Description

ORGANIZATION: SHELTER, Inc. is an independent, community-based non-profit organization created in 1986 to lead Contra Costa County's effort to eliminate homelessness.

MISSION: To prevent and end homelessness among low-income, homeless, and disadvantaged families and individuals by providing housing services, support and resources that lead to self-sufficiency.

JOB TITLE: Employment Services Specialist

STATUS: Non-exempt/Full Time

TEAM: Programs

REPORTS TO: Program Manager or Director

SUPERVISES: None

PURPOSE of ROLE: This position helps develop and implement job readiness and placement assistance systems designed to increase employment opportunities for SHELTER, Inc. program participants, and thereby enable them to generate income sufficient to prevent or alleviate homelessness.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

SCREENING & ASSESSMENT

• Screen prospective program participants for educational and work history.
• Help participants identify career path.
• Help participants identify strengths/capabilities and challenges/barriers to employment success.
• Assist participants in developing measurable outcome goals and a strategic plan for reaching employment.

SERVICE DELIVERY & COORDINATION

• Help develop and implement job readiness, placement and retention services program, and assist in cultivating relationships with local employers as directed.
• Help expand and maintain referral relationships within the local educational, job training, and workforce communities to ensure increased access to employment opportunities.
• Maintain an active case load of 20 to 30 persons seeking employment placement assistance, helping program participants develop a job search plan that has self-defined, time-specific goals for obtaining/retaining employment.
• Help present skills workshops related to employment readiness, resume preparation, computer labs, interview and job seeking/keeping skills as directed.
• Expand job-related tools, tips and other resources to maximize employment opportunities.
• Process service-related expenditure requests according to established policies/procedures.
• Communicate with other teams to assure close coordination in service delivery.

SERVICE DOCUMENTATION

• Keep case files and HMIS service data up-to-date, completing data entry at the time of, or no later than within 24 business hours of every service interaction.
• Participate in periodic case reviews to fine-tune intervention strategies and techniques.
• Administer employment exit surveys to monitor job placement outcomes and to identify opportunities for program improvement.
• Conduct participant follow-up at 13-week, 26-week and 1 year to document long-term outcomes.
• Process service-related expenditures according to established policies/procedures.
• Cooperate with Program Manager on internal documentation to assure full compliance with funding source requirements.
• Help prepare progress reports for internal and external customers as requested.

EXPECTED PROFICIENCIES:

• Thorough knowledge of employment market for jurisdiction/s.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care principles/practices.
• Ability to develop successful partner relationships, especially employers and partner agencies.
• Ability to inform and empower participants to fully apply their skills and strengths.
• Ability to maintain patience and tolerance and tact/diplomacy in stressful situations.
• Ability to organize effective meetings and facilitate successful group interactions.
• Proven negotiation and mediation skills.
• Keep professionalism at all times, including setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries.
• Ability to interpret and adapt to competing priorities and conflicting deadlines.
• A high level of integrity and strong ethical values.
• Strong abilities in the areas of oral/written communication and listening skills.
• Self-motivated and accountable for work time and other agency resources.
• Quality control - demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness, monitors own work to ensure quality and applies feedback to improve performance.
• Strong presence, consistent energy level and positive demeanor.
• Demonstrated capacity to maintain highest standards of confidentiality with all records, including organizational and individual information.
• Thoroughness and accuracy with data collection, entry and quality control in a web based database.
• Self-motivated and accountable for work time and other agency resources.
• Well organized: able to effectively manage multiple assignments to meet project deadlines.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Associates degree plus professional or volunteer experience that demonstrates a capacity to engage low-income supportive service program participants in employment or career counseling and assessment.
• Professional or volunteer experience working for people coming from crisis situations and traumatizing circumstances.
• 1-2 years of progressively responsible roles in a support services program, including:
• 1 year of direct service delivery experience with low-income people coming facing crisis situations and/or traumatizing circumstances; and
• 1 year of experience providing career advising or support service provision to persons who are homeless and have other barriers to employment, i.e., limited English ability, limited job history and ex- offender status.
• Typing skills and computer proficiency (Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel).
• Experience working with computer-based service documentation/data collection.
• Ability/willingness to work flexible hours.
• Experience working in diverse settings with people across all socio-economic spectrums and a wide variety of personalities and roles - staff, participants, local agencies, vendors, volunteers, etc.
• Access to reliable personal transportation required, including a DMV record that permits driver to be insured under SHELTER, Inc.’s automobile coverage.
• Must successfully pass a criminal background check.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in social work, psychology, career counseling, vocational or adult education, or a closely related field of study.
• GCDF Certification.
• 2 years of direct experience working in job readiness/placement/retention service programs.
• 1 year of experience organizing/presenting job readiness/placement workshops.
• Demonstrated commitment to the nonprofit or public sectors as a volunteer.
• Experience working with formerly incarcerated persons and/or veterans.
• Experience using HMIS or other similar social service database systems.
• Bilingual English/Spanish.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described below 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 regularly required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use their hands and fingers to handle or feel objects. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

There are no unusual environmental conditions. Typically, the noise level in the work environment is quiet.

Benefit Package Includes

• 18 days of Paid Time Off to start, stepping up to 25 days over 8 years (vacation, sick, personal)
• 15 paid holidays including your birthday!
• Tuition reimbursement
• Medical insurance Fully paid employee coverage of at least three plans and 50% of dependents premium (Kaiser, Sutter Health and Anthem Blue Cross)
• Dental Fully paid employee coverage and 50% of your dependents premium
• Vision Fully paid employee coverage and 50% of your dependents premium
• Flexible spending account
• Group term Life insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment Fully paid employee coverage
• Long-term disability insurance Fully paid employee coverage
• Employee Assistance Program
• Voluntary Pet Insurance through Wishbone Pet Insurance
• Voluntary Aflac insurances
• 403b Retirement Plan with matching contribution

Qualifications