The Career Network is an innovative program that uses the evidence-based practice of supported employment to help program participants achieve their employment goals.

We provide services to both CUCS supported housing programs and to individuals with special needs living in the community at large. We work with individuals with various special needs including a history of severe and persistent mental illness, substance use, HIV/AIDS and/or a history of homelessness. Our services are person-centered, using a strengths-based, harm reduction model. We work collaboratively as a team of social workers to develop clinical and workforce development interventions to help our participants thrive as they try out challenges in the world of work. The program seeks to assist participants in their recovery path with the goal of assisting them toward living a full and satisfying life in the community.

Responsibilities: 

The Employment Specialist is a professional at CUCS’ supported employment program, the CUCS Career Network. This position is principally responsible for direct recipient services and group services. Responsibilities include provision of supplemental services and supports such as outreach program participants and assessment, job coaching, entitlements counseling, and resource development.

The Employment Specialist is expected to possess a strong knowledge of employment resources and have a wide range of skills, which are applied to the responsibilities of the position. The Employment Specialist is expected to have a demonstrated ability in the provision of employment services to designated populations. The Employment Specialist is expected to exhibit a substantive level of autonomy and appropriately model good practice with participants. The Employment Specialist has significant responsibility for problem solving and for actively offering input and feedback for programmatic issues as well as providing support to other team members. The Employment Specialist may be assigned additional responsibility for particular tasks, functions or groups. Working in the community is an essential responsibility of the Employment Specialist with the expectation being that time spent in the community will ultimately lead to creation of job opportunities for program participants. Employment specialist is responsible for assisting in achieving site employment goals.

There are 3 positions available:

• One at The Christopher supported housing site, 202 W. 24th Street in Manhattan. 
• One at The Prince George supported housing site, 14 E. 28th Street in Manhattan.
• One at 90 Sands supported housing site, 90 Sands Street in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Note that the Career Network is operating temporarily on a hybrid schedule with 3 days on-site and 2 days in the field/remote.