Client Assistance Specialist

NOTE: This position requires working with a multilingual community. Applicants must be bilingual in one of the following three languages: Amharic/English, French/English, or Spanish/English. The successful candidate will be required to pass an Advanced proficiency in Amharic/English, French/English, or Spanish/English language examination assessing the following skills: oral communication, reading comprehension, interpreting AND translating text from the other language of competency to English language and vice versa.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking a Client Assistance Specialist to support the work of the Suburban Maryland Welcome Back Center, a program of the Latino Health Initiative (LHI).

Latino Health Initiative

The LHI aims to improve the quality of life of Latinos living in Montgomery County by contributing to the development and implementations of an integrated, coordinated, culturally and linguistically competent health wellness system that supports, values and respects Latino families and communities.

Primary Duties

Under the supervision of the Program Manager of the Welcome Back Center of Suburban Maryland (the Center), the primary responsibility of this position is providing on-going guidance and support to clients. The Center is a nationally recognized model for the integration of internationally-trained health professionals into the health field.

Specific Duties include:

1. Provide on-going individualized guidance and support to clients. Tasks include:

• Help clients define and assess their own challenges/barriers in obtaining licensure and/or certification in a health profession in Maryland and identify service needs and effective courses of action.
• Assist clients by providing personalized coaching to create and execute an individualized service plan with detailed and realistic educational/career goals to obtain licensure and/or certification and secure employment in the health industry.
• Help clients to navigate the health field licensure and/or certification process and make referrals to internal and external services.
• Work with other Center staff to assist clients in exploring employment opportunities at healthcare settings including access to on-the-job training, steppingstone positions, career advancement jobs, and mentoring opportunities, as appropriate.
• Create and maintain case notes and keep records of individual service plan progresses in the Center database system, and other relevant data utilized to generate reports.

2. Coordinate and plan the implementation of activities pertaining to participant's advance in academics, licensure or certification in the health field, and workforce related matters. Tasks include:

• Conduct regular group guidance and support meetings with clients.
• Coordinate planning and implementation of trainings.
• Work in collaboration with partners and supporters, including academic institutions, the licensure and/or certification boards for health professions in Maryland, and organizations that offer credentials evaluation services for proper coordination of services and to advocate on the participants' behalf.
• Support outreach and develop of new contacts with health industry employers and maintain current relationships with health and healthcare industry employer partners.
• Support evaluation activities providing pertinent client's data on progresses made and outcomes achieved to create program and other required reports.

3. Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with community members as well as representatives of public and private entities. Tasks include:

• Collaborate with other programs and service areas within and outside the HHS on the development and implementation of workforce-related immigrant integration strategies.
• Represent the Center in committees and coalitions as appropriate.

4. Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

This position must have the ability to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends.

OHR reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position/IRC.

Montgomery County Government is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email to OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

Montgomery County Government also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, please refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference.

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for interview.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law: Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.

Minimum Qualifications

We are seeking a candidate with one (1) year of experience in human services that involved substantive client contact and service delivery through direct assistance or referral. This experience must have included ability to communicate effectively across a wide range of cultures and overcome potential barriers to service.

Preferred Minimum Qualifications

Three (3) years of experience assisting clients in workforce development, academic counseling or similar areas to develop, implement, and monitor individual service plans establishing realistic goals, taking into consideration client's personal and professional circumstances as well as client's willingness and readiness to achieve goals. (Familiarity with internationally-trained health professional gaining certification or licensure in a health profession in Maryland and re-entering the health workforce is desirable.)

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in human services, academic counseling, or workforce development. Candidates will also have graduated from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's Degree. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted for the education or experience.

Preferred Criteria

The applications of those individuals meeting the minimum qualifications will be reviewed to determine the extent, relevancy of training, and experience in the following areas:

• Knowledge and experience working with the Maryland Boards for licensing/credentialing specific health professions and the recognized organizations to conduct the credentials evaluation services for internationally trained health professionals
• Experience in the delivery of client-focused customer services to diverse populations to assess the individual needs and offer necessary guidance and support.
• Experience working positively and sensitively with individuals from various cultural backgrounds, particularly immigrant populations.
• Knowledge and experience working with Maryland employers of health professions that could offer jobs that are appropriate for internationally-trained health professionals.
• Excellent computer skills including experience with records and data management to track client's progress and assist management in program planning, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to deal tactfully, effectively, and equitably with people
• Strong organizational skills, able to multitask and engage in diverse activities under multiple deadlines.