Participant Support Specialist (Train and Earn)

Job Details

Job Location: Lincoln Square - New York, NY

Position Type: Full-Time

Education Level: 4 Year Degree

Salary Range: $51,446.40 - $57,162.66 Salary/year

Job Shift: Day

Description

Organization Overview: Goddard Riverside is a well-established Manhattan community-based agency with an annual operating budget of approximately $ 50 million. Goddard Riverside is one of New York City’s leading human service organizations meeting the basic needs of children, youth and families, homeless people, and older adults across Manhattan and New York City.

Position Summary: The Education and Workforce Development Department is seeking experienced, dynamic, and highly focused individual(s) to serve as one of two Case Worker in its Train and Earn Program located within Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center. This role operates under the direction of the program’s Mental Health Professional and is responsible for providing encouraging participant engagement and retention through case management and assistance services for young adults pursuing education and employment opportunities. The Participant Support Specialists will focus on the development of referrals, resources, and networks that will support participants over time, ultimately yielding successful outcomes leading to long-term success

Schedule: Monday - Friday (35 hours per week)

Salary: $51,446.40 - $57,162.66

Candidates must have the required qualifications to be considered for the position. The salary offer will be based on the candidate’s number of years experience in the exact or comparable position and additional preferred qualifications will be taken into account.

Roles, Responsibilities, And Essential Duties

Roles, Responsibilities, and Essential Duties

• Intake Assessments and Client Evaluation - 20%
• Conduct intake assessments for newly enrolled participants to identify their strengths, barriers to success, resource needs, and employment goals.
• Prepare Individual Service Strategies (ISS) and reports on social, emotional, and academic progress.
• Service Coordination, Counseling, Support and Advocacy - 40%
• Collaborate with clients, team members, including instructors, external Participant Support Specialist s, administrators, and families, to develop individualized case plans (ISS) tailored to client needs.
• Develop and implement individual treatment plans focused on employment, academics, financial literacy, and social skills.
• Provide individual and group follow up services to program participants and alumni.
• Provide advocacy services, including informal counseling and community referrals for public benefits, housing, and legal support.
• Help participants navigate public benefit systems, the affordable housing market, and legal challenges as they arise.
• Workshop Development and Facilitation - 20%
• In coordination with the Mental Health team, develop and facilitate workshops and group sessions on topics such as mental health, employment readiness, academic success, financial literacy, and social interaction.
• Support job skills training instructors and educators with delivery of workshops where content overlaps and connects
• Maintain relationships with alumni participants for at least two years post-program completion.
• Record Keeping and Reporting - 20%
• Maintain accurate case files, log entries, and necessary client records.
• Input weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and quarterly data into database systems such as Salesforce and DYCD Connect Portal. Knowledge of these systems is a plus.
• Write bi-weekly case notes to keep participants and alumni informed about public benefits, housing lotteries, and job opportunities.
  
  

Qualifications & Experience: A bachelor's degree in social work or a related field and experience working with city systems such as public assistance, child welfare, education, and housing; or an associate’s degree and experience working with City systems such as public assistance, child welfare, education, and housing; or at least three (3) years successful experience in providing case management/counseling and working with City systems such as public assistance, child welfare, education, and housing, including internships and undergraduate work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bi-/Multilingual, Spanish, Haitian Creole, French
  
  

Knowledge, Skill And Abilities

• Working Knowledge: Sufficient familiarity with workforce development, career readiness, job placement processes, and the employment barriers young adults face.
• General Knowledge: City systems such as public assistance programs, child welfare services, education systems, and affordable housing resources.
• Thorough Knowledge: Case management principles and practices, including developing case plans, documenting case notes, and facilitating youth development strategies. Workshop development and group facilitation techniques for employment, financial literacy, and social interaction.
• Comprehensive Knowledge: Service coordination and advocacy for youth navigating complex systems. Database management systems (Salesforce, DYCD Connect) for tracking client progress and program outcomes. Best practices in supporting young adults with employment, education, financial literacy, and overcoming systemic barriers.
• Skills: Case Management, Relationship Building, Service Coordination, Time Management, Communication, Collaboration/Teamwork, Writing Proficiency,
  
  

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions

• You may be required to lift up to 25 lbs or less.
• Standing for extended periods while facilitating workshops and events
• Environment: The role involves working in an office setting, at program sites, and occasionally in the community. Work may be conducted both in-person and virtually.
• Emotional Demands: The position involves working with participants experiencing personal, social, or economic challenges. The Participant Support Specialist must be prepared to handle emotionally charged situations and support individuals facing mental health concerns, trauma, and systemic barriers.
• Stress Factors: This role requires managing multiple cases, meeting deadlines, and adapting to evolving participant needs, which may contribute to periods of high stress.
• Mental Health Awareness: The organization encourages maintaining mental well-being and offers resources or support programs for staff mental health, including supervision, counseling resources, or wellness initiatives.
  
  

We are committed to building an inclusive workplace community grounded in respect for differences. We support hiring a broadly diverse team of qualified individuals who will contribute to our organizations.

Goddard Riverside and Isaacs Center provide equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of duties and responsibilities that will be required of this position and title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.