Supported Employment and Education Specialist

Grade: 18 | Salary: $67,552 - $81,257

The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. is seeking to fill the full-time position of Supported Education and Employment Specialist for OnTrackNY, an innovative treatment program at South Beach Psychiatric Center's Coney Island/Sheepshead Bay clinic. The program serves adolescents and young adults within two years of experiencing the onset of non-affective psychosis. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is an evidence-based approach assisting individuals with mental illness to obtain rapid competitive employment and mainstream educational opportunities. SEES workers are fully integrated into the mental health service and will work as part of a small multidisciplinary team providing coordinated and assertive treatment in the earliest stages of illness.

Responsibilities

• Engage participants and establish trusting, collaborative relationships directed toward the goal of education or competitive employment in community job settings.
• Collaborate with other team members to deliver SEE support within the context of the model (e.g., engaging with participants in fun activities, practicing cognitive or social skills to help them secure employment, etc.).
• Work closely with family members or loved ones to educate them on supporting the young person with work or school goals.
• Help family or loved ones navigate employment and educational systems, identify resources, and provide other support as needed to aid the young person’s recovery.
• Provide job development and job search services tailored to the interests and uniqueness of participants and their support systems, following IPS principles and procedures.
• Conduct a minimum of 4 employer contacts per week.
• Provide support for education goals in the community, including contact with staff at high schools, colleges, and other educational institutions.
• Offer individualized support to assist participants in maintaining employment or education.
• Arrange access to entitlements counseling for the individual and/or family.
• Spend 50% or more of scheduled work hours in the community (e.g., meeting participants at community locations such as home, workplace, school, coffee shops, or libraries; assisting with job applications; investigating local employment options; or meeting with employers regarding job development).
• Link transitioning participants to services that support work and school goals post-discharge from OnTrackNY.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a mental health-related field, social services, or a related field.

Qualifications

• One year of experience providing employment or education services (preferred).
• One year of experience working with adolescents and/or adults diagnosed with mental illness (preferred).

Benefits

Excellent benefits package.

Work Location

626 Sheepshead Bay Road, Brooklyn, NY, 11224