Community Support Specialist - Center Excellence in Disabilities

The Center for Excellence in Disabilities at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for a Community Support Specialist.

The purpose of this position is to provide support for the Mentoring & Oversight for Developing Independence with Foster Youth (MODIFY) Program at the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities (CED). This position provides follow‑up services to youth in transition from foster care to adult independence. The primary emphasis is the coordination of services to youth exiting foster care. Service coordination provided to this group of young adults will ensure that system linkages are in place for supporting these youth in the life domains of housing, employment, education, finance, physical/ mental health, family and socialization.

The goal of these services is to promote self‑sufficiency and a successful transition to independence for former foster care youth.

This position provides program, as well as direct internal and external client support services. Responds to inquiries and independently resolves matters of low to moderate complexity. Responsibilities require some judgment, resourcefulness, and originality, but diverse guides and precedents are usually available to apply or adapt to the circumstances. Work effort has considerable impact on client services, program and project image, with potential legal liabilities.

We strongly believe in work‑life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in‑laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ’s.
• Wellness programs

• Provide case management services to foster youth discharging the foster care system who are pursuing post‑secondary education or an employment program.
• Develop and sustain positive working relationships with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) Bureau of Children and Families Division field offices, community resource providers, child/adult care agencies/ providers and the DHHR field staff in the region of assignment to facilitate collaborative efforts to improve services to foster care and former foster care youth.
• Train attendees at multi‑disciplinary team (MDT) meetings about the MODIFY Program and benefits available to youth transitioning out of the foster care system.
• Collect data for analysis of post‑discharge follow up data on former foster youth.
• Provide additional direct services to former foster care youth including, but not limited to, help with enrolling in postsecondary education programs, supportive counseling, linkage/referral to needed services in the region, financial assistance, independent living skills training, social skills training, and other services as deemed necessary to promote their independence.
• Train and consult DHHR staff, other agencies, or foster care home regarding the MODIFY Program policy and needs of former foster youth receiving services; identify ways to collaborate and provide combined services to meet those needs.
• Develop and implement policy and program‑related training for DHHR, private childcare agency staff, foster parents, and consumers.
• Provide monthly program reports to WVUCED and special reports to the Program Manager and/or Director as requested.
• Plan and deliver life skills instruction to youth in foster care by participating in regional life skills instruction trainings.
• Provide technical…