Supported Employment Specialist
About The Position
This role serves as a member of the Nova Mobile/Nova Washington First Episode Psychosis treatment team. The specialist engages clients to establish trusting, collaborative relationships aimed at meeting educational or employment goals in community settings. The position involves assessing clients' educational/vocational functioning, providing psychoeducational services to family members, and offering supported education for individuals interested in advancing their employment goals. Key responsibilities include job development, job search activities tailored to individual client interests, educating and supporting employers (including negotiating accommodations), and providing outreach to clients who may disengage from services. The specialist will attend weekly treatment team meetings, coordinate educational/vocational services with mental health treatment, and develop/update individual education/employment plans quarterly. A significant portion of the work (65% or more) will be conducted in the community, meeting clients at various locations or accompanying them to job applications and educational resource investigations. The role also includes seeking supervision, enhancing case management skills, maintaining confidential client files and documentation for various funding sources, and treating clients, visitors, and co-workers with respect, dignity, and compassion. Administrative duties include participating in performance improvement activities, committees, completing assigned tasks, following policies, and attending required meetings and trainings.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in a mental health discipline
- Successful completion of ADMH approved case management training program
- Successful completion of an ADMH approved Supported Employment Specialist training program
- Ability to work as an effective team player is essential
- Must be 23 years of age
- Must maintain a valid Alabama driver license
- Must have proof of current liability insurance
Nice To Haves
- Experience working in a mental health field is preferred
- Knowledge of youth/young adult specialties, outlined below, to be attained within (6) months of employment:
- Knowledge of psychiatric disorders in the youth/young adult population
- Knowledge of cultural diversity
- Knowledge of behavior management, crisis intervention and interventions common to acute psychotic recipients; as well as, to non-violent crisis intervention practices
- Knowledge of psychiatric rehabilitation principles
- Knowledge of available community employment resources
- Knowledge of educational methods appropriate to youth/young adults with psychiatric disorders
- Experience providing employment services, and knowledge of the work world are preferred
Responsibilities
- Serves as a member of the Nova Mobile/Nova Washington First Episode Psychosis treatment team
- Engages clients and establishes trusting, collaborative relationships directed toward the goal of meeting educational goals or securing employment in community job settings with other workers who do not necessarily have disabilities
- Assesses clients' educational/vocational functioning on an ongoing basis utilizing background information and experiences
- Provides psychoeducational services to family members
- Provides supported education for individuals who express interest in education to advance their employment goals
- Conducts job development and job search activities directed toward positions that are individualized to the interests and uniqueness of the participants
- Provides education and support to employers, as agreed upon by clients that may include negotiating job accommodations and follow-along contact with the employer
- Provides outreach services using a variety of methods as necessary to clients when they appear to disengage from the service
- Attends weekly meetings with mental health treatment team and communicates individually with team members between meetings in order to coordinate and integrate educational/vocational services into mental health treatment
- Develops an individual education/employment plan with the client and treatment team providers and updates it quarterly
- Develops education/job support plans with the client using input from the client, family members, past education/employment experiences and information about current education/employment
- Spends 65% or more of scheduled works hours in the community. For example, meets client at community locations such as home, workplace, coffee shop, library, VR office, family home, etc. or takes client to apply for jobs, investigate local GED or colleges, etc.
- Seeks supervision and consultation as needed
- Accepts and employs suggestions for improvement
- Actively works to enhance case management skills
- Maintains confidential files containing required information for each supported employment client
- Maintains documentation for those individuals receiving services
- Provides timely documentation that meets requirements of various funding sources including Vocational Rehabilitation, Medicaid, and others
- Treats recipients with care, dignity, and compassion
- Respects recipient’s privacy and confidentiality
- Is pleasant and cooperative with others
- Assists recipients and visitors as needed
- Personal values don’t inhibit ability to relate and care for others
- Is sensitive to the recipient’s needs, expectations and individual differences
- Is gentle and calm with recipients and families
- Actively participates in Performance Improvement activities
- Actively participates in AltaPointe committees as required
- Completes assigned tasks in a timely manner
- Follows AltaPointe policies and procedures
- Attends required meetings, in-service trainings, and other workshops
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
