Graduate Positions & Intern Opportunities
We welcome your interest in working as a Personal Assistant (PA) or a Graduate Disability Liaison for Beckwith Residential Support Services. Please complete the appropriate application and bring it to Nugent Hall at 207 E. Gregory Drive.
Beckwith Disability Liaisons
The Beckwith Residential Support Services (BRSS) Disability Liaison (DL) position is a 0.5FTE pre-professional graduate assistantship for which the College of Applied Health Sciences, Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES)/ Beckwith Residential Support Services (BRSS) and University Housing provides room and board at Nugent Hall and a monthly stipend. Duties begin August and continue through May.
Qualifications:
- Required: Acceptance into graduate school at time of application. Perform the duties of a Personal Assistant. Pass a criminal background check. This is a LIVE-IN position.
- Preferred: Graduate student in a disability-related field of study, and experience in organized group living (including residence halls, fraternities, sororities, or related living environment.
Graduate Disability Liaison Application Materials
- Graduate Disability Liaison Recruitment Announcement (PDF)
- Graduate Disability Liaison Job Description (PDF)
Graduate Disability Liaison Applications should be submitted to Paige Lindahl-Lewis, Associate Director, 217-333-3315. For full consideration, completed application packets need to be submitted between March and May; however, applications are accepted up until the time the two positions are filled.
Beckwith Internships
Do you want to learn about BRSS operations, programs and services by…?
- Working with each professional staff person and learning about their positions
- Attending BRSS Personal Assistant (PA) Training Class (if offered)
- Potentially work as a trained PA for the BRSS program
- Five hours can count for your internship (not applicable for iHealth interns)
- Assist with the continual evaluation and improvement of the PA Training Program
- Plan, lead, evaluate a program for the BRSS community
- Conduct a Life History Interview with a current resident
- Assist with approving Bi-weekly PA payroll
- Complete an individualized project benefitting the BRSS Community and relevant to your career aspirations.
- Meet with direct supervisor weekly for professional development
- Attend BRSS programs which interest you
- Other Tasks Assigned
Submit the Beckwith Internship Application online.
Internship applications and questions should be directed to Paige Lindahl-Lewis, Associate Director, 217-333-3315. plewis66@illinois.edu.
Any questions, please contact
Paige Lindahl-Lewis, BRSS Associate Director plewis66@illinois.edu, 217-333-3315
An Intern’s perspective:
Camryn’s Perspective: https://uofi.box.com/s/tnvndqdtz0fu0pvs0qx9edi9ha0tk7f6
Beckwith Personal Assistants
Beckwith Personal Assistants are committed to providing our Residents with support as they learn to navigate independent living and other life transitions. The Personal Assistant Position is considered a part time position.
Beckwith provides our Residents, who have severe physical disabilities, with both direct and indirect support assistance 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. Beckwith Personal Assistants (PAs) are commonly University student workers who are hired, vetted, and trained by Beckwith. All persons hired and trained by Beckwith are Personal Assistants and will provide both direct and indirect support for the Residents.
- Direct support shifts (PA shifts): Provide our Residents with one-on-one support during an agreed upon shift. Tasks during these shifts will include assisting with Activities of Daily Living that may include, but are not limited to, providing the Resident with assistance with showering, using the restroom, getting dressed / undressed, and daily hygiene needs as well as additional duties.
- Indirect support shifts (Floater shifts): Floaters (PA’s working 4-hour shift) provide the 24-hour additional support for all Residents during their shift. Support provided during a Floater shift may include but is not limited to: Urgent care restroom needs, repositioning, and assistance with medical equipment. Non- urgent needs such as getting out textbooks, assisting with heating food in the microwave, and gathering competed homework for the Resident to take to class.
Apply online for the Beckwith Personal Assistant.
If you are interested in learning more about the Personal Assistant Position, contact Jason Murphy, Coordinator of Staffing and Education, jmurphy8@illinois.edu.
The Employment process consists of:
- Completion of a Background check through the University Housing. – initiated by Beckwith
- Completion of getting entered in the University Payroll System – Initiated by DRES HR.
- Completion of Beckwith Personal Assistant Training
- Completion of Beckwith Hands-On Training.
- Completion of Bloodborne Pathogens Training
- Completion of Personal Protective Equipment training and N – 95 mask Fit testing.
Position Requirements:
- Assist Residents through Direct or Indirect Support.
- 10 hours a week minimum which can be a combination of Direct or Indirect support shifts.
- 4/10 hours a month must be weekend hours
Shifts that meet Weekend hours are:
- Friday 8p – Saturday at 10a
- Saturday night 8p – 10a Sunday
Live-In Personal Assistant Opportunities
Beckwith provides our Personal Assistants with a unique opportunity to be more engaged within the community. Personal Assistants who have worked in our program for a minimum of one semester can apply to be a Live-In Personal Assistant.
Our Live-In Personal Assistants provide the same Direct and Indirect support to our residents. However, they commit to providing 18 hours of support services a week. They also assist with providing additional service supports to the community such as weekend on-call rotations. In exchange for their hours worked and additional supports they are compensated with a room within Nugent and a meal plan.
To apply for a Live-In Personal Assistant Opportunity, contact Jason Murphy at jmurphy8@Illinois.edu.