Job description

Employment Specialist

Opportunities, Inc. seeks to ensure that all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are provided opportunities to experience their communities through competitive and integrated employment, as well as meaningful engagement within their communities. This is accomplished by building relationships with individuals in our services, leading to discovering their interests, skills, and preferences for support. We pride ourselves on the excellence of our person-centered employment and community engagement services and the outcomes achieved from these services.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Employment Specialist (ES) reports directly to the Employment Services Manager and is responsible for providing direct support to individuals in Opportunities, Inc.’s services that are seeking competitive integrated employment. The ES works closely with Individuals in services, and their teams, to build a personalized employment plan based around the person’s interests, skills, and preferences for support. The ES will spend time in a in a variety of environments including the homes and communities of people seeking employment, to develop a trusting relationship with the individual, their family, and/or guardians. The ES will also negotiate visits to businesses for the individual to engage in job tryouts, and job shadowing. The ES will develop a vocational profile summarizing the information obtained through these Discovery activities. With the individual, the ES will assist in the creation of the person-centered plan to provide direction for job development. The ES is responsible for seeking our businesses that correspond to the individual’s informed choices about work tasks and work environments. Additionally, the ES will negotiate with employers for customized jobs and will assist with developing self-employment opportunities.

FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Maintain a working caseload of individuals in Opportunities, Inc.’s services that are interested in gaining competitive paid employment. Caseload size will vary.
• Assess individuals’ skills through the Discovery Process to learn what they can do, and what they are interested in doing.
• Locate and negotiate work experience activities such as visiting businesses, informational interviewing, situational assessments, job tryouts, and job shadowing.
• Providing assistance with preparing job applications and resumes.
• Prepare Vocational profiles
• Assist, and facilitate, person-centered planning process.
• Work with people served to provide opportunities for practicing interview skills, including the coordination of mock interviews, for successful job placement.
• Engage with community employers to build relationships that could lead to employment opportunities for people in services.
• Provide regular updates regarding employment ventures with all internal and external team member for people on caseload.
• Engages with Community Employers to coordinate working interviews, informational interviews, and other activities that promote employment exposure to people served by Opp. Inc.
• Complete all required documentation including progress notes, attendance information, employment forms, etc.
• Complete and pass all required trainings and remain current with renewable trainings.
• Provide on-the-job training for people in services, using systematic instruction as necessary.
• Attend internal and external meetings, as necessary, to promote professional growth, discuss needs of people served, successful employment placements, etc.
• Communicate and coordinate with Employment Services Manager to ensure all needs related to employment are addressed including Job development, on-site support, off-site support, follow-along support, etc.
• Coordinate and provide travel training to assist individuals in services with gain independence related to getting to and from their employment site.
• Coordinate with Employment Services Manager, and employers, to develop plans related to phasing out of on-site support for individuals working.

EXPECTATIONS/DESIRED SKILLS:

• Creative, flexible, and detailed-oriented
• Ability to work autonomously in the field, while ensuring teams are kept up to date on progress.
• Proven initiative and self-starter attributes
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities at the same time
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability and willingness to work in a high energy environment
• Relates well to diverse populations; builds appropriate rapport
• Strong technical knowledge, including experience with Microsoft Office suite

QUALIFICATIONS:

• High School Diploma or GED required, associate degree preferred
• Minimum of 2 years experience providing employment services to people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.
• Completion of Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE) supported or customized employment certificate program, and/or the Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP) exam.
• Abreast with Montgomery County and/or Prince George’s County activities and resources
• A valid driver's license, clean driving record, reliable transportation and be willing to drive company vehicles

Opportunities, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $20.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Lanham, MD 20706: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Application Question(s):

• Do you have at least 1 year of experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities?
• Do you have at least 2 years of experiencing providing employment services or coaching in a workplace setting?

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Work Location: In person

jjbodyshop.com is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, jjbodyshop.com provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, jjbodyshop.com is the ideal place to find your next job.