EMPLOYMENT COUNSELOR SPECIALIST

State Of New Hampshire • Manchester, NH

437d • $46,800 - $62,442 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Employment Counselor Specialist position at the State of New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services involves delivering employment, training, and support services to a diverse population. This role focuses on assisting participants in the New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP) by assessing their needs, developing employability plans, and providing ongoing counseling to help resolve employment barriers. The position requires collaboration with various agencies and organizations to maximize resources and promote community understanding.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an approved college or university with major study in social work, psychology, education, human services, sociology, counseling, behavioral science or a related field.
• One year of experience as an Employment Counselor Specialist Trainee or three years in social work, counseling, family services, education, staff training, employee development, employment counseling, recruitment, or human resources.
• Possession of a valid driver's license and/or access to transportation for statewide travel.

Nice To Haves

• Prefer a minimum of one year of the qualifying work experience to be in employment or career counseling.

Responsibilities

• Integrates and applies changing policies and procedures of the bi-agency collaboration to maximize services to NHEP participants.
• Interviews, assesses, and evaluates individual aptitudes, interests, abilities, work experiences, education, personality characteristics, and degrees of physical, social, or emotional limitations of NHEP participants to identify individual service needs, strengths, and barriers.
• Develops and implements an Employability Plan for each NHEP participant and provides subsequent counseling (up to 5 years) to resolve employment barriers and stabilize family functioning.
• Authorizes and monitors expenditures of funds for appropriate training and support services that support the employability plan.
• Develops and maintains relationships with employers, service providers, educational institutions, and community organizations to coordinate services to clients, develop employment opportunities, maximize available resources, and promote community understanding.
• Manages caseloads effectively to ensure NHEP participants are engaged in program activities appropriately and that agency program participation requirements are achieved, including determining individual program compliance that could result in the loss or increase of TANF benefits.
• Works with participants to resolve issues.
• Administers, scores, and interprets standardized tests to NHEP participants to determine vocational aptitudes, interests, and skills.
• Plans and conducts orientations to inform NHEP participants of program benefits and responsibilities.
• Documents and maintains accurate case notes and individual case records to track individual progress and comply with state and federal regulations and policies.
• Provides back-up coverage, either on-site or remotely, for other Employment Counselor Specialists (ECS) statewide as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support
• Education Level: Associate degree