Intake Specialist, Office of Student Protection and Title IX

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 600+ schools and employing approximately 40,000 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.

The Office of Student Protections (OSP) and Title IX's mission is to provide an equitable, inclusive, safe, supportive, and secure learning and working environment, in every school and neighborhood, in the District that is free from discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and retaliation, ensuring that all students, faculty, staff, vendors, and visitors can thrive.

Job Summary:

Reporting to a Title IX Coordination Manager, the Intake Specialist will be the first point of contact reviewing allegations reported to the Office of Student Protections and Title IX/Equal Opportunity Compliance Office (OSP/EOCO). The Intake Specialist will receive allegations via phone calls, incident reports, physical mail, emails, in-person, and online reports. The Intake Specialist will determine case classification and investigation type, document the reported allegations in the case management system, and assign them to a Title IX Coordination Specialist, Student Protection Specialists, or another District entity for follow up.

The Intake Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Triage and process new complaints of sexual misconduct, biased-based harm, or other categories that fall within the scope of the Office of Student Protections, Title IX, and Equal Opportunity Employment Office.
• Document all communications with students, school staff, parents, and other stakeholders.
• Apply knowledge of all sexual misconduct categories, investigation classifications, and definitions as defined by the OSP Procedure Manual.
• Conduct preliminary inquiries to gather additional information prior to case assignment.
• Document all reports in the appropriate recordkeeping system.
• Refer all complaints that are within scope to the appropriate team for follow-up.
• Refer any complaints that are out of scope to the appropriate department or District resource.
• Other duties and workstreams as assigned.

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Intake Specialist must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Associate degree, required
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, preferred

Experience Required:

• A minimum of two (2) years of professional experience in high volume environment, required
• Crisis hotline, crisis/risk assessment, or case management experience, preferred
• Previous experience working with sexual misconduct and other investigatory experience, preferred

Other Requirements:

• A valid State of Illinois driver's license, required
• Flexible availability during non-operating hours, required
• Language fluency in both English and Spanish, preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to manage heavy workloads and meet short deadlines
• Capable of distilling information and concisely escalate concerns to leadership
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
• Refined judgment with the ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information
• Knowledge of conflict resolution, problem-solving techniques, crisis intervention, cultural responsiveness, and trauma-informed practices
• Analytical and critical thinking skills demonstrated by the ability to analyze information and facilitate resolution of difficult challenges, including the ability to handle issues of complex and extreme sensitivity
• Ability to write concise, logical and analytical memos to convey complex issues
• Ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple deadlines and work independently while maintaining high levels of organization
• Interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a wide range of people, including children, parents, faculty, staff, child protection investigators and law enforcement

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.