Employment and Housing Specialist

The Employment and Housing Services Specialist provides employment and housing related services to clients participating in Supreme Living's contracted programs.

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES:

• Engages clients rapidly and establishes trusting, collaborative relationships focused on achieving competitive employment. 
• Conducts ongoing assessments of the client’s vocational and educational functioning on an ongoing basis utilizing background information, lived experience, and functional skills assessments. 
• Assists clients in understanding how employment, income, and housing decisions may affect their benefits and supports, and makes referrals to benefits counseling as needed.  
• Develops an individualized employment plan with the client that reflects the clients’ goals, strengths, barriers, preferences and needs. 
• Provides individualized follow-along support to assist clients in securing and maintaining employment including in-person community-based, field-based supports.
• Provides skills building training and activities related to job readiness, Discusses clients’ preference for disclosure of psychiatric status to employers, if applicable.
• Creates job support plans with clients and revises them according to changing needs or circumstances. 
• Provides ongoing engagement and outreach when clients appear to disengage, using multiple communication strategies to support continuity of care. 
• Maintains appropriate records in company EMR. 

EMPLOYER SERVICES:

• Acts as a liaison with local businesses in the development of job opportunities for clients.
• Conducts employer contacts weekly to establish employment opportunities for clients. Employer contacts are designed to learn about the needs of the business and describe support offered by the program to the employer.
• Provides education and support to employers as agreed upon by clients, which may include negotiating any job accommodation.
• Provides onsite support for employers as requested.
• Maintains appropriate records in company EMR. 

HOUSING SERVICES

• Acts as a liaison with community organizations, government agencies and property owners to source the means and negotiate terms that enable clients to rent suitable housing. 
• Conducts ongoing assessments of clients’ housing, daily living, and resource-related needs using background information, lived experience, and functional skills assessments. 
• Assists clients with the search for available properties and negotiates lease terms on behalf of clients.
• Investigates and attempts to resolves client landlord issues.
• Maintaining appropriate records in company EMR. 

TRANSPORTATION: 

• Use of company vehicles to transport clients to appointments is required.

COMMUNICATION:

• Participate in staff meetings and in-services training as required.
• Must have the ability to effectively work as a team player.
• Demonstrates ability to assist and communicate with clients efficiently.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION and LICENSURE: 

• High school diploma / GED required.
• Degree in human services, social work, or related field is desirable.
• Experience working with people with severe mental illness, experience providing employment and housing services.
• Valid Washington State Driver’s License required or the equivalent if residence in Washington is new.
• Detail oriented and organized.
• Strong communication and resourcing skills.
•    Meets health requirements, i.e. – flu vaccination, COVID vaccination, tdap vaccination, tb testing – per licensing requirements.
•    Must demonstrate flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

• Ability to read, research, analyze, and interpret information related to occupational placement. 
• Ability to respond to common resident inquiries or, occupational agencies, or members of the business community. 
• Ability to effectively present information to top management and public groups. 
• Proficient in communicating with residents regarding educational and placement needs. 
• Proficient in English.  

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 accommodation 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; squat; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects; 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 50 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.  
• The employee is required to operate a motor vehicle.