Vocational Services Professional
About The Position
The Vocational Services Professional provides direct services to people with developmental disabilities to help them secure and maintain meaningful, gainful employment. The role includes placement and follow-up, community-based work adjustment and evaluations, job coaching, site development, CSE, and EES services. The professional works with Journeys’ Job Developers to build community relationships, strengthen the organization’s brand, and develop employment opportunities for clients. This includes networking with business owners and community members, evaluating client abilities and support needs, making recommendations and accommodations when required, and coordinating services with Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (IDVR) staff. Services must follow IDVR standards and the organization’s service, billing, safety, and data-collection requirements.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant experience.
- Ability to read and write, communicate effectively, and develop and implement training programs.
- Strong communication, networking, and relationship-building skills, including the ability to communicate with business owners.
- Ability to lift at least 50 pounds.
- Fluency in English.
- Ability to pass an Idaho State Criminal and Background Check.
- Passion for helping people with developmental disabilities achieve greater independence.
Responsibilities
- Build relationships with employers and participants, and learn about individual businesses and their human resources staffing models.
- Lead safety committee meetings as needed and ensure compliance with safety requirements.
- Resolve concerns, questions, and comments raised by business owners and employers.
- Develop working relationships with vendors, Vocational Rehabilitation personnel, and other professionals.
- Provide leadership to coworkers, model learned skills, and give feedback as needed.
- Assume responsibility for clients when designated to do so.
- Problem-solve and make programmatic suggestions when appropriate.
- Conduct on-site observations of participants and paraprofessionals.
- Lead and attend vocational services orientations.
- Maintain all licenses and certifications.
- Work alongside Journeys’ Job Developers to strengthen community relationships, the Journeys brand and image, and employment opportunities for clients.
- Strengthen Job Developers’ relationships with community members, business owners, and influential managers.
- Develop employment opportunities by networking with local business owners on behalf of clients, seeking meaningful, long-term employment that meets client criteria, IDVR requirements, and company standards.
- Network with influential community members on behalf of the company or its clients to communicate Journeys’ services and mission.
- Evaluate client abilities and deficiencies and, when required by IDVR, provide recommendations and accommodation suggestions.
- Provide job coaching when called upon and authorized by the company, including for IDVR authorizations, long-term EES clients, and CSE participants.
- Collaborate with IDVR counselors, managers, and assistants, ensuring services comply with IDVR standards and mission.
- Follow service-specific rules, including billing standards and expectations.
- Become familiar with formal programs and data-collection systems.
- Serve as a member of the interdisciplinary team as needed.
- Perform other duties as assigned, including attending trainings and conferences and preparing surveys and participant plan reviews and writing.
