Employment Specialist

About Abode:

When you join Abode, you’re not just taking a job, you’re becoming part of a team creating meaningful change in our communities and a commitment to lasting housing stability.

At Abode, we believe everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home. Our mission is to solve homelessness through housing and supportive services that help individuals and families achieve stability and independence. Grounded in the Housing First model, we meet people where they are and provide individualized support based on their needs, goals, and strengths.

Housing Ends Homelessness

Our Mission:

Abode works to end homelessness by assisting low-income, unhoused people, including those with special needs, to secure stable, supportive housing; and to be advocates for the removal of the causes of homelessness.

Our Values:

• Start with Dignity
• Take Smart Risks
• Be transparent
• Solve for today and tomorrow
• Spark each other’s strengths

About the Role:

The Employment Specialist will provide worksite placement, case management, as well as employment and retention services to participants in the program. The Employment Specialist will also be responsible for recruiting work sites for potential work experience placement and/or employment.

How You Make An Impact :

• Be the on-site expert in Individual Placement and Support (IPS), an evidence-based practice. Develop supportive employment programs and deliver services per IPS guidelines.
• Champion the belief that participants can participate in competitive employment if they have a desire; participants shall not be excluded on the basis of readiness, diagnoses, symptoms, substance use history, psychiatric hospitalizations, homelessness, level of disability, or legal system involvement.
• Assess participants’ skills. Assist in increasing motivation to work and pairing participants with jobs that inspire, bring them satisfaction, etc.
• Provide employment workshops to help participants increase their skills.
• Assist participants in securing full and part-time employment.
• Accompany participants to job fairs, job interviews and submitting applications. Work with participants to create and revise resumes.
• Work with a team to develop employment related goals that are participant driven.
• Coach participants on handling work-related issues and promote self-advocacy. Work with participants to increase success in job retention.
• Assist participants and clinical team in helping people obtain personalized, understandable, and accurate information about their Social Security, Medicaid, and other government entitlements.
• Outreach to local employers to develop permanent employment, short-term labor, paid internships, and job shadowing opportunities for participants.
• Form partnerships with local employers to provide supportive work environments for participants who need more structured employment experiences.
• Manage employer relationships to promote retention of participants and creation of new jobs.
• Create and update promotional materials to be distributed to potential employers to highlight the benefits of employing participants.
• Develop job opportunities for participants in the community by developing high level relations with business
• Other Duties as assigned.

How You Meet Qualifications :

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, Human Services, Social Work, Sociology, or related field or equivalent field experience.
• 2 years of experience providing employment and job development skills to people with disabilities.
• 1 year of field experience working with people with serious mental illness, individuals with co-occurring disorder and/or the homeless population.
• Use of personal vehicle and proof of valid California Driver's License and current auto insurance, along with a clean DMV record, is required.

Our Benefits and Perks:

• Competitive pay: $28.85 - $34.62 per hour
• Work arrangement : Onsite position; may be eligible for hybrid or remote work, subject to supervisor approval and factors including job responsibilities, remote location, and employee suitability.
• PTO: 19 days per year, increasing with tenure
• Holidays: 12 paid holidays per year
• Health & Wellness:
  • 100% medical, dental and vision coverage options for employees
  • Employer subsidized options for dependent health care."
  • Legal and financial services and more through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Mental health care service provided by Teledoc
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
    • Commuter
    • Health care
    • Dependent care
  • Retirement Plan: 403(b) w/ employer match & contribution programs

Notice : Abode Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Drug Free Workplace .