Employment Specialist III - Vocational Services

Company: MaineHealth
Location: Portland
Posted on: May 28, 2023

Job Description:

• Position Summary
  
  • Are you passionate about helping individuals explore and achieve their career goals? Would you like to make a difference helping to promote greater community independence among Maine individuals with disabilities?
    Maine Medical Center's Department of Vocational Services is pleased to announce expansion of its support to Home and Community Based Services participants, funded by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS).
    The Employment Specialist/Career Planner will work in York and Cumberland County to support HCBS participants. The position will support individuals to explore career goals, and help develop a person-centered, comprehensive employment plan, to help achieve competitive, integrated employment. This intensive 1:1 service involves observation and exploration through a series of activities in the community, home, and work settings to discover the individual's gifts, talents, support needs, and ideal conditions of employment.
    The Employment Specialist / Career Planner spends between 30 to 60 hours getting to know the individual and their community, researching potential employment opportunities, training needs, evaluating opportunities and natural supports, and supporting individuals to achieve maximum independence on the job. The ES/CP works with considerable independence, requiring strong organizational, case management, and interpersonal skills.
    Experience with MaineCare waiver systems and processes, and familiarity with intellectual disability, autism, and behavioral health diagnoses preferred. Current ACRE ES Certification and career planning training is preferred but can be paid by MMC and achieved in the first six months of employment.
  • Required Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
    
    • Education: Requires a professional level of knowledge in vocational counseling with individuals with disabilities, including youth and people with developmental disabilities and/or psychiatric disabilities. Must be able to evaluate employment capabilities of program participants at a level normally acquired through completion of a Bachelor's degree in social services or related fields.
    • License/Certifications: N/A
    • Experience: Requires six to twelve months of progressive experience working with persons with disabilities necessary to learn community resources relating to the potential employment of persons with disabilities and to determine potential employers for such persons.
    • Requires analytical ability necessary to determine community resources available to assist in training and placement of persons with disabilities for work in the private and public sectors.
    • Requires interpersonal skills necessary to persuade various employers to participate in training and employment programs for persons with disabilities. Must coordinate needs of individual employers with available community resources.
      Additional Information
      With a career at any of the MaineHealth locations across Maine and New Hampshire, you'll be working with health care professionals that truly value the people around them - both within the walls of the organization and the communities that surround it.
      We offer benefits that support an individual's needs for today and flexibility to plan for tomorrow - programs such as paid parental leave, a flexible work policy, student loan assistance, training and education, along with well-being resources for you and your family.
      MaineHealth remains focused on investing in our care team and developing an inclusive environment where you can thrive and feel supported to realize your full potential. If you're looking to build a career in a place where people help one another deliver best-in-class care, apply today.

Keywords: MaineHealth, Portland , Employment Specialist III - Vocational Services, Human Resources , Portland, Oregon