ASD/Career Advancement Specialist-PRISM

Position: ASD Career Advancement Specialist

Location: PRISM 

Reports To: Program Coordinator

Hours: Full-time/40 hrs. Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm, w/flexibility for evenings/weekends

Overview

Triangle has an immediate opening for an ASD/Career Advancement Specialist at the PRISM/Main Street site. The qualified candidate will equip adults with disabilities to help them achieve their career and personal goals This will be done by maximizing their abilities and leveraging their interests through competitive employment opportunities as well as engaging, fun and customizable programming experiences.

Triangle's Expectation of Employee

• Adheres to Triangle policy and procedures

• Fosters a positive, solution-oriented culture consistent with Triangle's mission

• Promotes employment, self-advocacy, and independence across programs and participants

• Acts as a role model within and outside of Triangle

• Maintains a positive and respectful attitude towards participants, staff, and community partners

• Communicates regularly with supervisor

• Demonstrates flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload

• Consistently reports to work on time prepared to perform duties of position, with a willingness to flex hours as needed

Primary Responsibilities

• Equips neurodiverse participants with job readiness skills to secure potential employment or collegiate pathways

• Supervises & supports groups of participants in a program and variety of settings including social gatherings, volunteer sites, recreational outings, and other community related outings

• Creates an inviting, customizable, exciting and innovative earning environment

• Takes lead in developing and implementing activities and employment/collegiate opportunities focused on personal and professional development

• Aids in the development & implementation of new, flexible and engaging career and social experiences to meet program/participant driven goals

• Monitors member's respective utilization of contracts

• Facilitates and implements after hours social opportunities and community engagement as needed

• Monitors individual job performance, attitude, and behavior for appropriateness for those that are employed

• Implements independent living, self-advocacy, and soft skills into daily activities and programmatic offerings

• Provides individualized support to participants, when necessary, both during programming and 1:1 job/collegiate pathway coaching

• Conducts initial/ongoing assessments for personal growth

• Proactively communicates with families or members over employment/collegiate progress and needs

• Provides supports to members and assists in developing natural supports to ensure integration and increased or maintained independence in the community

• Trains and develop independent skills related to employment and collegiate pathways, such as travel training, hygiene, self-advocacy, etc.

• Provides transportation for groups or individual career seekers to interviews, employment assessments, job searching, and other employment activities in the community

• Communicates in a professional manner with employers/collegiate stakeholders

• Works with Case Management team to ensure individual's ISP/Life Plan goals are being met

• Participates in ISP/Life Plan meetings with Department of Developmental Services, participants, and their families or other members of their support team as needed

• Takes direction from Site Manager/Program Coordinator to collect accurate data as needed for ISP/Life Plans, behavior plans, monthly progress notes, etc.

• Submits billing and related progress notes on a daily basis utilizing Penelope software

• Contributes to monthly ISP/Life Plan goal tracking notes

• Other duties as assigned

Daily

• Performs 1:1 job development with or on behalf of participant and complete documenting/ billing in database

• Adjust supported employment schedule as needed

• Provides direct care/group site supervision when necessary

• Prepares and executes lessons to foster personal and professional growth

• Knows and adheres to all safety policies and emergency procedures. Know basic emergency facts regarding participation

• Maintains up to date case notes, employment records, schedules, etc.

Weekly

• Provides services and bills necessary contract hours on a weekly basis

• Plans and facilitates job clubs/events for groups of participants and bills accordingly

• Checks in with appropriate parties on a weekly basis to share applicable progress, challenges, and ISP/Lifeplan progress and behavior data

Yearly

• Reaches department placement/ annual goals set by Site Manager and Department

• Participates in progress meetings (ISP, behavioral etc.) as requested.

Qualifications

• Commitment to supporting a Neurodiverse population

• High School Diploma required; additional Education preferred

• Two to Four years of Human Services/ASD experience preferred

• Some Marketing and/or Sales experience preferred

• First Aid/CPR and Safety Care or willingness to become certified.

• Massachusetts Driver's License and clean driving record required

• Personal vehicle required

Language Skills

• Ability to verbally communicate

• Ability to read, analyze, interpret, and write documents.

• Ability to respond to and navigate common inquiries or complaints from regulatory agencies, or family members.

Americans with Disability Specifications

Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment should be adapted to meet the sensory needs of a neurodiverse population.