Employment Specialist

Center for Alternative • New York, NY

7d • $0 - $63,654 • Hybrid

About The Position

The CASES Young Adult ACT team provides mobile community based mental health treatment to promote the recovery and community integration of individuals ages 18 to 28 with serious mental illnesses, high rates of co-occurring substance use disorders and histories of criminal legal system involvement. The Employment Specialist is an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team of mental health clinicians delivering services such as supported employment, wellness self management counseling, integrated co-occurring disorder treatment, daily living skills and general case management. The Employment Specialist has lead responsibility on the team for integrating vocational goals and services to support consumers in job readiness, vocational training, adult education, and competitive employment. ACT staff are both generalists and specialists where the Employment Specialist will also provide person-centered mental health wellness services and support for clients. We are looking for a mental health professional with extensive experience in vocational assessment, job exploration, and skills development in choosing, getting, and maintaining employment. This is a field-based position and requires at least 80% of services to be provided to participants in their homes, shelters, places of employment, vocational and education settings and other community settings.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in a rehabilitation counseling or related field
• At least one year of training and/or experience in vocational assessment and counseling, skills development and vocational rehabilitation
• At least one year of experience working in human services with young adults with serious mental illness, co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
• Extensive knowledge of Assertive Community Treatment, community integrated treatment, support services, and resources
• Highly organized and self-motivated
• Proficient in computers
• Must be able to conduct physical outreach visits in the community at least 80% of the time

Nice To Haves

• Fluency in Spanish preferred

Responsibilities

• Attend and participate in daily team meetings to discuss clients’ clinical and case management issues and needs
• Complete documentations required by the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (DOHMH) licensing guidelines, NYS Medicaid billing guidelines as well as per CASES ACT Policy and Procedures
• Complete and update comprehensive assessments using results from administration of standardized screening instruments for job/school readiness, vocational/educational interests, suicidality, violence risk
• Identify the treatment and support services consumers should receive based on stages of change, vocational/educational readiness and interests, immediate needs and complete treatment plans using a person-centered approach
• Regularly collaborate with the team’s Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Employment Specialist on employment resources and supports for the team’s clients
• Collaborate with family, friends, other service providers on consumer’s educational/vocational training, post-hospital-discharge care coordination, housing needs, entitlements support, social support, primary care needs, etc
• Use motivational interviewing, recovery and trauma-informed approaches when delivering services
• Provide 24-hour crisis intervention on-call services on rotating basis
• Provide at least 80 percent of treatment contacts in the community and complete expected minimum monthly treatment contacts, including leading substance use treatment groups when clinically indicated
• Provide culturally competent services in accordance with CASES policies and practice.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Vacation and Paid Time Off – starting at 25 days-off annually, plus an additional summer self-care day
• 12 Paid Holidays per year
• Retirement 403b Competitive matching up to 6%
• Employee Referral Program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level