Vocational Educational Specialist

1255 Rev James Polite Ave, 1255 Reverend James Polite Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457, USA

Benefits: We have three comprehensive healthcare plans to choose from based on your priorities and budget. Housing Works covers most of the plan; you pay a portion based on your salary. Staff begins accruing PTO immediately for a total of up to 30 days earned in the first year. We offer an educational benefit: this money is available for tuition loan reimbursement, tuition costs, and textbooks.

Overview: The Vocational/Educational Specialist (VES) supports young adults in the STARS Supportive Housing Program as they pursue educational and employment goals. Under the general direction of the Program Coordinator, the VES provides individualized coaching, vocational guidance, and coordination of services to help clients transition into work or training programs.

Primary:

• Provide one-on-one vocational and educational coaching to young adults in the STARS program; assisting them to identify career goals and explore training opportunities and enrolling them in vocational programs.
• Support clients in job readiness activities including resume development, interview preparation, and workplace skills.

Secondary:

• Provide client services including appointment scheduling, transportation coordination, and accompaniment to key appointments.
• Facilitate at least four educational workshops annually based on client needs; workshops may be delivered by internal staff or external providers.
• Develop an individual employment plan with the client with input from the care team, other treatment providers, and key others.
• Incorporate information about the person’s culture that is related to work and school.
• Update the employment plan as prescribed by funder and grant requirements when there is a change in employment or education status.
• Conduct 10 employer contacts per month to learn about businesses and employer needs, to discuss specific clients who are looking for work and/or to talk about employer services offered.
• Bachelor's degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or a directly related field.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of three years of relevant experience in a social services setting working with vocational services with individuals experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, and/or substance use is required.
• Strong community connections with educational programs and employment contacts.
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task.
• Experience with and proven commitment to working with low‑income and marginalized communities, as well as individuals with multiple chronic medical and/or behavioral health conditions.

Job candidates should be aware that scammers may pose as employers and create fake job postings in order to extract personal information from individuals for financial gain. Housing Works will never ask job candidates for personal information, such as social security numbers or bank account details, over the phone. If you suspect that a job posting may be fake or wish to confirm that a job posting from Housing Works is genuine, please contact us at recruitment.

Housing Works was founded in 1990; with a long-term commitment to AIDS advocacy. Housing Works established New York State’s first harm reduction-based, OASAS-licensed outpatient drug treatment program. Other services include health home care management, behavioral health, and syringe exchange programs. A pioneer in the social entrepreneurship movement, Housing Works operates 10 high-end thrift shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn and a much-loved Bookstore Cafe in Soho.

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Housing Works fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing, healthcare, HIV prevention, and treatment, among other lifesaving services.

Housing Works provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Housing Works complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in…