Supported Employment Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Job Summary

The Supported Employment Specialist coordinates the day-to-day activities of the Recovery Works program and provides individualized support to enrolled jobseekers. Recovery Works is a 12-week supported employment program at the Foundation for Recovery focused on helping people recovering from stimulant or opioid use disorders find and sustain meaningful work with wrap-around behavioral health support. The Recovery Works Program follows the Individual Placement Support (IPS) evidence-based model of supported employment.

 

This position facilitates weekly workforce development classes and life-skills groups, organizes and coordinates certification trainings and activities with community partners, engages with recovery-friendly employers participating in the program, develops employment and benefit plans with individuals, provides strength-based coaching, and assists individuals with preparing for interviews, searching for employment, and writing resumes with the goal of achieving rapid competitive employment in the community. In this role you’ll participate in weekly case conferences and collaborate with housing and behavioral health team members to ensure alignment between recovery goals and employment objectives.

This position requires completion of a Peer Recovery Support Specialist training approved by the Nevada Certification Board or ability to obtain certification.

Essential Functions

• Engages program participants and establishes trusting, collaborative relationships directed toward the goal of competitive employment in community job settings.
• Assists program participants in obtaining individualized information about how entitlements (e.g., SSI, Medicaid, etc.) will be affected by employment
• Assesses participants' vocational skills and preferences on an ongoing basis utilizing background information and work experiences.
• Assist participants learn about different job opportunities by organizing meetings with employers for participants to ask about positions and job fairs to speak with employers about different employment opportunities
• Facilitate weekly employment skill workshops for program participants.
• Provide outreach services to clients when they appear to disengage from the service
• Organize and participate in weekly case conferences with other team members to review participant career and recovery goals, employment plans, housing, and available employment opportunities at recovery friendly workplaces.
• Responsible for a minimum of 40 job starts per year and 80% maintenance of employment among caseload.
• Assists participants in learning about different education and vocational training programs related to participant interests and academic aptitudes.
• Collaborates with and coordinates services with external partners including, participant's mental health providers, housing agencies, social workers, and counselors at the Financial Aid Office, as needed.
• Maintains list of local employers, open jobs, and fosters relationships with employers to address any issues with placed program participants.
• Completes various assessments, surveys, interviews, and other data collection methods to track outcomes of members for grantors, management, and community partners
• Coordinate ancillary services for members such as: transportation assistance, vocational training, stable and secure living environments, and other recovery support services, as identified by members
• Support members with identifying whole health and recovery goals and developing plans to achieve those goals
• Provide individualized support, empowerment, and encouragement to members through coaching and everyday interactions
• Share and model personal resilience and recovery experiences, when appropriate, acting as a role model for members
• Provide regular communication to members through phone, text, and in-person follow-ups and check-ins
• Maintain clear and concise documentation using the organization's case management software
• Prepare program, grant, and caseload reports
• Understand and adhere to all state and federal confidentiality laws and regulations
• Ability to become certified as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist upon hire through Nevada Certification Board
• Other duties as assigned

Job Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Completion of Peer Support Specialist training approved by the Nevada Certification Board (or ability to obtain certification upon hire)
• 1-2 years of experience working with people with behavioral health disorders and individuals
• from various socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds
• 1-2 years of experience facilitating groups, workshops, or trainings
• 1-2 years of prior experience with standard office practices and procedures, including office etiquette, records management and use of case management or electronic health record system, and using computer programs such as Microsoft Office or Google Workspace.
• 1-2 years of customer service experience
• Must understand and adhere to the Nevada Certification Board's code of ethics for Peer Recovery Support Specialists, federal and state confidentiality laws and regulations, and Nevada mandatory reporting laws and regulations
• Previous experience developing program reports and tracking outcomes
• Must provide proof of identification and eligibility to work in the United States of America.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS-I or CPRSS) by the Nevada Certification Board
• College degree (associates or bachelors) in human services field
• Prior experience working in supported employment programs and familiarity with Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment 
• Familiarity with Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiatives
• Prior experience working in an office-based setting, non-profit, or community- based organization.
• Prior experience working with state and federal grants.

Skills

• Comfortable facilitating workforce and life-skills groups
• Maintaining accurate records of work performed
• Ability to establish personal and professional boundaries
• Motivational interviewing
• Active listening
• Ability to understand concepts of multiple pathways of recovery and IPS principles principles
• Resume development and interview preparation
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Ability to establish professional boundaries
• High attention to detail and organized
• Superb phone etiquette and customer service skills
• Service orientation

Work Environment

Our employees work in a supportive and collaborative office environment. This position is part-time and based in Las Vegas at Foundation for Recovery’s Clubhouse. Foundation for Recovery will provide all the tools necessary to perform the duties of the position.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Mobility to work in a transportation setting and operate a motor vehicle; strength and agility to lift materials weighing up to 75 pounds; stamina to sit for extended periods of time; The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; driving a vehicle; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; hearing and speech to communicate in person or over the telephone. Repetitive motion. Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. Work is subject to performance under exposure to extensive travel, bodily fluids, fumes, gases, noise and chemicals.

Job Details and Salary

• Full-Time, exempt employee
• Salary Range: $45,000 - $55,000 per year
• Health, vision, and dental insurance available after 90 days
• PTO accrual: 10 hours/month after 90 days
• 3 Company Paid Sick/Mental Health Days in addition to accrued PTO.
• 11 company-paid holidays annually
• Employer-provided training and professional development opportunities

Disclaimer

Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. This is a grant-funded position. Funding for this position is currently approved through September 30, 2026 and continuation of this position is subject to ongoing grant funding. 

 

About Foundation for Recovery

Established in 2005, Foundation for Recovery has built programs and partnerships to remove barriers for Nevada families and communities impacted by substance use and mental health disorders. Our success is attributed to a simple concept; expand community support services, empower local leaders, build capacity for authentic addiction recovery resources, and treat people who use substances with dignity and respect.

 

As Nevada's first and only statewide Recovery Community Organization, our philosophy is that those closest to the issue are closest to the solution. Which is why the majority of our staff, board, and volunteers who drive our mission are people with their own life experiences recovering from addiction and co-occurring disorders. Together, we uplift the voices of our communities and choose to focus on our strengths and talents, rather than our illnesses. This strength-based approach guides our vision for a world where resources, treatment, and support for addiction and mental health are abundant.