Employment Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Join Our Team and Make a Difference!

The Employment Specialist is responsible for the strategic accomplishment of sustaining employment outcomes/benchmarks for people with disabilities. Success in this role requires the ability to analyze and interpret key labor market dynamics and apply them effectively to achieve meaningful placement results.

This includes:

1. Understanding the needs, interests, and employment barriers of participants, along with appropriate intervention strategies.
2. Monitoring opportunities and shifts within the local labor market.
3. Aligning labor market opportunities with participants’ skills and goals to create/support mutually beneficial placements that strengthen participant economic stability, the workforce of employer partners, and employer partnerships with Arc Broward.

A successful Employment Specialist understands the uniqueness and skills of the job seeker and appropriately matches their skills and abilities to the hiring needs of the employer. Once participants are placed, Employment Specialists are integral in the participants’ onboarding process, helping them enhance on-the-job skills, creating additional job goals, and maintaining ongoing contact with the participant, employer, and support committee. The Employment Specialist must share Arc Work’s vision that we plan for employment outcomes for all participants we are supporting, regardless of their employment barriers. The principal functions of the position identified should not be considered as a complete description of all the work requirements and expectations that may be inherent in the position or for the team/department. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Individual Person-Centered Planning: Adequately identify needed supports; participate in the development and implementation of an Individualized Career Plan for each person receiving SE/ES services by actively developing individuals’ goals, strategies, and service recommendations; ensure the provision of services recommended on the person-centered employment plan; provide weekly/monthly/quarterly/semi -annual status reports as assigned. Assist the Arc Works Director and Career Placement Manager in employer outreach and stewardship to cultivate and support relationships that support job seekers’ Individualized Career Plan goals.
• Documentation Requirements: Efficiently complete various office tasks and utilize the computer effectively for word processing, SETWorks documentation, and accessing the internet as needed. Complete task analyses (as needed), monthly intervention logs, case notes, employment plans, and other required paperwork as prescribed. Maintain and file documents timely in individuals’ central records and SETWorks.
• Team Relations: Effectively enhance team meetings by actively participating in team meetings, using effective communication skills, encouraging growth and self-development, facilitating teamwork, and recording team meeting minutes as assigned.
• Direct Supports: Manage a case load of participants. Provide job development activities to assist individuals to obtain and maintain employment in integrated, paid, community-based settings. Provide initial job coaching tasks including, but not limited to task analyses as prescribed, development and implementation of placement and strategy plans; provide systematic instruction of work, social, and work safety skills; and provide mobility training. Provide ongoing job follow-along tasks that include supports that encourage career advancement and professional development opportunities for assigned clients. Provide trial work or time limited job coaching to assess an individual’s potential to work independently in a competitive, community-based employment setting. Provide ancillary support services throughout service delivery model for all clients that include assisting individuals to access community resources and benefits, encouraging their participation in classes, financial literacy, and other occupational skill supports at the WorkBar, and to transport individuals as needed and governed by standard operating procedures; provide social service/case management supports to individuals as necessary. Facilitate FL Ready to Work materials to trainees, students, and job seekers, as assigned. Provide hands-on supervision and guidance to trainees in the Hospitality Operations post-secondary training program during the paid internship phase of the program. Act as a substitute trainer for the Hospitality Operations program, as needed.
• Advocacy: Consistently promote consumer rights, provide supports that will empower individuals to act on their own behalf; assist clients in making requests for reasonable accommodations; report suspicions or allegations of abuse or neglect; provide support and counseling in the area of decision making, self-determination, and career advancement; encourage and promote the use of natural supports.
• Collaboration: Collaborate closely with Arc Educates to facilitate job development and placement activities with post-secondary certificate students and graduates. Participate in collaborative meetings regarding academic progress and placement efforts. Help to collect required documentation for accreditation and licensure, as needed.
• Public Relations: Effectively act as a point of contact for consumers and employers regarding service delivery and exchange of information, conduct routine visits with the consumer in the community as prescribed; assist consumers to maintain healthy family and work relationships; ensure optimal communication between community members, consumers, and agency members; to effectively resolve problems that may arise with employment. Attends employer networking events and/or meetings as requested by supervisor.
• Health and Safety Issues: Consistently ensure that individuals supported are safe and living healthy lives; responding to medical or behavioral emergencies as necessary; participating in emergency disaster preparedness.
• Policy, Procedures and Rule Compliance: Adequately understand and implement current state licensing rules and regulations, and agency policies and practices as they relate to direct supports as well as funding and accreditation agencies’ standards. To work as scheduled or as assigned. To work overtime only when authorized by supervisor or designee. Monitor training history and attend in required trainings in advance of expiration. Provide direct and indirect supports as needed to assist clients to achieve employment outcomes as identified by various funders.
• Other duties as required.

Required Qualifications/Skills:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Bachelor's degree in related field (business administration, human resources, economics, rehabilitation, counseling, social work, psychology, or education) is highly preferred
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in job placement, job coaching or counseling; or employment in a public vocational rehabilitation program or other direct employment, education, or training experience working with persons with disabilities.
  
• Demonstrates professionalism in various workplace and community settings.
• Must have a valid Florida Driver’s License which does not have any excessive chargeable points.
• Requires traveling in own vehicle to various company and training sites as necessary.

• Must successfully complete the training required by VR, including best practices in supported employment and introduction to social security work incentives within 90 days of hire
• Efficient presentation, oral and written communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills and time management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Teams, and Zoom.
• Must have a strong work ethic, positive attitude, willingness to help others, sensitivity to individuals with disabilities, and excellent teamwork.
• Ability to work effectively independently, as well as in a team environment.
• Must be able to receive and follow instructions and feedback.
• Familiarity with data tracking systems.

Rate of Pay

$22.43/hour with a bachelor's degree

Perks & Benefits:

• Generous Paid Time Off: 26 days (5 weeks!) of PTO per year
• Employee Referral Bonuses
• Paid Training & Certifications
• Comprehensive Medical Coverage including HSA with employer matching & FSA options
• Comprehensive Dental & Vision Coverage
• Employer-Paid Life Insurance with option to increase coverage voluntarily
• Short/Long Term Disability
• Voluntary Insurance/Plans including Critical Illness, Accident, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance, Legal Aid & ID Theft
• Retirement Plan with employer matching
• Employee Assistance Program for you and your immediate family
• Ongoing Professional Development through Arc Educates

Join us in making a difference and help us shape the future of Arc Broward!

Arc Broward is an Equal Opportunity Employer and abides by the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and state laws governing employment of individuals with disabilities.