Employment Specialist

Job Purpose: The purpose of this position is to provide and coordinate vocational services to individuals with disabilities, disadvantaged conditions, and/or barriers to employment, which will assist them in obtaining and succeeding in competitive community employment.

This position answers to multiple stakeholders: the participants, funding sources, employers and other community representatives, and Goodwill.

Qualifications and Requirements:

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services or related field.

Experience: One-year experience providing vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities required. Prefer experience working with individuals with intellectual/developmental, traumatic brain injury, and mental health disabilities

Computer proficiency: Basic computer literacy including Word, Access, and Excel

Clearances: Must be able to obtain acceptable results for required background checks, including Act 151 Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, Pennsylvania Criminal History Check and Department of Human Services- FBI Fingerprints.

Exclusion Report: Employee will be screened on an ongoing monthly basis to determine if he/she has been excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs. If exclusions from participation in federal healthcare programs occur, the employee will be precluded from employment in any federally funded healthcare program operated by Goodwill.

Other: An employment specialist must have a valid driver’s license, with a clean driving record and dependable transportation, which can be used in the course of his/her job.

Ability to Telework: An employment specialist is eligible for up to one day per week telework, pending participant work schedules, work performance, and agency needs at the supervisor’s discretion.

Supervision Received:

The Employment Specialist functions under the direct supervision of the program manager with latitude for independent action within his/her own areas of responsibility in accordance with agency policy.

Supervision Exercised:

The employment specialist does not exercise supervision over any employees. He/she exercises supervision over Goodwill’s program participants who are assigned to him/her, training them to meet the normal requirements of competitive community employment, directing them in the performance of job duties, and appropriate work habits. Employment Specialists may provide guidance to job coaches – regarding supporting participants at their work sites. Each participant’s assigned employment specialist has ultimate responsibility for that individual and must handle any major disciplinary action required.

Skills, Abilities, and Duties:

1. Knowledge of current best practices in the delivery of vocational rehabilitation services and acceptance of Goodwill’s Philosophy Concerning People Served.
2. Sound professional judgment, adequate to formulating realistic program plans, and counseling participants regarding work-related issues.
3. Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, using English.
4. Ability to relate effectively to others, including co-workers, agency participants, supervisors and community contacts.
5. Ability to work in the community and make contacts with business professionals.
6. Thorough knowledge and acceptance of principles of customer service.
7. Ability to obtain the Certified Employment Support Professional Credential within one year of hire.
8. Valid Pennsylvania driver’s license, with a clean driving record. Access to dependable transportation, which can be used in the course of his/her job.
9. Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evening hours and weekends.
10. Extremely dependable in attendance and punctuality.
11. Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite of applications and general office and organizational skills.
12. Attend all required trainings.
13. Report to supervisor immediately if excluded from participating in any federal healthcare program Promote and adhere to the elements of the compliance program, operating within the laws, rules, and regulations required. (Report any non-compliance issues to your supervisor or Corporate Compliance Officer.
14. Establish a plan of services with each participant, which will assist the participant in achieving his/her employment goals – completed within 60 days of participant orientation. Coordinate services with other staff, funding sources, and others who have a significant role in the individual’s life.
15. Develop and implement activities in accordance with needs and service plan.
16. Conduct orientation/intake activities.
17. Provide outreach services as necessary to participants when they miss appointments utilizing a variety of methods to discover what is interfering with the participant’s employment plan.
18. Provide an established (by supervisor) minimum hours of hours per week of face-to-face job development, searching, placement, and retention activities.
19. Conduct the required number and required duration of face to face contacts with active participants as per individual plan or as assigned.
20. Place an assigned number of participants in integrated work-settings, unsubsidized, part-time or full-time competitive employment. Placement performance goals are established and evaluated annually.
21. Ensure employer contacts (for job seekers) are made within one (1) month of participant orientation and are based on consumer job choices, preferences, and strengths.
22. Assist in instructing participants in acceptable work behaviors, along with providing proper training for participants in work experience positions, holding them accountable and responsible for acceptable behavior as an employee.
23. Provide required documentation to appropriate staff, agency, and funding sources for all services and activities. Ensure area of responsibility complies with regulations and requirements.
24. Compile and maintain participant files, in accordance to compliance regulations.
25. Transport participants when needed in a company pool vehicle.
26. Apply Core Values and Principles of Supported Employment to service provision.
27. Assist participants in job matching, identifying and analyzing jobs. Conduct situational work assessments, job shadowing experiences and business tours.
28. Support participants in work experience and employment positions, providing initial support, job coaching and long-term follow-up as necessary.
29. Maintain updated information on businesses’ types of jobs available and locations of jobs within the community.
30. Contact and communicate with employers to assist with job development activities.
31. Maintain contact with newly employed participants and the employer, assuring successful adjustment to the new employment.
    1. Maintain records of all employment contacts
    2. Present available incentives to prospective employers
    3. Assist the employer in identifying and making any reasonable accommodations for the workplace
32. Provide supervision and hands-on training for participants at their work site – preparing a site and task analysis for the job and providing systematic task/behavior instructions, while job coaching.
33. Promote the use of universal design principles.
34. Participate in supervision meetings as scheduled.
35. Responsible for other duties as assigned or identified, for the benefit of participants or the agency in general. Some of these other duties may be considered non-essential to the position.

NOTE: All skills, abilities and other qualifications listed above are considered essential to this position, with or without reasonable accommodation, unless otherwise indicated.