Independent Living Specialist

East Bay Innovations
Independent Living Services
Specialist (Full-Time)

About Our Organization:

Established in 1994, East Bay Innovations (EBI) is a nonprofit human services organization that supports people with developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, autism, and cerebral palsy. Our person centered services support people to live in their own homes, make choices about how they live, work in jobs of their choosing, and enjoy being part of their communities. We seek to further the human rights and empowerment of people with disabilities, and hire people who care about social justice and want to make a difference in the lives of others.

EBI has been named a winner of San Francisco Chronicle’s Top Workplaces Award for 2023, 2024, and 2025!

The Independent Living Services (ILS) Specialist plays a vital role in empowering individuals with disabilities to achieve greater independence by providing direct client support throughout the program and serving as a substitute instructor during staff absences such as sick leave, vacations, or caseload vacancies.

Classification: 

• This is a full-time, non-exempt, bargaining unit, hourly position.

Basic Function:

• Provide vacation and sick-leave support to Independent Living Skills Instructors: This includes instruction to consumers to enable community living.

Education:

• High school diploma or equivalent (exceptions made by the Executive Director)

Experience

• Three years experience working in the field of human services preferred. 

Schedule: 

• Monday-Friday - 9:00AM-7:00PM (flex).
• Phone on by 8:30am

Compensation: 

• $28.92 per hour.

Location:

• Working throughout Alameda County.
• Possession of a valid California driver's license, a driving record that meets agency standards, auto insurance, and access to a vehicle.

Duties and Responsibilities:

ILS Expectations:

• Independent Living Skills Specialist support hours will be assessed based on the client’s needs and desires. 
• Provides vacation/sick coverage for other ILS staff as assigned. 
• Participates in staff meetings as assigned. 
• Accurately document program details, case notes, billing, expenses, and daily activities on a timely basis.

Communication and Documentation:

• Responsible for communicating all information relevant to supporting the consumer to appropriate agency staff in a timely manner. 
• Document service provided according to policies and procedure.
• Responsible for the development and implementation of consumer Individual Support Plans (ISPs), as well as the completion of all progress reviews and other service documentation.
• Operating knowledge of a computer, iPad, or tablet, applications, and software such as Google Suite. 
• Must be able to use an iPhone.

Community Engagement

• Acts as liaison to consumers, their support systems, landlords, employers, and other agencies to maintain living options. 
• Assists consumers in locating suitable housing and seeking housemates if needed.
• Acts as liaison between East Bay Innovations and other state and local agencies (i.e. Housing Authority, Regional Center, Social Security).
• Basic knowledge of community resources. 

Consumer Support and Education

• Maintains a consistent positive attitude, which is imperative to successfully supporting each consumer
• Effectively works with the significant people in each consumer’s life. Effectively works with other East Bay Innovations staff, representatives from other agencies, and members of the community.
• Facilitates and assists consumers with the development of a circle of support to build and maintain relationships with family, friends, and neighbors.
• Provides instruction on independent living skills through various teaching methods including verbal prompting, use of visuals, modeling/demonstrating, repetition, or other methods useful to the individual.
• Provides individualized support and companionship to consumers with respect and sensitivity to each individual’s needs and preferences.
• Attends intake interviews with new consumers referred to the ILS department of East Bay Innovations in partnership with the Director. 
• Responsible for scheduling direct service time to accommodate consumer needs.
• Identify unmet client needs and reports back to ILS Director and Assistant Director.
• Implements systematic instruction of living skills and data collection to monitor consumer progress on objectives as described in consumers’ ISP. 
• Develop and maintain structure, implementation, and routine of client support.
• Other duties and admin support as assigned.
• Additional duties and responsibilities specific to LTC (Life Trust Care)
• Additional duties and responsibilities specific to Housing Navigation 

Benefits:

• Medical coverage for those working 30 hours a week or more, with two different providers for you to choose from.
• Dental and vision coverage for both full-time and part-time staff.
• Flexible Spending Account & Dependent Care FSA, Commuter, and Parking pre-tax benefits.
• Voluntary Life, AD&D, Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and Pet Insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that include free mental health counseling sessions for you and members of your household.
• 403(b) retirement plan so you can invest in your future.
• Education Assistance Fund, providing reimbursement for tuition, fees, and supplies for education and self-enrichment courses.
• Membership in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021.
• Many opportunities for training so you can feel confident in the work you do and prepare for future career opportunities.
• Paid sick leave for all employees, and paid vacation for full-time employees
• Paid holidays for all Federal holidays.
• Mileage reimbursement for on the job driving at $0.70 per mile.
• EBI offers Additional Language Stipends for staff based on language fluency assessment and client/department/agency needs.
• September is DSP Month, our special time to celebrate and thank our amazing staff! EBI hosts a fun-filled get-together with games, laughter, and plenty of opportunities to connect.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is a federal program that forgives student loan debt for nonprofit employees after 120 qualifying payments. Employees who work at least 30 hours per week for a governmental, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or other qualifying nonprofit organization may apply to have the balance of their student loans forgiven (tax free) after making 120 monthly payments.

East Bay Innovations is an equal opportunity employer. We will consider all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.