Employment Specialist - Vocational Services

Employment Specialist

Enjoy making a difference? Join the team at Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE), enriching the lives of others, one individual at a time. FREE benefits and proudly supports more than 4,000 individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, mental illness and traumatic brain injury. It is the mission of FREE to support people of all abilities reach their full potential and thrive in their communities.

FREE provides a diverse array of supports and services including: housing; recovery services; transition to work; employment; day, community and family services; respite; crisis services; education and after school support; specialty health services; and advocacy.

POSITION SUMMARY Under the supervision of the Sr. Director of Employment Services, the Employment Specialist will provide direct care and personal adjustment services for individuals participating in the ACCES-VR intensive caseload and for individuals hired under TRI's New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID). This includes job development, job coaching, skills training, assessment, counseling, intervention, advocacy and creating employer contacts in the community.

Case management, documentation and employer contacts are also required along with other services needed to maintain the employment of our participants.

DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies suitable jobs or businesses consistent with the applicants' desires and limitations.
• Determines which potential workers are best suited for placement into an existing job opening.
• Develops employment proposals for job candidates and negotiates schedules, pay rates, benefits, etc.
• Provides vocational counseling and guidance to individuals.
• Instructs vocational candidates in resume writing, job search and interview techniques.
• Assists individuals with job applications, job interviews, and orientation programs.
• Provides services with monthly follow-ups until individuals reach stabilization at a new job.
• Interviews and evaluates applicants to determine eligibility for services.
• Assesses individuals for job readiness through observation and testing.
• Develops and implements instructional plans to train workers to perform all required job duties accurately and efficiently; re-assesses and alters the strategies and plans as needed.
• Ensures the provision of services makes employment more obtainable/maintainable for the consumer.
• Promotes and develops employment and on-the-job training opportunities.
• Orients individual to new environments, provides job orientation, and job assessment.
• Ensures individuals can accurately manipulate equipment at work.
• Monitors production levels as expected by the employer.
• Ensures individuals are safely transported to/from work site, provides/arranges transportation, including in personal vehicle as needed, and provides travel training as needed.
• Provides ongoing training in community awareness.
• Converses with clients to reinforce positive behaviors and promote social interaction.
• Models appropriate behaviors and interactions for the consumers.
• Ensures that the individual's rights are respected, needs are met and intercedes on their behalf as necessary.
• Advocates with coworkers and employers to promote acceptance of workers in natural process of the work site.
• Collaborates with employer regarding client's needs and progress and to address and resolve any problems or concerns.
• Performs job duty analysis and creates personalized accommodations to benefit and improve the learning process of people supported.
• Acts as a liaison from the community to the program for the individual.
• Reports ongoing problems and suggest solutions to improve working environment/conditions.
• Establishes positive working relationships with co-workers, management, clinicians, and collateral providers.
• Reports all violations and/or accidents in Agency or personal vehicle in accordance with NYS regulations and Agency policy.
• Prepares reports to ACCES-VR as specified to ensure people supported obtain their vocational services that promote individual choice and will maximize their success in an employment setting.
• Ensures that all required…