Employment & Education Specialist - Women's Justice Program

Under the direction of the WJP Employment & Education (EE) Program Supervisor, the WJP EE Specialist is responsible for advancing education and employment opportunities for program clients. This will include coordinating and delivering client training and support on a broad range of education, employment and career- oriented services, data management, and becoming part of the treatment team. Position also requires networking and marketing skills as well as ability to build relationships with potential employers and education partners.

PROGRAM SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 Career Guidance and Counseling

• Engage clients and establish trusting, collaborative relationships in order to provide individualized support and develop vocational plans according to clients’ specific needs and preferences while incorporating input from the treatment team, family members and other designated persons with the clients’ consent.
• Conduct education and career assessments, proficiency testing and interest inventories with justice-involved clients and program graduates to develop an inventory of clients’ strengths, needs, abilities, and preferences.
• Implement trauma-informed care practices and individualized plan.
• Assess and respond to emergent signs of risk and suicidality.
• Link clients to appropriate intra-agency and community resources to promote wellness and recovery, and collaborate with treatment team to ensure clients’ services are integrated.
• Work one-on-one and in groups on job development, resume skills, conflict resolution, customer service, communication, and the necessary soft skills for job readiness/retention.
• Link clients to job fairs and career trade shows to expand employment opportunities.
• Support clients by linking with the most appropriate employment setting and maintain regular touch points with participant and business partner.
• Provide individual and group career guidance and coaching, and case management focused on helping clients prepare for employment that leads to long-term self-sufficiency.
• Provide follow-along support to increase retention, client success, and employer satisfaction.
• Maintain employment and education data for the clients including pay stubs, schedules, resumes, employment history, banking information and general work attendance for current participants, program graduates and WJT clients.
• Advocate for criminal justice involved clients participating in court-ordered or voluntary treatment.
• Utilize health information technology and electronic interventions including mobile and web-based technologies.
• Demonstrate and utilize knowledge of client population and proven practices related to the treatment of alcohol and other substance use disorders, co-occurring, and mental health interventions.

Coordinating and Delivering Client Training

• Coordinate supported educational opportunities, including GED courses, post-secondary schooling and or specialized skill/trade courses.
• Provide skill-based education to clients on topics such as interviewing, attendance, and performance, and provide or link to counseling on money budgeting and employment benefits.
• Implement best-practice curriculums and other relevant emerging bodies of knowledge to produce improved education and employment outcomes.
• Assist clients in determining the objectives needed to reach their recovery goals.
• Utilize best practices for individual and group education sessions.
• Work to increase client engagement through structure, incentives, individualization of service offerings, and robust support network.
• Develop partnerships within the community and assist with education and career placement and retention.
• Provide partner support between the educator and/or employer and client to ensure needs are met and increase client outcomes.
• Perform a variety of programmatic and administrative customer-centered tasks including current and potential partner outreach.
• Advocate for participants in the community.
• Expand partnerships through other service providers and volunteers to strengthen employment interventions and support.
• Promote wellness, self-care, and self-advocacy; teach clients how to practice positive self-talk; and demonstrate problem-solving techniques to clients.

Networking and Relationship Building with Potential Employers

• Conduct employment search activities and build ongoing collaborative relationships with area employers directed toward the individualized vocational plans of assigned clients to assist with job placement and retention.
• Provide Human Resource support between the employer and employee to ensure needs are met and serve as a liaison between individuals, their employers and community agencies.
• Perform a variety of programmatic and administrative customer-centered tasks including customer outreach.
• Advocate for participants in the business community.
• Work with supervisor to establish contact with community partners and external referral sources for program presentations and following up with those organizations over time to identity new referrals.
• Expand partnerships through other service providers and volunteers to strengthen employment interventions and support.
• Attend supervision meetings