Education Case Manager/Retention Specialist

Research Foundation of The City University of New York•New York, NY

3d•$67,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Mental Health Peer Specialist training program is an eight-month workforce program that prepares participants with lived experience with mental health and recovery or experience with trauma to work in the peer support sector. Participants will learn the fundamentals of peer support, develop key digital skills, receive support earning their NYS peer specialist certification, participate in internships with employer partners, and receive job placement assistance. Participants receive career development support and connections to the health industry and employment opportunities throughout the program. The Division of Adult and Continuing Education at LaGuardia Community College is seeking a full-time social work, psychology or human service graduate to play an important role in a community-centered training program. The Education Case Manager/Retention Specialist (ECM/RS) will be an important contact for participants and candidates during training. The Education Case Manager/Retention Specialist will work under the supervision of the Program Manager for the Mental Health Peer Specialist training program to provide support services to participants to insure successful retention at various points along each step of their chosen healthcare career pathway. The Education Case Manager/Retention Specialist is responsible for working closely with two cohorts of students until June 2028 to support them throughout the program and ensure they maintain active participation, retention and transition to successfully complete all aspects of the program, including courses, certification exams, internships, and employment. This can be accomplished through case management, coaching, troubleshooting, and connecting participants to resources available at the college and beyond. The Education Case Manager/Retention Specialist is also responsible for assisting with recruiting and managing applicants’ assessments, selection process, coordinating employment services and leading professional development and internship seminars, and other responsibilities as needed.

Requirements

Experience in the social work or psychology fields; experience working with individuals with lived experience with mental health challenges
Understanding of peer services and familiarity with the field of peer services a plus
Knowledge with recruitment and assessment for workforce training programs
Knowledge of resources available to low-income students
Ability to motivate others to remain engaged, be retained and complete what they started
Team player who is flexible and takes initiative to solve problems
Excellent time management and organizational skills including attention to detail
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
Invested in participants’ retention, transition and completion to ensure success throughout all aspects of the program
Strong technology skills, with a high level of proficiency in Microsoft Office including MSWord and MS Excel
Demonstrated interest in working with diverse communities and supporting the retention and success of underserved populations
Ability to travel to Long Island City for in-person class support
Bachelor’s Degree required; Bachelor’s degree preferred in social work, psychology or human services
Two (2) years’ experience working with unemployed or underemployed New Yorkers in a training, education, or workforce development program
One (1) year experience providing counseling, coaching, or case management services

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree preferred

Responsibilities

Participate in the recruitment and assessment of program applicants via information sessions and in-person interviews
Communicate information to applicants regarding the assessment and intake process
Support applicants complete human resources requirements such as physicals, drug tests, and others in preparation for internships experiences
Provide support to participants to aid retention in the program and transition via in-person, phone, email, and slack communications
Observe classes in order to identify barriers to learning in the classroom, provide feedback to program staff and participants on overcoming these barriers
Work with participants to trouble-shoot barriers to successful retention, transition and completion and connect participants to resources at the college and beyond that will help them overcome these barriers
Coach participants through challenges that they face during the course of the program and motivate them to develop creative strategies to overcome barriers
Provide weekly professional development group check-in during the program training
Provide weekly support during the internship component through the internship seminar
Work collaboratively with the CTEA Office to coordinate or provide workshops in resume writing, interview preparation, job retention assistance and other job readiness skills
Coordinate with the CTEA Office to offer a sequence of job search, resume, and interview workshops throughout the program to best prepare participants for employment after program completion
Work collaboratively with other departments and partners to ensure retention goals are met
Collect required data from participants and work with participants to complete administrative requirements such as signing contracts, signing photo release forms, registering for classes in the student information system, and completing Day 1 surveys
Track, analyze, and report on participants’ outcomes and performance metrics
Meet regularly with the project team to reflect on progress to date and identify strategies for retention and completion improvement
Performs other duties as needed and as assigned by the Program Manager