Capabilities Partnership, Inc. dba

Epilepsy Society of Southern New York

Job Description

Job Title: Employment Specialist

Department: Vocational Services Department

Date: November 2016

Status: Over-time Eligible

Job Overview:

This is a service position, meaning that you are always providing a service to a consumer or to another customer such as a co-worker or other service provider. You must have and are expected to exercise professional judgment and to assist in improving the life of people with disabilities through vocational pursuits. All services must be rendered in a way that positively spreads our Agency’s (CPI) reputation for excellence. Primary role is to assist the individual with a disability in finding, training for and maintaining meaningful employment in the community.

Essential Functions:

1) Provide services to assist the consumer with regard to obtaining and maintaining employment in the community:

• Perform thorough screening of new consumers including an assessment of vocational skills, areas of interest and training needs.
• Develop and implement a plan mapping out the range of services needed for each consumer detailing vocational goals and objectives.
• Provide job readiness skills training which includes goal clarification, resume/cover letter development, interviewing and job search techniques, vocational counseling and advocacy.
• Provide job development which would match consumer’s skills, training and goals. Research job opportunities for the consumer and manage the recruiting process. Follow-up with consumer regarding interviews, thank-you letters, etc. This would require strong relationship skills to market our consumers to the community. Must develop new positions in the community on an on-going basis.
• Place consumers in jobs in the community as appropriate,
• Provide intensive job coaching and vocational counseling to the consumer once a job is obtained. This would include on-the-job training and role modeling as well as training to assist the consumer to successfully transition into the workplace.
• Provide follow-along services to the consumer in order to ensure stability in the workplace. Observe and identify any problems/changes/ developments that negatively affect the consumer’s role. Work with and advocate on consumer’s behalf to secure the employer-employee relationship.
• Serve as an advocate for the consumer to ensure that they receive needed services, resources and entitlements.
• Provide outreach to secure new consumers for CPI
• Train junior staff as appropriate.

2) Develop a working knowledge of the laws, regulations and entitlements with regard to epilepsy and other disabilities especially as they relate to employment in the community.

3) Travel (must use own car/vehicle and must be able to safely drive to appointments) as necessary to meet with consumers at work-sites, ACCES-VR offices, etc. or to attend meetings, trainings, etc.

4) Form and maintain courteous, nonjudgmental and professional relationships with consumers: Communicate with the consumer as needed to assist with vocational goals. Exhibit sound professional judgment and maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

5) Write clear, concise and up-to-date case notes and documentation in order to provide an audit trail that the services have been delivered in accordance with the ISP and to provide information concerning the consumer’s response to the services. All documentation must be well written both in terms of grammar and content and conform to all regulations including timeliness.

6) Submit billing documentation in a timely manner and provide documentation for billing, ensuring all billing can be adequately substantiated and all regulations and rules are met.

7) Advocate for those with epilepsy. Must be fully trained in seizure disorders and seizure first aid. Provide outreach to those with epilepsy and their families and refer them to the appropriate person within the Agency who could assist them.

8) Develop and maintain cooperative, professional working relationships with CPI staff, other agency staff members and other service providers to ensure all CPI consumers are receiving appropriate services. Treat all with courtesy, respect and professionalism and work cooperatively and constructively in resolving issues or problems.

9) Protect Agency and consumer confidentiality and ensure consumers’ rights. Comply with all laws of consumer confidentiality including but not limited to HIPAA. Constantly apply the minimum necessary rule in all use and disclosure of protected health information. Have access to, and the duty to protect, the complete consumer file for only Vocational Services Department consumers as indicated in the “Job Classifications and Protected Health Information” section of the HIPAA Consumer Privacy Handbook.

10) Attend supervision as required. Seek assistance when needed especially relating to consumer health and safety.

11) Develop a schedule outside-the-office consumer visits, meetings, etc. and communicate this to managers and administration. Inform appropriate staff of changes. Display professional conduct at meetings including arriving on time or informing participants if unable to attend. Work safely using sound judgment and informing manager if there is any concern for safety, whether your own, a consumer’s or someone else’s.

12) Maintain good attendance. Regular and reliable attendance is necessary in order to provide appropriate serves to our consumers. Be responsible that working time out of office is spent effectively and efficiently. Accurately complete the payroll timesheet on a bi-weekly basis indicating all hours worked and clearly identifying if owed any extra pay. Understand that by the nature of this job, which is very independent and out of the office much of the time, it is very difficult for your manager to know if you are working extra hours so it is incumbent upon you to indicate if you are working any over-time and need to be paid extra.

13) Attend and participate in required meetings and trainings.

14) Perform other duties assigned by the supervisor or other administrative staff including cross-training opportunities.

Job Qualifications:

· Professional, resourceful, compassionate individual

· Good attention to detail and follow-up

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills; must be able to appropriately communicate with individuals with a disability

· Good computer skills including MS Word, Excel

· Four year degree preferably in Social Work or related health or human services field

· At least one year experience working with people with developmental disabilities in a vocational setting

· Valid driver’s license with good driving record; ability to safely operate a car, access to a car to drive to consumer appointments

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $18.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Pearl River, NY 10965 (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Pearl River, NY 10965: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Pearl River, NY 10965