Employment Specialist III

Compensation We Offer 

• The initial compensation for this position ranges from $21.44 - $26.37 per hour.
• Salary is dependent on commensurate experience above the minimum qualifications for the role and internal equity considerations.
• The salary may also vary if you reside in a different location than the location posted. 
• 7.5% Bilingual Differential for qualified positions*
• * Must meet company policy eligibility requirements.

Benefits We Offer  

• Benefits eligibility starts on day ONE! 
• We Offer Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision benefits, Voluntary Life Insurance, Flex Spending, Health Savings Account, EAP, and more!   
• Employer Paid Long-Term Disability & Basic Life Insurance
• 401K Employer Match up to 4%
• Competitive Time Off Plans (may vary by employment status)
• Employee engagement and advocacy opportunities to advance our justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion agenda across our Agency and throughout the communities we serve.

Who We Are: 

Pacific Clinics is California's largest community-based nonprofit provider of behavioral and mental health services and supports. Its team of more than 2,000 employees speak 22 languages and are dedicated to offering hope and unlocking the full potential of individuals and families through culturally-responsive, trauma-informed, research-based services for individuals and families from birth to older adults. The agency offers services in 18 counties including Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus, Stockton, Tulare and Ventura. 

Who We Serve: 

Pacific Clinics serves children, transitional age youth, families, adults, and older adults. We offer a full range of mental and behavioral health services, foster care and social services, housing, continuing adult education and early childhood education programs to Medi-Cal eligible individuals and families. Our diverse staff provides culturally and linguistically relevant services in over 22 languages to our region’s culturally and ethnically diverse populations. We provide services in 18 counties across California.

Program Type: Employment Services
Population Served: 16-100

Job Summary

Employment Specialist III is a community based role that implements the services of the Supported Employment program by assisting clients to obtain and maintain employment that is consistent with their vocational goals. Responsible for providing employment preparation and training in job search and interviewing skills as well as job coaching to adults with psychiatric disabilities at off-site employment locations and program facilities. Provides support for schooling and technical training for career advancement.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Engages clients and establishes trusting, collaborative relationships directed toward the goal of competitive employment in community job settings with a diverse demographic.

• Assists clients in obtaining individualized information about how entitlements (e.g., Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, etc.) will be affected by employment, enabling clients to make well-informed decisions about employment opportunities. 

• Refers clients to benefits counseling, as needed. Helps clients report earnings, as needed.

• Assesses clients' vocational skills and preferences about being transparent with employers about any mental disability, on an ongoing basis utilizing background information and work experiences. With the client's permission, provides information and support to family members. 

• Helps clients learn about different jobs/careers by coordinating informational interviews, job fair participation, and other meetings with workers/managers, and academic advisors to discuss positions that may interest and motivate clients to search and apply for job opportunities.

• Conducts job development and job search activities directed toward positions that are individualized to the interests and uniqueness of clients, following the principles and procedures of supported employment.

• Contacts employers to learn about the business, job opportunities, and to discuss the support provided by the program and client strengths that are relevant to the business.

• Provides individualized follow-up to assist clients in maintaining employment. Writes job support plans with clients and incorporates input from family members (with client permission) and the mental health team and makes adjustments on an ongoing basis as needed.

• Provides education and support to employers as agreed upon by clients. May negotiate job accommodations and retention services.

• Engages and makes an assessment of the clients’ work readiness, identifying any barriers they may have to obtaining employment in the community.

• Assists/coaches clients in the development of job search skills, transportation arrangements, resume preparation, interviewing techniques and job retention skills.

• When appropriate, visits work site, observes actual work in progress and prepares analysis of work environment, job requirements and specific job tasks.

• Provides ongoing support and job retention services to clients who choose not to disclose their disability to their employer at non-worksite locations at the program or in the community.

• Provides outreach services as necessary to clients when they appear to disengage from the service. Uses a variety of methods to provide outreach.

• Participates in weekly meetings with mental health treatment team and communicates individually with team members between meetings in order to coordinate and integrate vocational services with mental health treatment.

• Participates in face-to-face meetings with state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) counselors. Collaborates with individual counselors between meetings to assist clients.

• Responsible for client intake, case management and proactively seeking employment opportunities for clients within the caseload.

• Develops an individual employment and/or education plan with clients. Incorporates input from mental health team and family members, with client permission.

• Attends high school meetings with teachers.

• Assists clients in learning about different education and vocational training programs related to client interests and academic aptitudes. Focuses on mainstream education and certificate training programs only.

• Provides supports with financial aid.

• Collaborates with counselors at the Office for Disability Services, professors/instructors, and counselors at the Financial Aid Office, as needed.

• Performing any or all of the duties of a Case Manager, as needed.

• Develops and maintains accurate, complete and timely documentation of services provided to consumers; ensures compliance with Clinics policies and procedures, contract compliance, state licensing and other requirements; enters information in member records, gathers data and may prepares reports on for management use and decision-making.

• Develops and maintains skills in the employment field through seminars, workshops or other forms of training/education.

• Communicates effectively in a culturally competent and diverse consumer population and promotes favorable interaction with managers, co-workers and others.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Job Specific Competencies

• Practices self-care and remains aware that others may be contending with stress and treats others with grace.

• Develops and maintains skills in the employment field through seminars, workshops or other forms of training/education.

• Communicates effectively in a culturally competent and diverse consumer population and promotes favorable interaction with managers, co-workers and others.

• Skilled at maintaining positive relationships with a diverse demographic of stakeholders - clients, internal agency and external governmental and private industry representatives.

• Organization skills

• Collaboration and advocacy skills

Qualifications

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

• Associate's degree and six (6) years' experience working in a mental health setting, or equivalent combination of education and experience (two years of relevant experience equals one year of education) to include:

• Minimum two (2) years’ experience providing services for the mentally ill and/or demonstrated ability, providing or receiving vocational services through a publicly funded program

• Requires an Individual, Placement, and Support (IPS) Certification within the first six (6) months of employment.

• Demonstrated skills working effectively with the homeless and dually diagnosed population.

• Knowledge of mental health and employment community resources.

• Prior experience working in case-management, with the homeless or with individuals having chronic mental illness or similar work.

• A basic working knowledge of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation model.

• Basic knowledge of public policies relative to member population and associated programs.

• Effective verbal and written communication skills, bi-lingual skills in Spanish/English may be required in some areas

• Ability to work a flexible schedule as needed to fulfill program needs which may include weekends, evening, and holidays.

• Excellent computer skills and demonstrated ability to work in Windows environment (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Web research and database knowledge).

• Requires First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification within first six months of employment.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop; kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Level of Contact with Children

Will not have unsupervised contact with children.

Driving Privileges

May be called upon to drive on agency business. Needs acceptable MVR and appropriate insurance coverage.

Salary : $21 - $26