Employment Specialist

Summary:The ideal candidate is organized, detail-oriented, empathetic, passionate about helping people find purpose and direction, professional, and able to work independently. This position requires managing one’s own schedule and involves travel throughout Western Massachusetts. The ideal candidate is excited about supporting people in setting career goals and overcoming barriers, enjoys teaching skills like interview preparation and resume writing, is comfortable soliciting and developing job opportunities, and is willing to provide coaching in a variety of work settings as needed.

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Opportunity for advancement
• Paid time off
• Training & development
• Dental insurance
• Tuition assistance
• 401(k) matching

Employment Specialist
Hatfield, MA.
Full-time / Monday-Friday
$23.00 to $25.00 per hour

Summary:The ideal candidate is organized, detail-oriented, empathetic, passionate about helping people find purpose and direction, professional, and able to work independently. This position requires managing one’s own schedule and involves travel throughout Western Massachusetts. The ideal candidate is excited about supporting people in setting career goals and overcoming barriers, enjoys teaching skills like interview preparation and resume writing, is comfortable soliciting and developing job opportunities, and is willing to provide coaching in a variety of work settings as needed.
As a member of Service Net’s Comprehensive Career Services (CCS) team, the Employment Specialist delivers Mass Ability-funded employment services and supports Service Net’s role as a Social Security Ticket to Work Employment Network (EN) — helping job seekers move toward, secure, and sustain competitive, integrated employment.

Responsibilities:

• Delivers CCS service components:
• Assesses each job seeker’s vocational functioning using background information, work history, interests, and strengths.
• Develops individualized Placement Plans and Coaching Plans aligned to the job seeker’s employment goals, including agreed-upon hours, wages, and benefits.
• Conducts job development and job search activities individualized to each job seeker’s preferences, cultivating and maintaining relationships with area employers.
• Provides job coaching and long-term follow-along supports that help job seekers stabilize and retain employment through the 90-day successful-closure milestone and beyond.
• Maintains a Career Portfolio for each job seeker documenting progress, experiences, and outcomes.
• Collaborates with the Mass Ability Counselor, BRU/Job Placement Specialist, DDS service coordinators, and other members of the job seeker’s team, adjusting service intensity to each person’s needs.

Ticket to Work / Employment Network:

• Supports Service Net’s role as a Social Security Ticket to Work Employment Network by helping eligible SSI/SSDI beneficiaries assign their Ticket and complete an Individual Work Plan (IWP).
• Helps job seekers understand Social Security Work Incentives (e.g., Trial Work Period, Ticket protections) and how earnings affect SSI/SSDI and health coverage, coordinating with benefits planning services as needed.
• Supports participants toward Ticket to Work milestone and outcome benchmarks, including sustaining earnings at or above Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) where that is the individual’s goal.
• Assists job seekers in accurately reporting earnings to Social Security to help avoid over payments.
• Completes timely, accurate documentation and data entry through the secure Ticket Portal and other prescribed systems, handling all Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in compliance with SSA and HIPAA requirements.
• Coordinates Partnership Plus referrals with state vocational rehabilitation, and participates in employer-outreach efforts across Service Net’s community partners and social enterprises, where appropriate.

Benefits planning and Wrap-Around Services Support:

• Collaborates with local benefits planning services to help job seekers obtain information about their entitlements (SSI, SSDI, health insurance, etc.) and how these are affected by employment, so they can make financially informed decisions.
• Coordinates with the other supports a…