Vocational Specialist

Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

To obtain and assess employment and educational histories and interests of consumers with severe and persistent mental illness and chemical abuse/dependency. Identify, develop, and maintain competitive employment opportunities within a multidisciplinary team approach. Vocational services are delivered on an individualized, outreach, and intensive basis. Some case management and crisis intervention required. Conducts substance abuse treatment with clients in need according to the 12 core functions of substance abuse counseling as defined by the ICRC.

Brown University Health employees are expected to successfully role model the organization's values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence as these values guide our everyday actions with patients, customers and one another.

Main Duties And Responsibilities:

• Provide on-site training and support to consumers in employment sites.
• Provide assistance and support to consumers pursuing educational goals.
• Participate as liaison between consumers, employers, and IHH staff to promote coordinated service delivery.
• Participate actively in the IHH multi-disciplinary team process to develop and coordinate meaningful vocational plans.
• Develop Treatment Plans based on consumer and team input.
• Develop Treatment Plans to promote optimal vocational functioning of consumers.
• Develop Treatment plans in accordance with Agency, IHH Team Standards, and Joint Commission requirements.
• Develop strategies to engage consumers who may be ambivalent about actively seeking employment or risking benefit reduction.
• Develop consumers on-site to determine vocational assets and limitations.
• Develop on-site training and placement opportunities, and other job development activities.
• Medical record documentation must adhere to Gateway policies and procedures and IH Medicaid guidelines.
• Monitor Medication to ensure consumer understands prescribed dosage, monitor side effects, and is taken as prescribed.
• Maintain Caseload of consumers assigned by IHH Manager or Team Leader.
• Minimum of 22 hours direct vocational service hours and 8 direct service hours per week related to case management activities.
• Coordinate Services: psychiatric, substance abuse, medical, vocational, income maintenance, and social and leisure activities.
• Maintain Objectives of services to ensure consumers' active participation in treatment, acquiring stable housing, development of ADL skills and social support network, and realization of educational or employment goals.
• Maintain Appropriate MIS reports and information.
• Counsel consumers for referral to appropriate services.
• Counsel consumers in crisis, or at risk of harm to self or others as per procedure.
• Screening for substance abuse and orientation to IHH treatment options.
• Provide services in the areas of: assessment, treatment, planning, counseling, consultation, client education, and referral pertaining to substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.
• When providing therapeutic/counseling/case management services, arrives and/or participates on time, as scheduled; is alert and responsive to client issues and behaviors.
• Participate in daily staff organizational meetings and treatment planning review meetings.
• Provide ongoing assessment of client's mental illness symptoms and client's response to treatment.
• Provide ongoing assessment, problem solving, side-by-side services, skill training, supervision (ie assignments, monitoring, encouragement) and environmental adaptations to assist clients with activities of daily living.
• Attends Vocational inservices for IHH to increase staff vocational knowledge and skills.
• Attends Agency or supervisor required inservices or outside trainings.
• Attends other agency inservices.
• Attends agency, IHH staff meetings as scheduled.
• Attends supervision as scheduled.
• Prepares for supervision by completing tasks assigned and formulating questions.
• Participate in at least one Agency committee, subject to need of Agency.
• Participate in SEP as offered by RICMHC organization. Other duties and responsibilities as assigned or needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors required.
• Two years' experience in providing individualized job placement on behalf of persons with physical or mental disabilities, preferably with individuals having a severe and persistent mental illness and chemical abuse/dependency, preferred.
• Certified, or working toward certification, in both mental health case management and Vocational SEP, or Chemical Dependency professional.

Necessary Special Requirements:

• CPR training within 90 days of employment and maintain annually.
• Maintain a valid RI license at all times and use of car during normal working hours, or other means of transportation to complete major functions of job.
• Must maintain automobile liability insurance coverage for vehicle being used in accordance with Center requirements.
• Rhode Island Certification as a Chemical Dependency Professional or Counselor in Training (CIT) within two years of date of hire.
• Rhode Island certification as a Mental Health Case Manager within one year of date of hire.
• Continued education as required in order to maintain certifications.

Job Knowledge, Skill, And Ability:

• Knowledge of employment, education, and community resources.
• Understanding of mental health, chemical dependency, and vocational issues.
• Ability to work as a team member with other disciplines throughout the Center.
• Ability to successfully complete all required training and certifications
• Oral and written communication skills, including speech, grammar, spelling, and legibility are at sufficient level to ensure effective and appropriate communication.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals either manually or by use of a calculator.

Ethics:

• Uses and accesses information in client's health information record or about a client only as necessary to actual duties and then only in accordance with access levels assigned to this position by Gateway Healthcare Inc. from time-to-time and in accordance with Gateway Healthcare Inc. policies, rules, and procedures as adopted by Gateway Healthcare Inc.
• Comply with agency ethics and codes of conduct in all contacts with clients, co-workers and the community
• Observe all agency policies and procedures.

Interpersonal Factors:

• Must be able to appreciate the sensitive/private nature and legal status of information about individual clients obtained, maintained, or used by Gateway Healthcare Inc. and to not access, use, disclose, or request such information about a client unless necessary to the performance of his/her job.

Physical/Environmental Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the main duties and responsibilities of this job.
• Other duties with different demands may also be assigned by the employee's supervisor.
• Gateway complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and analogous state statutes.
• Therefore, to the extent required by law, Gateway will make reasonable accommodations to allow qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions, duties and responsibilities of their positions.
• Employees and applicants should discuss requests for reasonable accommodations with Human Resources at any time.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, office equipment, or controls and talk or hear.
• The employee frequently is required to walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, and climb.
• The employee is occasionally required to stand; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; and taste or smell.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the abilities to adjust focus.
• The employee occasionally works in outside weather conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Pay Range: $22.04-$36.37

EEO Statement: Brown University Health is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and maintaining a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment.

Location: GHI-Charlestown-4705 Old Post Road - 4705 Old Post Rd. Charlestown, Rhode Island 02813

Work Type: M-F 8 am-4:30 pm, rotating weekends and holidays

Work Shift: Day

Daily Hours: 8 hours