Position: Career Advancement Specialist Reports To: Site Manager/ Assistant Site Manager Hours: M-F, 40 hours per week w/flexibility for nights and weekends Overview Triangle has an immediate opening for a Career Advancement Specialist at our Day Program. The qualified candidate will equip adults with disabilities to achieve their career and personal goals by maximizing their participation in supported employment and progressing towards competitive employment in the community. Triangle’s Expectation of Employee
Adheres to Triangle policy and procedures
Fosters a positive, solution-oriented culture consistent with Triangle’s mission
Promotes employment, self-advocacy, and independence across programs and participants
Acts as a role model within and outside of Triangle
Maintains a positive and respectful attitude towards participants, staff, and community partners
Communicates regularly with supervisor
Demonstrates flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload
Consistently reports to work on time prepared to perform duties of position, with a willingness to flex hours as needed
Primary Responsibilities
Equips individuals with disabilities with job readiness skills to secure potential employment or collegiate pathways
Creates an inviting, exciting, innovative, learning environment
Takes lead in developing and implementing activities and employment/collegiate opportunities focused on personal and professional development
Aids in the development & implementation of new and engaging career and social experiences to meet program/participant driven goals
Produces weekly supported employment schedule/monitors utilization of contracts
Consistently connects with community employers in order to identify or create employment opportunities/collegiate supports for individuals
Facilitates and implements after hours social opportunities and community engagement
Establishes opportunities for training and job shadowing with local community businesses
Develops job leads and cultivates employer relationships to enhance community partnerships
Monitors individual job performance, attitude, and behavior for appropriateness
Implements independent living, self-advocacy, and soft skills into daily activities and programmatic offerings
Provides individualized support to participants, when necessary, both during programming and 1:1 job/collegiate pathway coaching
Conducts initial/ongoing assessments for personal growth
Proactively communicates with families over employment/collegiate progress and needs
Provides supports to participants and assists in developing natural supports to ensure integration and increased or maintained independence in the community
Trains and develops independent skills related to employment and collegiate pathways, such as travel training, hygiene, self-advocacy, etc.
Provides transportation for groups or individual career seekers to interviews, employment assessments, job searching, and other employment activities in the community
Communicates in a professional manner with employers/collegiate stakeholders and trouble shoots issues at supported sites with all relevant parties
Works with Case Management team to ensure individual’s ISP/Life Plan goals are being met
Participates in ISP/Life Plan meetings with Department of Developmental Services, participants, and their families or other members of their support team as needed
Takes direction from Site Manager/Assistant to collect accurate data as needed for ISP/Life Plans, behavior plans, monthly progress notes, etc.
Submits billing and related progress notes on a daily basis utilizing Penelope software
Contributes to monthly ISP/Life Plan goal tracking notes
Other duties as assigned
Daily
Performs 1:1 job development with or on behalf of participant and complete documenting/ billing in database
Adjust supported employment schedule as needed
Provides direct care/group site supervision when necessary
Prepares and executes lessons to foster personal and professional growth
Knows and adheres to all safety policies and emergency procedures. Know basic emergency facts regarding participation
Maintains up to date case notes, data collection, employment records, schedules, etc.
Weekly
Provides services and bills necessary contract hours on a weekly basis
Plans and facilitates job clubs/events for groups of participants and bills accordingly
Checks in with appropriate parties on a weekly basis to share applicable progress, challenges, and ISP/plan progress and behavior data
Yearly
Reaches department placement/ annual goals set by Site Manager and Department
Participates in progress meetings (ISP, behavioral etc.) as requested.
As Needed
Meets 1:1 with caseload
Completes reports, observations, career readiness assessments, and job coaching as requested
Develops 10 employer relationships/leads per month
Places 10 participants in competitive, integrated employment (not in supported group sites)
Participates in team meetings
Meets with Site Manager/ Assistant Site Manager on a monthly basis for supervision and as needed
Communicates with employers and proposes implementation/production goals; fields questions in a professional manner
Flexes work week as required by employment sites and job coaching schedules; informs Site Manager of any changes
Qualifications
High School Diploma required; additional Education preferred
One to Three years of Human Services experience preferred
Some Marketing and/or Sales experience preferred
First Aid/CPR and Safety Care or willingness to become certified.
Massachusetts Driver's License and clean driving record required
Personal vehicle required
Must clear state and federal background check
Language Skills
Ability to verbally communicate
Ability to read, analyze, interpret, and write documents.
Ability to respond and navigate common inquiries or complaints from regulatory agencies, or family members.
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; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics 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. The noise level in the work environment should be adapted to meet the sensory needs of a neurodiverse population .