Job Description

Job Title: Individualized Place and Support (IPS) Employment Specialist – Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)

Reports to: Senior IPS Employment Specialist

Locations: Manhattan or Brooklyn or Bronx

Salary: The salary range for the role is $45,000 - $48,000 per year.

Overview:

The purpose of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is to deliver comprehensive and effective services to individuals (age 18 and up) who are diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI) and whose needs have not been well met by more traditional service delivery approaches. These individuals also suffer from co-occurring substance use disorders and may have histories of criminal legal system involvement. ACT is an evidence-based practice that provides an integrated set of other evidence-based treatment, rehabilitation, case management, and support services delivered by a mobile, multi-disciplinary mental health treatment team to support recipient recovery through a highly individualized approach that provides recipients with the tools to obtain and maintain housing, employment, relationships and relief from symptoms and medication side effects. The CASES ACT Department consists of ACT, Forensic ACT (FACT), ACT Alternative-to-Incarceration (ATI), and Young Adult ACT teams located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and The Bronx.

The IPS Employment Specialist will be using the IPS model to support consumers in finding competitive employment, which includes assessing consumers’ employment preferences and readiness, providing benefits counseling, providing assistance and support to promote job readiness, connecting consumers to employment opportunities and resources, networking with employers for job development, supporting consumers in maintaining their employment, etc. This is a field-based position and requires at least 65% of services to be provided in the community, including but not limited to conducting clients’ visits in their residence, shelter, community locations, and networking with local employers for job development. The IPS Employment Specialist will be working ACT teams co-located in the same borough.

Responsibilities:

• Use Individualized Placement and Support (IPS) model to identify consumers who have a vocational goal, assess consumers vocational preferences and readiness, support consumers in finding and maintaining employment, provide benefits counseling;
• Develop network and relationships with local employers for job development;
• Collaborate with consumers’ support networks as needed to promote progress and success in their vocational goal;
• Use motivational interviewing, recovery and trauma-informed approaches when delivering services;
• Complete foundational and ongoing training as required by the Office of Mental Health and CASES;
• Provide at least 65% percent of services in the community, including but not limited to: conducting clients’ visits in their residence, shelter, community locations, and networking with local employers for job development.;
• Attend and participate in daily team meetings with ACT team members to discuss clients’ clinical and case management issues and needs;
• Complete documentations required by the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (DOHMH) licensing guidelines, NYS Medicaid billing guidelines (when services are Medicaid reimbursable) as well as per CASES ACT Policy and Procedures;
• Provide culturally competent services in accordance with CASES policies and practice.

Qualifications:

• At least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or equivalent (GED or TASC)
• At least 6 months of personal or professional experience in human services;
• Experiences working with individuals with serious mental illness, co-occurring substance use disorders, and/or criminal legal involvement preferred;
• Experiences and/or training in vocational counseling, IPS model, and job development preferred;
• Ability to travel independently throughout the community and outreach with local employers;
• Highly organized and self-motivated;
• Candidates with lived experiences are encouraged to apply;
• Proficient in computers;
• Fluency in Spanish preferred.

CASES is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment with CASES is based solely on qualifications and competence for a particular position, without regard to race, color, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or marital, military, or citizenship status. We also actively recruit individuals with prior involvement in the criminal justice system.