POSITION: CARES ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST  

John Boner Neighborhood Centers (JBNC) is seeking a CARES Eligibility Specialist who will play a vital role in helping community members navigate energy and rental assistance. You’ll be an important part of Community Assistance Response, Engagement & Supports (CARES) that strengthen the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. The CARES Eligibility Specialist will interview community members, provide program navigation support, and review and process community assistance support applications. As the CARES Eligibility Specialist you will play a vital role in helping community members as a face of John Boner Neighborhood Centers!  

This is a part-time, temporary, entry-level customer service position.   

HERE’S WHAT A DAY AS A CARES ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST MIGHT LOOK LIKE:  

• Working onsite at John Boner Neighborhood Centers to help community members navigate determining eligibility, applying for, and receiving rent assistance, energy assistance, and other support programs 

• Interviewing community members to determine nature and degree of need, assistance eligibility, and benefits 

• Processing applications following pre-set guidelines for eligibility 

• Reviewing and updating customer data records to ensure system data is accurate and complete  

• Welcoming community members who need assistance and providing resources and materials or referring them to other community resources 

• Working collaboratively with federal agencies and other institutions who provide assistance or administer programs 

• Advocating for individuals requiring additional assistance and collaborating to serve families enrolled in the CWF initiative 

• Cultivating an environment of respect, rapport and empathy to foster a culture of care and customer service

YOU WILL THRIVE IN THIS POSITION IF: 

• YOU HAVE A POSITIVE, TEAM-FOCUSED ATTITUDE. We are looking for proactive, independently driven administrative/customer service professionals who love working as part of a team. 

• YOU COULD BE A DATA NERD. YOU HAVE HIGH ATTENTION TO DETAIL, ARE COMPUTER SAVVY, AND ENJOY WORKING WITHIN PROCESSES AND STRUCTURES. In this role you’ll be doing a great deal of data entry for programs that are administered at a federal level and have set benchmarks and systems in place for data and reporting. If this role is for you, you take ownership of paperwork and data entry, can work with different data tracking systems, and have a personal commitment to accuracy, confidentiality, and excellence. 

• YOU HAVE GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE, SPEAK WITH EMPATHY, AND EXCEL AT COMMUNICATING COMPLEX THINGS IN AN UNDERSTANDABLE WAY. Many of our community members are coming to us during very difficult and stressful times in their lives and accessing programs and services that can be complex. An excellent CARES Eligibility Specialist would work patiently to help our community members understand programs, requirements, and individualized options for assistance. 

• YOU TRULY ENJOY HELPING OTHERS. Our CARES programs are a service to the community to help make our community - and the lives of the people in it - better! It’s important that CARES Eligibility Specialists have a sincere passion to help others.

THESE ARE THINGS WE ARE LOOKING FOR FROM ALL OF OUR CARES ELIGIBILITY SPECIALISTS:  

• A GED, high school diploma or equivalent 

• Comfort with technology and performing administrative and data-tracking functions 

• The ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse individuals, including our community members, program partners, staff, and others

*We welcome bi-lingual, Spanish-speaking candidates 

Please note: Must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or obtain an approved medical or religious accommodation. Proof of vaccination is required for employment.