Independent Living Skills (ILS) Coach

Full or Part Time  | One-on-One Support

Position Overview

We are seeking a patient, dependable, and encouraging Independent Living Skills (ILS) Coach to provide individualized support to adults with a disability.

The primary purpose of this position is to help the person served increase independence and confidence in everyday living while working toward the long-term goal of obtaining and successfully maintaining independent housing.

Support will focus on five primary areas: grocery shopping, cooking and meal preparation, cleaning and housekeeping, managing medical appointments, and obtaining independent housing.

The ideal candidate understands how to provide appropriate assistance while encouraging the person served to complete as many tasks independently as possible.

Primary Areas of Support

• Grocery Shopping & Planning
• Cooking & Meal Preparation
• Cleaning & Housekeeping
• Medical Appointments & Health Management
• Independent Housing

Hours may be adjusted among these areas based on appointments, housing opportunities, scheduling, progress, and the current needs of the person served.

Key Responsibilities

Grocery Shopping & Planning

• Assist with creating grocery lists based on household and meal needs.
• Help plan and organize grocery shopping trips.
• Teach strategies for locating items and navigating stores more independently.
• Support basic budgeting and making appropriate purchasing decisions.
• Encourage appropriate communication with store employees when assistance is needed.
• Gradually reduce prompting as confidence and independence increase.

Cooking & Meal Preparation

• Help plan simple, nutritious meals.
• Assist with selecting recipes and organizing necessary ingredients.
• Teach safe food preparation and basic cooking skills.
• Break recipes into clear, manageable steps.
• Support preparation of meals in quantities that allow for leftovers when appropriate.
• Reinforce kitchen organization, food storage, and cleanup.
• Encourage the person served to complete each step as independently as possible.

Cleaning & Housekeeping

• Help establish a realistic and consistent household cleaning routine.
• Develop and use checklists, visual reminders, or other organizational tools as appropriate.
• Provide support with wiping surfaces, vacuuming, sweeping, laundry, dishes, and organizing common areas.
• Modify or assist with tasks involving bending, prolonged physical activity, or other activities that may be difficult for the person served.
• Teach strategies for maintaining a clean, safe, and organized living environment.
• Provide verbal prompting and hands-on assistance when necessary while working toward greater independence.

Medical Appointments & Health Management

• Assist with organizing and keeping track of scheduled medical appointments.
• Provide reminders and help establish a consistent appointment routine.
• Assist with transportation planning or transportation support as authorized.
• Help the person served prepare questions or concerns to discuss with medical providers.
• Support understanding and organization of medical instructions and recommendations.
• Encourage appropriate calming and coping strategies during stressful appointments.
• Help develop the skills needed to take a more active role in managing appointments and communicating with healthcare providers.

Independent Housing

A significant goal of ILS services will be helping the person served develop the skills and knowledge necessary to identify, obtain, and maintain appropriate independent housing.

The ILS Coach will:

• Help identify housing preferences, needs, and realistic housing options.
• Assist with researching available housing and community housing resources.
• Teach the person served how to search for housing online and through appropriate community resources.
• Assist with understanding rental listings, basic lease information, deposits, utilities, and other housing-related responsibilities.
• Support completion and organization of housing applications and required documentation.
• Help maintain an organized record of housing applications, contacts, appointments, and follow-up needs.
• Practice communicating with landlords, property managers, housing agencies, and other appropriate contacts.
• Support the person served in asking questions and advocating for her housing needs.
• Assist with developing a realistic understanding of monthly household expenses and basic budgeting associated with independent living.
• Prepare for housing interviews, tours, or appointments when applicable.
• Once housing is obtained, support the transition into the new home and reinforce the skills necessary to maintain a safe, organized, and stable living environment.

The goal is to actively involve the person served throughout the housing process rather than completing the process for her, building the skills needed for long-term housing independence.

Coaching Approach

The ILS Coach should use a teach, model, practice, and gradually reduce support approach.

The goal is not simply to complete tasks for the person served. Staff should provide the level of assistance necessary for success while continually encouraging participation, decision-making, problem-solving, self-advocacy, and increased independence.

Progress toward established ILS goals should be observed and documented during services.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be:

• Patient, dependable, respectful, and encouraging.
• Comfortable providing one-on-one support in home and community settings.
• Able to teach skills using simple, manageable steps.
• Organized and comfortable using routines, checklists, and reminders.
• Able to recognize when assistance is needed without unnecessarily taking over a task.
• Comfortable assisting with grocery shopping, cooking, housekeeping, medical appointments, and housing-related activities.
• Comfortable assisting with basic online housing searches and applications.
• A strong communicator with good observation and problem-solving skills.
• Flexible and able to adapt support based on the individual's abilities and progress.
• Focused on promoting dignity, choice, self-advocacy, and independence.

Experience Preferred

• Previous experience providing Independent Living Skills (ILS) services.
• Experience working with adults with intellectual, developmental, and/or physical disabilities.
• Experience with community-based support, caregiving, direct support, life-skills coaching, or similar services.
• Experience teaching daily living skills while encouraging independence.
• Familiarity with housing searches, rental applications, community housing resources, or similar processes is a plus.

Schedule

Scheduling will be based on the needs and availability of the person served. Services may include grocery shopping, in-home cooking and meal preparation, cleaning and household-management sessions, medical appointments, and housing-related activities.

Flexibility is important because medical appointments and housing-related appointments or opportunities may occur at different times throughout the month.  

Work Environment

Services will be provided one-on-one in the person's home and within the community. The ILS Coach should be comfortable accompanying the person served to grocery stores, medical appointments, housing-related appointments, property tours, and other community locations associated with established ILS goals.

Required Qualifications & Compliance

• Experience working with individuals with disabilities preferred.
• Strong communication and observation skills.
• Patient, dependable, and safety-focused approach.
• Ability to provide hands-on assistance when necessary.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality.
• Two forms of valid identification.
• Current CPR and First Aid certification.
• Live Scan fingerprint clearance.
• Current TB clearance.

Overall Goal of the Position

The overall goal of ILS services is to help the person served develop the practical skills, confidence, self-advocacy, and daily routines necessary to live as independently as possible.

A major long-term objective will be supporting her in obtaining appropriate independent housing and developing the skills necessary to successfully maintain her own home once housing is secured.

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