and Central Registry background clearance.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Knowledge of community resources, services, and benefit programs.
• Knowledge of program coordination techniques and practices as applied to specific programs.
• Knowledge of the aging process, issues, and health problems associated with aging and disabilities.
• Ability to demonstrate a commitment to the vision, mission, and values of Pima Council on Aging, its family of non-profit companies and its community partners.
• Ability to effectively communicate with, receive information from, and convey information to others.
• Ability to identify problems, evaluate alternatives, and implement effective solutions.
• Ability to manage time, organize work, set priorities, meet deadlines, and follow up on work assignments with minimal supervision.
• Ability to professionally represent the organization and work harmoniously with diverse populations including staff, clients, and providers.

Physical & Environmental Factors:
• This position works in an office environment with low noise level due mostly to office equipment.
• This position requires travel to and working in community partner sites that may encounter unsanitary conditions and diversity of living styles.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk, stand, and occasionally climb or balance, squat, stoop, twist, turn, push, pull, kneel, crouch, crawl and reach with hands and arms.
• This position frequently must lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and infrequently must lift and/or move up to 35 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Hearing requirements include ability to listen and respond appropriately to conversations in person, virtually, and over the phone.

PCOA offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:
• Employees working at least thirty (30) hours per week are eligible for medical, (PPO and HDHP with or without an HSA) dental, and vision benefits. Employees working at least thirty-seven and a half (37.5) hours per week are eligible for additional voluntary life and AD&D, as well as long- and short-term disability benefits.
• Regular, full-time employees receive fourteen (14) paid holidays, twenty-one (21) days of vacation, and fifteen and a half (15.5) days of sick leave. Part-time employees receive a prorated amount of time off depending on the number of hours worked.
• A bilingual pay differential is available to employees in a bilingual-eligible position upon receiving an acceptable score on a fluency examination.
• Employees are immediately eligible to contribute and are vested in a 401K plan upon hire.
• An employee wellness and employee assistance program are available to support the health and wellness of all PCOA employees and members of their households.
• In-house training and professional development opportunities are available.

About Pima Council on Aging:
Pima Council on Aging’s mission is to promote dignity and respect for aging and to advocate for independence in the lives of Pima County’s older adults and their families. We are Pima County’s leading experts on aging well, advocacy, and unbiased information for older adults and their families. Founded in 1967, PCOA was among the first aging services organizations in the nation. We are passionate about improving the experience of aging in our community.

With more than five decades of service to Pima County’s communities, we have developed an unparalleled network of service partners and programs and older adults. This allows us to continually find new ways to serve our community through direct services and partnerships. We strive to be inclusive, innovative, and integrated into the fabric of our community. The agency budget of $17M, which includes Caregiver Training Institute and Pima Care at Home (members of the PCOA family of nonprofit agencies), is comprised of national, state, and local government contracts; grants, contributions, and gifts; program fees; and special event revenues.

Our Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity:

At Pima Council on Aging, we don’t just accept differences – their importance is one of our key values. We are committed to building a team that serves the community by representing a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, skills, and abilities. As an equal-opportunity employer, we support diversity, foster equity, and are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible environment for all.