Employment Specialist

Position Statement:

The Employment Specialist assists in providing employment counseling for Elmcrest youth to enhance their volunteer experiences, employability skills, and work readiness. The Specialist also helps to ensure that all participants receive the training, experience, and support they need to learn the necessary skills and obtain employment when appropriate.         

Responsibilities:

• Perform initial intake/assessments to obtain vocational/educational background information.
• Identify preliminary vocational/educational needs.
• Utilize results of the Vocational Assessment to develop a plan with short- and long-term goals.
• Coordinate activities to help the youth achieve identified goals.
• Function as an integral member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and participate in case conferences, team meetings, and in-service workshops.
• Develop and maintain linkages with community-based volunteer, vocational, employment and support service resources. (e.g., CNYWorks)
• Complete and maintain up-to-date and accurate case records in relation to vocational/educational progress.
• Develop and assist youth aged 14 and above in developing a youth portfolio (i.e., working papers, resume, career assessments, etc.)
• Assist in creation and sustainability of a bi- weekly curriculum that aids in development of employability skills to youth.
• Create opportunities for project-based learning that enhances employability, life skills and character strength development.   
• Research and develop volunteer and employment opportunities both on site and in the community.
• Provide group and individual counseling / activities through experiential learning that develop skills related to employability, life skills and character strength development.
• Job coach youth within various jobs both on the campus and in the community
• Will assist in supervision of participants who are engaged in any Pre-Vocational or Employment situations.

•  Responsible for “marketing” of Employment concepts and competencies throughout the campus
•  Will model proper and effective childcare practices and models of care (TCI/Boys Town)     

• Other Duties as Assigned: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications:

Elmcrest’s Core Values & Competencies:

• • Honesty: Act with integrity and behave in a manner consistent with our policies, Code of Conduct and any regulatory and ethical guidelines. Utilize practices and techniques professionals train to interact with children, families and co-workers appropriately.
  • Willingness to Learn: Open to new experiences and learning new skills and information that can improve professional development, progressive work environments and support the mission of Elmcrest.
  • Dedication to Purpose: Display the necessary passion and empathetic abilities to serve the Elmcrest mission. Committed to improve the lives of children and families.
  • Social Concern: Value human dignity and have respect for others. Actively seek out diverse approaches and points of view.
  • Self-Examination: Systemically observe, analyze and utilize self-reflection to improve actions or results. Listen to constructive feedback and concerns and maintain positive relationships in the workplace.

Competencies:

• 2 years of related experience (working with youth, supervising/teaching, and goal-writing)
• Ability to teach a variety of people; ability to work both independently and on a team.
• Strong organization, communication, analytic, and interpersonal skills
• Flexible schedule (some evenings and weekends may be needed to accommodate youth schedules)
• Demonstrates professionalism and strong work ethics.

Required Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma required
• College, and prior experience preferred.

Essential Job Qualifications:

• Ability to lift 50 pounds without assistance.
• Able to provide crisis intervention including physical restraints. Restraints may include resistive force, bending, squatting, kneeling, lying down, and holding youth to maintain safety.
• Ability to sit, squat, crouch and stand for elongated periods of time.
• Ability to lift arms over head in upward reaching motion.
• Ability to walk up and downstairs up to several times per day.
• Ability to provide crisis intervention including physical restraints. Restraints may include resistive force, bending, squatting, kneeling, lying down, and holding youth in order to maintain safety.
• Valid driver’s license free from major infractions and deemed acceptable to our insurance carrier.
• Reliable transportation.
• Varying levels of travel as determined by departmental needs may be required with this position.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Elmcrest Children’s Center prohibits discrimination of any kind based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

Accommodations: Elmcrest Children’s Center will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship to Elmcrest Children’s Center. Contact Human Resources with any questions or requests for accommodation.

At Will Employment: Your employment with Elmcrest Children’s Center is at will. This means your employment is for an indefinite period of time and it is subject to termination by you or Elmcrest Children’s Center, with or without cause, with or without notice, and at any time. Nothing in this job description or in any other policy of Elmcrest Children’s Center shall be interpreted to be in conflict with or to eliminate or modify in any way, the at-will employment status of Elmcrest Children’s Center employees.