EMPLOYMENT SPECIALIST - CCSEP

Employment Specialist

Neighborhood House Association (NHA) Career Core Supported Employment Program (CCSEP) helps active adult and Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) job seekers with a qualifying behavioral health diagnosis, find and secure competitive employment using the evidence-based Individualized Placement and Support (IPS) model.

The Employment Specialist will provide employment services to clients of the Career Core Supported Employment Program that is compliant with the Independent Placement Support (IPS) model. The Employment Specialist will collaborate with clients and other staff to provide effective supported employment services to clients who are seeking employment and assist in other roles of the Employment Specialist position.

Reporting Relationship: Employment Specialist reports to the Program Supervisor.

Essential Responsibilities and Duties:

• Maintain a minimum caseload of 20 active job seekers by conducting vocational support groups and classes and manage, collect, and enter data and information in IPS tracking tool and maintain records for tracking client progress.
• Establish linkages with potential employers, community partners, and maintain directory of employers relevant to clients' preferences and common work experiences and attend meetings, training, workshop pertaining to responsibilities and duties to ensure that at least 6 face-to-face employer contacts per week per client are achieved.
• Utilize a strengths-based approach when serving clients by recognizing each person's skills, experiences, and values that support attainment of competitive employment.
• Writes person-specific plans that are congruent with each person's goals and provides accurate information and assists with informed decision making.
• Provides on-time and regular face-to-face contact with clients to provide time-unlimited follow-along supports
• Actively participate in individual or one on one supervision, vocational unit meetings and multidisciplinary team to advocate and discuss challenges.
• Knowledge of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) practices, and Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP).

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to plan and organize efficiently and demonstrate positive, professional, and tactful communication skills.
• Knowledge of needs of people with severe mental illness and co-occurring disorders and community resources.
• Demonstrate enthusiasm and motivation to support clients in their recovery goals.
• Knowledge of serious and persistent mental illnesses, co-occurring disorders, bio-psychosocial rehabilitation principles, evidence-based practices for recovery programs;
• Ability to communicate in a positive, professional, and tactful manner, exercise tact, objectivity and sensitivity when dealing with clients and staff;
• Knowledge of relevant software and ability to use Microsoft Office programs (e.g., Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel).

Education and Work Experience:

Completion of two years education post high school and one (1) year experience as an IPS Specialist or an employment specialist or related experience. Applicant with lived experience preferred.

Licenses, Certifications & Special Requirements:

IPS Peer or IPS Certification or Peer Support Specialist Certification preferred. Bilingual in Spanish preferred. A valid Class B California Driver's License with passenger endorsement within 6 months of hire; A clear TB test required upon hire and must be maintained every four (4) years. Knowledge of cultural issues, values and beliefs of the target population of adults with SMI background, homelessness and co-occurring disorders, relevant to providing appropriate program services.

Physical and Mental Demands:

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this class, an employee is regularly required to sit, stand and walk; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands to operate, finger, handle or feel office equipment; reach with hands and arms; bend, kneel, grasp; and lift up to fifty (50) pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus to view documents.

Mental Demands:

While performing the duties of this class, employees are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data; use math and mathematical reasoning; analyze and solve problems; learn and apply new information; perform highly detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks with frequent interruptions; meet intensive and changing deadlines and interact with officials, staff and the public.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Employees in this class generally work under typical office conditions. The noise level varies from quiet (private office) to moderate business office with computers and printers, light traffic. The employee may have occasional contact with angry or agitated individuals.

Neighborhood House Association