Employment Specialist

About the role

The CASES Young Adult ACT team provides mobile, community-based mental health treatment to promote recovery and community integration for individuals ages 18 to 28 with serious mental illnesses, high rates of co-occurring substance use disorders, and histories of criminal legal system involvement. The Employment Specialist is an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team delivering services such as supported employment, wellness self-management counseling, integrated co-occurring disorder treatment, daily living skills, and general case management. This role has lead responsibility for integrating vocational goals and services to support consumers in job readiness, vocational training, adult education, and competitive employment. The Employment Specialist also provides person-centered mental health wellness services and support for clients.

This is a field-based position requiring at least 80% of services to be provided in community settings such as participants' homes, shelters, places of employment, vocational and education settings.

Responsibilities

• Attend and participate in daily team meetings to discuss clients’ clinical and case management issues and needs
• Complete documentation required by the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH), NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (DOHMH) licensing guidelines, NYS Medicaid billing guidelines, and CASES ACT Policy and Procedures
• Complete and update comprehensive assessments using standardized screening instruments for job/school readiness, vocational/educational interests, suicidality, and violence risk
• Identify treatment and support services consumers should receive based on stages of change, vocational/educational readiness and interests, immediate needs, and complete treatment plans using a person-centered approach
• Regularly collaborate with the team’s Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Employment Specialist on employment resources and supports for the team’s clients
• Collaborate with family, friends, and other service providers on consumer’s educational/vocational training, post-hospital-discharge care coordination, housing needs, entitlements support, social support, and primary care needs
• Use motivational interviewing, recovery, and trauma-informed approaches when delivering services
• Provide 24-hour crisis intervention on-call services on a rotating basis
• Provide at least 80% of treatment contacts in the community and complete expected minimum monthly treatment contacts, including leading substance use treatment groups when clinically indicated
• Provide culturally competent services in accordance with CASES policies and practice

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in rehabilitation counseling or a related field
• At least one year of training and/or experience in vocational assessment and counseling, skills development, and vocational rehabilitation
• At least one year of experience working in human services with young adults with serious mental illness and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
• Extensive knowledge of Assertive Community Treatment, community-integrated treatment, support services, and resources
• Highly organized and self-motivated
• Proficient in computers
• Ability to conduct physical outreach visits in the community at least 80% of the time

Preferred Qualifications

• Fluency in Spanish

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Vacation and Paid Time Off – starting at 25 days annually, plus an additional summer self-care day
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Retirement 403b with competitive matching up to 6%
• Employee Referral Program

Pay

$63,654 per year

Schedule

Full-time, Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (35 hours per week excluding breaks)

Flexible work arrangements allow staff to complete their workday from home or another suitable space, typically after reporting to the office and/or engaging in field or community-based work.