Vocational Specialist

Employees are encouraged to bring their authentic, original, and best selves to work.  We'll never discriminate against anyone's background or creed. If you're good at what you do, we want you to do it at Tasks Unlimited.

Now offering a $2,000 sign-on bonus!

Position Summary
The purpose of the Vocational Specialist is to empower adults mental illness to eliminate barriers that impact their ability to work. This includes hands-on vocational training and supports related to mental health and other areas of functioning. This position requires creative or innovative thinking and techniques. In consultation with a moderate number of internal and external contacts and supports this individual works toward a client’s success. Most of the job duties for this position have general instructions about the assignments to be completed and regular deadlines over a set period of time.

Essential Job Functions
Provide vocational training to assigned clients (40%)

• Deliver direct onsite vocational hands-on training and supervision of job skills
• Provide vocational support and skill training on the job and in classroom settings
• Collaborate with other staff in problem-solving behavioral and other work performance related issues
• Complete planned interventions and reports problems in this area to appropriate personnel
• Offer assessment of vocational performance and recommendations regarding vocational training/service needs
• Monitor clients mental health and work quality; provide constructive and positive feedback to clients

Coordinate client employment supports, job development and ongoing job placement activity (40%)

• Develop individual employment goal plans with clients and provide assistance to obtain employment in goal area
• Instruct participants in life skills, goal development, motivational training, job seeking skills, and job retention skills as well as others skills suitable to participants’ needs
• Assist clients with job readiness activities in order to be best positioned to know their skills and skill levels in order improve job placement with prospective employers
• Perform job coaching as needed with placed clients to ensure that they are able to maintain employment and handle and difficulties that arise in a timely manner
• Conduct ongoing follow-up with clients after placement to ensure satisfaction and retention

Coordinate and conduct job development activities with employment partners (20%):

• Maintain ongoing communication with employer partners to ensure their needs are being met.
• Conduct follow-up with employers after clients are placed to ensure employer satisfaction, future partnership opportunities and retention

• Educate businesses and other community organizations about Tasks Unlimited’s Job Placement Program by attending speaking engagements, one-to-one meetings with prospective businesses, networking events, hiring events and job fairs, other similar activities.

Physical Requirements of Position
Standing Occasionally
Walking Occasionally
Sitting About half the time
Talking or listening Frequently
Stoop, kneel, crouch Occasionally
Reach with hands/arms Occasionally
Typing/data entry Occasionally
Maximum weight to be lifted 25 pounds
Equipment Used Tasks Unlimited van or personal vehicle, telephone, computer, copier, printer, fax machine, Tasks Unlimited internal client database, and Microsoft Office programs

Direct Reports
None

Qualifications
Education and Experience
Required

1. Bachelor’s degree with at least two years of job development and placement experience, or

Associate’s degree with six or more years of job development and placement experience

1. Experience working with diverse populations, particularly with adults who have been diagnosed with a serious and persistent mental illness
2. Experience with career development services
3. Valid driver’s license and insured vehicle

Preferred

1. Prior job coaching experience
2. Global Career Development Facilitator certification and/or Certified Employment Support Professional certification

Knowledge Areas

• Psychology – Human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research messages; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders
• Vocational rehab – H elp individuals prepare for, find, keep a job, and assist independent living
• Sociology and anthropology – Group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins
• Law and government – Laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process
• Safety and security – Relevant equipment, policies, procedures and strategies to promote effective operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions

Skills

• Social perceptiveness – Being aware of other’s reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Active learning – Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Time management – Managing one’s own time and the time of others
• Coordination – Adjusting actions in relation to other’s actions
• Monitoring – Monitoring/assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action
• Complex problem solving – Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions
• Service orientation – Actively looking for ways to help people

Abilities

• Oral comprehension – The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences
• Oral expression – The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand
• Written comprehension – The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing
• Deductive reasoning – The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense
• Professionalism – Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries

• Establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships – Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time
• Communicating with supervisors, peers, or subordinates – Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person
• Getting information – Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources

We're proud to believe that your gender, race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, status as a protected veteran, or status as an individual with a disability should have nothing to do with our hiring practices. We'll never discriminate against anyone's background or creed. If you're good at what you do, we want you to do it at Tasks Unlimited.

Pay range $25 - $27 per hour DOE, plus benefits Tasks Unlimited has always been, and always will be, an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Tasks does not discriminate on the basis of any status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. Tasks will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with physical and mental disabilities; we are a drug-free workplace. Tasks participates in the E-Verify program for all applicants.