Employment Specialist - DORS in Prince Frederick, Maryland at The Arc Of Southern Maryland

JOB TITLE: Employment Specialist-DORS

LOCATION: Tri-County

JOB PURPOSE:

The Employment Specialist-DORS provides onsite instruction, support and encouragement to people with developmental or intellectual disabilities. Generally, the Employment Specialist will work independently with oversight and support from the manager.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Person-centered planning and individualized implementation of goals for individuals receiving supports from the team
• Job development (Assist with motivating, planning, and developing career goals)
• Locates and follows through on business and employment opportunities
• Deals with crisis situations.
• Assures that all duties required by the employment site of the person(s) receiving this support are met through either the person or the employee, as necessary.

The ideal candidate will be outgoing, interested in community engagement and assisting individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities. Possesses a valid driving license with a good driving record, and access to a safe vehicle for transporting people receiving services. Minimum requirements include a High School diploma. (Preferred job development experience)

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Employment, Volunteer and Recreational Skills & Supports

• The Employment Specialist assures that activities in all locations comply with guidelines established by the agency, Federal government, and the State of Maryland
• Assists individual(s) to meet his or her employment goals, providing supports, and building on individual strengths and capabilities.
• Provides on-site skill instructions and overall job training while encouraging development of natural support systems
• Monitors and assesses employer and consumer satisfaction.
• Analyzes potential job openings, locations, tasks, and responsibilities to coordinate job placement.
• Maintains frequent and positive contacts with employers, family members, partnership agencies or other important people in the lives of people served.
• Provides employment advocacy on behalf of people receiving supports by communicating professionally with community, business, civic, and service organizations, including providers such as doctors and social service agencies.
• Works with employers to develop, implement, and monitor procedures to assure that products and services are of competitive quality.
• Ensures compliance with applicable regulations, including MOSHA, DDA, health, and fire safety requirements.
• Develops Task Analyses, as needed to support effective skill instruction and job performance
• Assists employment, and apprenticeship sites in the development of adaptive methods, as necessary. Understands, promotes, and applies natural support practices when providing employment-related supports.

Community and Service Networking

• Develops and/or assists with the development of perspective employer relationships.
• Assists in the identification of needs for the individual(s) for community supports, working with the individual(s) informal support system and /or initiating community connections.

Participant Empowerment

• Assists individual(s) to plan, make informed choices, follow through on responsibilities and speak on his/her/their own behalf.

Communication

• Uses effective, sensitive communication skills to build rapport and channels of communication by recognizing and adapting to the range of individual(s) communication styles.
• Demonstrates the ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and verbally.
• Learns and uses terminology appropriately, explaining as necessary to ensure individual(s) understanding.

Facilitation of Services

• Maintains collaborative professional relationships with individual(s) and all support team members (including family/friends), follows ethical standards of practice (e.g., confidentiality, informed consent, etc.), and recognizes his or her own personal limitations.
• Develops, assists with and/or facilitates the implementation of an individualized plan to achieve specific outcomes derived from individual(s) preferences, needs and interests.

Advocacy

• Facilitates, assists, and/or represents individual(s) when there are barriers to his or her support needs.
• Interacts with and educates employers, and community members when relevant to individual's needs or supports.

Crisis Intervention

• Identifies crisis situations, evaluates or defuses the situation, and contacts necessary supports.
• Continues to monitor crisis situations, discusses the incident with authorized staff and individual(s), adjusts supports and the environment, and complies with regulations for reporting.
• Implements behavior plan(s) as necessary and as indicated in the plan.

Documentation

• Maintains accurate records and submits records to appropriate sources in a timely fashion.
• Maintains standards of confidentiality and ethical practice.

Organization Participation

• Complies with all agency guidelines, procedures and practices.
• Incorporates sensitivity to cultural, religious, racial, disability and gender issues into daily practices and interactions.

Education, Training & Self-Development

• Attends, completes and passes all required training, initially and ongoing.
• Continues professional development and remains informed of relevant resources to perform the job in a manner that is state of the art.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Accomplishes all tasks as appropriately assigned or requested.
• Demonstrates appropriate role model behavior at all times.
• Conducts time studies, if applicable.
• Maintains compliance with DOL regulations.
• Attends and participates in staff and team meetings.
• Contributes to program evaluations by responding to surveys and interviews or participating in discussion groups.
• Accepts and employs the agency’s core values.
• Attends community meetings (e.g., Chambers of Commerce, civic meetings)
• Other duties as required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Graduation from accredited high school or GED.
• 2 years of competitive employment or successful completion of Supported Employment Services (ACRE) Certification; or an associate degree in a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrated knowledge about the formal and informal supports available in his or her community to assist people receiving supports to identify and access these supports.

JOB KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Possesses a proficiency in computer-based software, e.g., excel, word and access.
• Demonstrated understanding of and willingness to participate in a team environment
• Ability and willingness to learn and to apply techniques of crisis management
• Demonstrated ability to analyze information and come to appropriate resolution
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with all employees, employers and community members.
• Possesses a valid driving license with a good driving record, and access to a safe vehicle
• Completion of an agency approved advanced employment special certification and/or completion of agency approved applied behavior specialist coursework.
• Must be able to work a varied schedule in the Tri-County area, as assigned.
• Possesses the ability to pass the criminal background check mandated by the State of Maryland.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY SPECIFICATIONS (PHYSICAL DEMANDS)

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit for long periods of time; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Usual office working conditions. The employee must be able to navigate the physical environments in which the people receiving services work.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is rarely exposed to weather conditions unless the person or persons to whom the individual is assigned works in an environment that exposes them to weather conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The Arc Southern Chesapeake is a drug-free employer. All offers of employment will be contingent on a successful background check. The Arc Southern Chesapeake is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, religious and or political beliefs. We recruit, employ, retain, compensate, train, promote, discipline, terminate and treat all employees and job applicants based solely on qualification, performance, and competence.