Employment Specialist 1.22

The Mission of Veterans Place is to empower veterans' transition from homeless to home, ending the cycle of homelessness, and to assist all at-risk veterans to become engaged, valuable citizens who contribute to their communities. Our vision is a community where veteran homelessness is rare, brief, and non-reoccurring and where veterans are valued, productive, and respected citizens who contribute to their community. Veterans Place is a CARF Accredited organization, following the ASPIRE model, to provide quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services to our clients.

Position Summary:

The Employment Specialist (ES) will assist Veterans in obtaining competitive employment that aligns with their skills, experience, interests, and education. This position will work alongside Veterans experiencing homelessness and housing instability and provide career counseling, resume assistance, mock interviews, trainings, connections with employers, and job leads. The ES will be a career advisor and counselor, offer one-on-one case management services and provide other resources as necessary to veterans with significant barriers to employment. The ES will work to utilize the network of local employers, VSO's, and other non-profits and organizations that work with Veterans Place.

Position Responsibilities:

Essential Functions:

• Work with clients and provide case management in identifying employment, training, and vocational needs and potential career options as well as tracking client progress or regress, conducting internal chart audits and retention and follow up activities for 12 months post-program completion.
• Develop client-directed individualized employment plans (IEP). Each IEP will address steps to overcome barriers such as basic needs including food, housing and mental health, substance abuse, social services, legal aid, and various others.
• Work as a client advocate to communicate the Veterans' needs and interests to employers as well as directly arranging and coordinating interviews between participants and hiring managers.
• Seek new clients and assist with outreach delivery to a targeted population of veterans through partner agencies, collaborations with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Workforce Investment Boards, PA CareerLink, Military Service Members, and other providers.
• Conduct outreach to network with employers to expediate a veteran's hiring process.

• Refer clients for additional supportive services, including housing, counseling, and supportive services, as needed.to both internal and external partners.
• Organize mock interview sessions, resume writing workshops, and services for Veterans to obtain and maintain employment.
• Tailor Veterans' resumes to highlight their strengths and experience related to job openings the veteran is interested in.

• Develop and maintain relationships with AJC partners (PA CareerLinks), the VA Domilicaries, VA Benefits Offices, etc.
• Maintain case records in accordance with program guidelines and professional requirements. This includes daily contact notes and regular chart audits.

• Implement legal and ethical standards of service delivery, privacy and confidentiality, complying with all applicable regulations
• Represent Veterans Place at a variety of public forums and community events held by federal, state, local, civic, private, faith-based, and community providers.

Communication:

• Communicate with veteran clients on topics of employment readiness and financial literacy
• Participate in VP, staff, clinical and in-service meetings, in-service activities, and training as required
• Prospect via phone, email, or in-person with employers and other service organizations

Additional Duties:

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed. You will be expected to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested by your supervisor.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree business, human services, social work or related field from an accredited institution
• 2-3 Years of Case Management, Career Counseling, Workforce Development, or Relationship Management
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite; Experience with BestNotes or similar Clinical CRM Platforms
• Experience working with Veterans and individuals with significant barriers to employment preferred
• Experience working with Veterans Administration preferred
• Must have a valid driver's license and ability to travel to various sites daily
• Veteran Status preferred
• Passing a pre-employment drug and alcohol screening is required and a background check will be conducted

Veterans Place is an Equal Opportunity Employer
This job posting will expire in 30 days, but applications will be kept on file for one year.