Interview Eligibility Advisor

About this position

The Centre for Independent Living (CILT) is a non-profit, community-based resource organization run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities. We operate on the philosophy of the Independent Living Movement which affirms the right of persons with disabilities to control their own lives and live independently.

CILT runs the provincial Direct Funding (DF) Program (www.dfontario.ca ), an innovative program that allows individuals with disabilities to become employers of their own personal care attendants. As a self-managed model of attendant services, participants on the program receive funds that allow them to recruit and hire their own staff to assist with routine activities of daily living.

To support a new two-year modernization project, we have created a number of new roles:

• A Project Manager
• Two Regional Resource Facilitators
• A Senior Community Facilitator
• An Interview Eligibility Advisor

(if you are interested in more than one of the four roles listed above, please only apply to one of the roles and in your cover letter, list the other role(s) that you are interested in)

Reporting to the Intake Manager, the Interview Eligibility Advisor will:

1. Prepare DF applicants and support new participants (Self-Managers) with complex needs 

• Answer questions about DF interviews that are escalated from ILRC staff 

• Assist with the more complex applications, as determined by the Intake Manager, such as those with large budgets, from applicants with newly acquired disabilities, and other complex needs 

• Keep abreast of the waitlists in different areas of the province 

• Review applications to ensure that all necessary information is included and follow-up with applicants where necessary 

• Review individual budget parameters with applicants 

• Correspond with applicants on issues relating to applying to the DF Program 

• Provide education and training to applicants, especially related to matters of employment legislation and financial responsibility/accountability 

• Support applicants to successfully start on the program and monitor participation for the first five months 

 2. Build Relationships with provincial partners 

• Increase communication and connection with ILRC staff 

• Keep detailed notes of interactions with applicants and ILRC staff 

• Track progress of applicants and evaluate effectiveness of current tools 

• Develop and implement a streamlined communication system with provincial partners 

• Identify and address opportunities to increase consistency in practices to Intake Manager or Intake Coordinator  

 3. Advertise and Promote in conjunction with provincial partners 

• Increase applicant waitlist by promoting the program to various groups and orgs in person (and remotely) 

• Strengthen knowledge of DF in the community by developing relationships that increase referrals of eligible applicants 

 4. Lead eligibility interviews 

• Act as the lead on DF eligibility interviews, representing the administrative side of DF, asking the majority of the questions, and ensuring all interview requirements are met 

• Follow up on interviews in a timely and organized manner, including second meetings if required, documentation, communicating outcomes, and following through with approvals

• Remain current with program funding guidelines and applicable legislation such as the Ontario Employment Standards Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act and standards 

• Conduct interviews remotely or, when required, in-person, either in the community or from the applicant’s home 

  5. Perform administration tasks  

• Update Access database with applicant/participant information including changes of address and interview readiness 

• Generate necessary reports and statistics 

• Assist with mailing documents as required 

• Compile DF Statistics 

 6. Participate as an active member of the DF Team 

• Participate in team activities related to the overall smooth operation of the DF program  

• Work closely with the Intake Manager and other departments on establishing policies and consistent procedures regarding DF intake and interviews 

• Communicate/correspond with other team members regularly to ensure consistent adherence to program policies and procedures   

• Report significant or unusual information encountered in day-to-day activities to DF Intake Manager or Intake Coordinator 

You bring:

• Post-secondary education, or equivalent experience, and at least three years of experience preparing and interviewing applicants for social service programs
• Experience providing or receiving attendant services and the ability to apply that experience to a diverse population  
• Discretion and sensitivity to discuss detailed personal care requirements with applicants  
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with multiple partners  
• Interpersonal skills and the ability to be diplomatic, empathetic and tactful, in person, on the phone and in written correspondence 
• Demonstrated ability to lead and work co-operatively in a team  
• Strong judgement and problem-solving skills 
• Strong negotiation and conflict management skills, ability to navigate challenging conversations 
• Experience interpreting and applying policy 
• Success seeing projects through to completion 
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written, and ability to generate correspondence in a clear and concise manner 
• Knowledge of employer responsibilities such as recruiting and managing staff, employment standards, payroll, and budgeting 
• Lived experience of disability is an asset 

Good to know:

• 35 hours per week, 2 year contract
• Group benefits after 3 months
• Hybrid work from CILT's partner offices - approximately once a week or semi-monthly – and from home 
• Some travel required to prepare applicants for interviews in person (e.g., in their homes, rehabilitation centres, hospitals, etc.) and make presentations 
• Due to the nature of the role, the successful candidate will be required to provide an acceptable vulnerable sector check 

CILT strives to provide a workplace that values:

• Impactful Work
• Human-centred Leadership
• Work-life Balance
• Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility
• Respect & Kindness
• High Ethical Standards & Integrity (https://cilt.ca/about-us/working-at-cilt/)

CILT is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from people with lived experience of disability and other equity-deserving groups.

CILT is committed to providing accommodations in our hiring process for people with disabilities. If you require an accommodation, please inform us in advance and we will work with you to meet your needs.

CILT's Operational Policies and Procedures which are available on our website, are a condition of employment.