Employment Training Specialist

YAI•Tarrytown, GA

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Employment Training Specialist ensures the health, wellness, and safety of individuals by providing appropriate supervision and managing crisis situations in adherence to policies, procedures, and regulations. This role supports the implementation of person-centered plans and assists individuals with a variety of tasks, including developing job placements and supporting person-centered advocacy. The specialist works with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to help them achieve their employment goals, overcome barriers, and engage in respectful communication. A key responsibility is managing a caseload, which involves arranging workplace visits, virtual meetings, and coordinating with Care Managers and other professional supports. The role also focuses on maximizing individual strengths, interests, and abilities, upholding personal rights, and building positive relationships at worksites. The specialist provides pre-employment counseling, supports job development, and facilitates training groups to teach professional skills and behaviors necessary for obtaining and maintaining community employment. Direct on-site job and job skills training, coaching, and support are provided at job sites, utilizing support skills for individuals with moderate to complex needs. Regular travel is required to visit employed individuals at their workplaces, gather feedback from managers, and address any issues. The specialist acts as a team member, providing feedback, communicating programmatic needs, and maintaining a solution-oriented approach. Maintaining a therapeutic environment through methods like Personal Outcome Measures, Person Centered Thinking, and Informed Decision Making is crucial. The role models professionalism, punctuality, ownership, and accountability, effectively managing time and responsibilities. Facilitating learning and training in fire safety and emergency drills is also part of the role. Developing and maintaining an understanding of specialized clinical knowledge for specific needs such as challenging behaviors, autism spectrum disorders, and complex medical needs is essential for supporting individuals in employment. The specialist is responsible for completing all required paperwork and documentation accurately and within timeframes for compliance and/or billing, adhering to all Federal, State, Local, and regulatory agency requirements, including HIPAA. In some cases, the specialist may perform direct support professional tasks, including personal care and assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs) in other settings if appropriately trained and authorized.

Requirements

HS Diploma or its educational equivalent
One year of work experience providing vocational or pre-vocational services to individuals with disabilities
Completes necessary trainings, including OPWDD approved vocational rehabilitation or supported employment training program and annual retraining(s) where applicable, as required by assignment(s) and/or contracts
Ability to work a flexible schedule, as required by caseload, including occasional evening and/or weekend hours and regular travel throughout assigned region(s)
Basic computer skills – including email, utilizing Workday and related systems (DA, etc.) to complete tasks
Ability to model and teach work readiness skills and appropriate workplace behavior at all times
Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment
Excellent verbal and written communication and time management skills
Highly flexible personality type and willingness to take initiative
Willingness to work with the I/DD populations in an occupational setting and comfort working with employers
Ability to meet essential physical demands of position, including frequent walking, sitting, standing, bending, twisting, stooping, kneeling, crouching, pushing, pulling and reaching with hands and arms; use hands to handle, finger or feel objects, tools or controls; lifting and/or moving up to 25 pounds on occasion; having the physical capacity to assist people we support in performing the functions of their jobs.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree or some college preferred; may be required for certain contracts
Two (2) years’ experience assisting people with barriers to employment; may be required for certain contracts
Work or life experience with individuals with I/DD
Valid NY State Driver's License highly preferred for assignments in areas with limited public transportation

Responsibilities

Ensures health, wellness and safety by providing appropriate supervision of the people we support and by managing crisis situations while adhering to policies, procedures and regulations, meeting and demonstrating OPWDD Core Competencies.
Ensures person-centered plans are implemented and assists with a variety of tasks for people we support, as appropriate/authorized, including: Participating in development of staff action plans, Developing job placement, Supporting person-centered advocacy with the individual, Facilitating ethical decision making.
Supports people with I/DD to realize, set and meet their employment goals, assisting them in overcoming their personal barriers and engages in respectful communications/conversations through person-first language to help them understand their goals and ambitions.
Responsible for caseload of individuals, arranging and scheduling workplace visits, virtual and one-on-one meetings and coordinating required meetings and liaising with Care Managers and other professional supports.
Assists individuals in maximizing their strengths, interests, and abilities, upholding their personal rights, providing emotional support, assisting in communication, socialization and self-expression and building positive relationships by interacting with others at their worksites in innovative and creative ways.
Works with unemployed individuals, providing pre-employment counseling to explore career interests and support job development activities and facilitating training groups where professional skills and behaviors are taught and developed to assist people we support in obtaining and maintaining employment in the community.
Directly supervises and provides on-site job and job skills training, coaching and support at job sites for people we support and in accordance with each person’s employment goals, utilizing support skills for people with moderate to complex levels of need.
Regularly travels across assigned region to visit employed individuals at their workplaces, speaking with managers to obtain feedback on performance and addressing any issues or concerns that may arise; escalates issues and concerns to an administrator for support, as needed.
Serves as a member of a highly effective team (teamwork w/in the circle of support), providing feedback and communicating programmatic needs to members of team and maintaining a solution-oriented approach during conflicts.
Maintains a therapeutic environment through a variety of methods: Personal Outcome Measures, Person Centered Thinking, Informed Decision Making.
Models professionalism, punctuality, ownership and accountability to the people we support and effectively manages time and responsibilities, ensuring all individuals/cases are appropriately supported and monitored.
Facilitates learning and training in fire safety for PWS, including emergency and evacuation drills at assigned worksite(s).
Develops and maintains understanding of specialized clinical knowledge for person specific needs (supporting adults, challenging behaviors, autism spectrum disorders, complex medical needs) as they relate to obtaining and maintaining employment.
Reviews and completes all other required paperwork and documentation to ensure compliance and/or billing, as applicable, completely and accurately and within appropriate timeframes (e.g., notifications, logging, incident reports, update files, maintenance requests, phone calls, progress notes and services).
Complies with all Federal, State, Local and other relevant regulatory agency requirements, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
May perform direct support professional tasks, including providing personal care and assisting in activities of daily living (ADLs) in other settings outside of employment if appropriately trained and authorized, as directed and/or outside of employment schedule (e.g. residential, day services, community habilitation, etc.).
Performs all other duties as assigned.