Vocational Specialist

Tessera•Bremerton, WA

22h•Onsite

About The Position

Join Tessera and make a difference. Tessera is a national leader in creating meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and veterans. We are a dynamic and growing organization of social entrepreneurs dedicated to building strong communities and delivering exceptional service. About Tessera: A recognized leader in inclusive employment and workforce development. A mission-driven team of innovative and passionate professionals. Operating self-sustaining businesses across 15 states and the District of Columbia, with a workforce of more than 1,700 employees. Committed to providing outstanding customer experiences across all service lines. Focused on supporting employee growth through robust training, development, and support programs.

Requirements

Requires a combination of employee-focused activities and preparation and updating of required disability documentation, requiring professional-level writing and editing.
Associate’s degree is required.
0 – 3 years of experience in Social Services, Education, Disability Support Services is required with a Bachelor’s degree.
2 – 3 years of experience with less than 4 years of college is required.
Combination of education and previous experience will be considered.
CPR, First Aid, and OSHA 10 is required.
All Vocational Specialists will take CPR and First Aid within the first six months of employment and complete an OSHA 10 course (or equivalent) within the first year of employment.
Due to the need to travel to Tessera contract sites in Washington, a valid state driver’s license is required with the ability to obtain and maintain coverage by Tessera’s insurance.
Access to a federal military installation requires a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or an acceptable alternative, such as a U.S. passport or military ID, in accordance with the REAL ID Act.
Must be able to obtain and maintain applicable security clearances and installation access.
A background check and E-Verify will be conducted for this position.
Has excellent time management, problem-solving, professional writing and oral communication skills.
Is self-directed and can work independently.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Sociology, Psychology, Education, Kinesiology, or related field is preferred.
Veterans and people with disabilities encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

Serves as a subject matter lead within a cross functional team, supporting a caseload of approximately 90 employees with significant disabilities.
Works directly with employees, supervisors, site leadership, and the Regional Vice President to ensure employees with disabilities receive support and accommodations.
Provides job customization/individualization, accommodations, and career planning to encourage upward and outward mobility.
Connects employees with internal and external resources.
Writes federal AbilityOne reports.
Maintains required documentation for each employee on caseload to include federal AbilityOne reports, case notes, accommodation plans, and disability summaries.
Interacts in person, telephonically, and via email/fax with managers, supervisors, employees, candidates, medical providers, and government rehabilitation agencies.
Reviews and assesses disability documentation for applicants and current employees to ensure they qualify under the AbilityOne program.
Assists with crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and life safety planning to support employees who are struggling or in crises.
Creates content and facilitates training and presentations to employees and/or supervisors around disability-related issues including accommodations on a quarterly basis.
Creates and tracks employee’s safety and accommodation plans.
Promotes Tessera’s positive safety culture and safety mindset with employees.
Promotes the Tessera mission and educate supervisors, managers, and employees on disability awareness and the requirements of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Tessera workplaces.
Works as a member of a diverse Cross Functional Team consisting of professionals dedicated to servicing a large and diverse number of Tessera sites.
Develops collaborative relationships with Tessera site management and supervisors to support all Tessera employees of all abilities.
Supports the RVP, recruiters, HR Partners, and site managers in maintaining the AbilityOne disability ratio.
Manages a caseload of approximately 70-90 Tessera employees with a wide variety of disabilities; ensure that these employees are being provided job customization and individualization as well as the most appropriate accommodations to allow them to perform their work successfully and safely.
Provides job coaching as needed for employees to learn job tasks/functions.
Works with Tessera’s Career Advisor to encourage upward mobility within Tessera and outward mobility beyond Tessera, depending on their career aspirations.
Works with site and safety personnel to help reduce injuries among Tessera employees.
Reviews and assesses disability documentation for applicants and current employees to ensure they qualify under the AbilityOne program.
Maintains required documentation for each employee on caseload to include: Federal AbilityOne reports, case notes, accommodation plans, and summaries.
Administrative support duties including obtaining new disability documents and preparing for internal and external audit reviews.
Makes phone calls to physicians, mental health providers, state Voc Rehab agencies, and Veterans Affairs offices to assist applicants and employees with obtaining qualifying AbilityOne documentation.
Edits and proofs colleague’s Federal AbilityOne reports.
Creates and corrects AbilityOne reports two weeks before the federal deadline.
Assists with crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and suicide safety planning to support employees who are struggling or in crises.
Assists employees with paperwork, including benefits enrollment and accessing their information within the Workday system.
Assists employees in applying for internal positions within Tessera.
Connects employees with internal resources such as HR, Career Advisor, CES, Benefits, Security, etc.
Performs check-ins with all employees on case load during their first 30/60/90 days of employment and minimum of twice annually thereafter, documenting these check-ins with case notes in Workday, Tessera’s HRIS.
Discusses safety considerations and career mobility in all check-ins.
Oversees, responds, and follows up on accommodation requests in a timely manner.
Gathers, promotes, and coordinates Veteran resources to ensure Tessera employees are supported.
Assists in the development and support of innovative job positions.
Establishes relationships with local nonprofits or government organizations to assist recruiters in finding applicants.
Collaborate with Job Coaches from external agencies.
Supports and occasionally attends recruiting functions to assist the cross-functional team members in networking with local employment vendors.
Acts as an advocate, participant and/or consultant in employee relations matters that are being managed by Tessera Human Resources staff.
Maintains and promotes collaboration with all employees, departments, and service providers in a team-oriented environment.
Creates and presents trainings on a quarterly basis to all sites.
Maintains knowledge of disability-related topics and trends such as person-centered planning, supported employment, systematic instruction, ADA, suicide prevention, mental health, mandatory reporting, and ability awareness.
Has knowledge of and follows Tessera processes for mandatory reporting, ADA, suicide safety planning, etc.
Cultivates a safety mindset by working with site and safety personnel to help reduce injuries among Tessera employees and educates supervisors of safety concerns as it relates to accommodation plans for individuals.
Reviews accommodations with individuals and site leadership for potential safety related awareness.
All Other Duties as Assigned

Benefits

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life & Short-Term Disability Insurance
Elective 401(k) retirement plan with a 3% employer discretionary contribution after 90-days of employment
Flexible Spending Accounts for both medical and dependent care
11 paid federal holidays, accrual of 12 paid days of vacation at the start of employment, paid sick leave
Potential shared earning bonus
Tuition assistance is available after 1 year of employment and potential scholarships for qualified dependents
Professional development, certifications, and training opportunities
Verizon wireless discount
Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and an engaging wellness program
Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility for full-time employees