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New Community Initiatives Create Job Opportunities for Outreach Professionals

(Belleville) – New initiatives in East St. Louis and Southern Illinois are creating employment opportunities for people seeking to help others in their community.

These new initiatives, called "deflection" are community-based efforts to reach out to people with substance use disorders, victims of crime, and others who may be experiencing difficulties. 

TASC deflection specialists/community care coordinators work directly with first responders and community partners to connect people to the services they need most, from addiction treatment to victim support services to housing assistance. Deflection specialists also provide training on preventing opioid overdose deaths, including naloxone administration and accessing evidence-based substance use treatment programs. 

The Front Lines of Community Service

Police and other first responders often encounter people who need help beyond what first responders are tasked to do. This is where deflection comes in. Deflection specialists work alongside first responders to assist people who would like help. Participation in deflection initiatives is voluntary.

TASC is currently working with numerous local partners in East St. Louis and Southern Illinois to create deflection initiatives that will best serve the needs of the local community. These groundbreaking efforts are being planned with and supported by the Illinois State Police (ISP) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) will conduct evaluations of these initiatives.

In East St. Louis, the lead community partner with TASC is the Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG), a unit within ISP to help alleviate violent crime in East St. Louis.

In Southern Illinois, the lead community partner is the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force (SIDTF), which operates within three ISP districts, covers 13 counties, and has offices in DuQuoin, Carmi, and Ullin.

Along with these partners, numerous community service providers are offering input and collaboration to help design initiatives to best match local needs to available expertise and resources.

Position Openings

Across Illinois, TASC helps people move away from involvement in justice, corrections, and youth and family service systems, and into health and well-being in the community. TASC is currently accepting applications for care coordination and case management positions across Illinois, including applications for deflection specialists and supervisors, and an administrator.

People with in-depth knowledge of the community and lived experience are encouraged to apply. To view the job descriptions and to apply, visit "Work at TASC" and scroll to deflection positions in Belleville (TASC base office for East St. Louis deflection initiative) and Carbondale (TASC base office for the Southern Illinois initiative).

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