ILA / Employment Specialist - The Whole Person : Job Details

The Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Work for The Whole Person:1) New Hires get 5+ weeks (224 hours) of Paid Time Off (PTO) a year - this goes up at 2 year anniversary and 5 year anniversary!2) Unused PTO rolls over to the next year - up to 350 hours3) Flexible hours, you know who you need to visit, we let you dictate your schedule4) We pay 100% of the Employee's Insurance costs for: Medical, Dental, Vision, Gap MedicalInsurance, Short Term and Long Term Disability and a $20,000 Term Life Insurance Policy5) We pay 6.37% of your gross into your Retirement Plan - 403(b)6) 11 Legal Holidays that aren't counted toward your PTO!7) How many places have you worked that has a FUN Committee ?8) TWP has set aside Professional Development fees for each employee9) We are a $35 million Not-for-Profit with 88 Full-time and 30+ part-time Employees10) This year, our organization celebrated 40 years in the Greater Kansas City AreaTitle: ILA/Employment SpecialistDepartment: Employment ServicesReports to: Employment Services ManagerStatus: FT - Non-ExemptHours per week: 40GENERAL DESCRIPTIONThe Employment Specialist is responsible for providing advocacy, independent living skills training, peer counseling, information and referral, and related services designed to help people with disabilities maximize their opportunities for employment. The individual in this position will serve as a role model and mentor for people with disabilities.ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS – LEVEL IEvaluate the consumer's preferences for employment, accommodation needs, current skills levels and possible contributions, to employment through intake, assessment, observation, contacts with the individual's identified support network, etc.Utilize the information gathered through discovery to assist the individual achieve his/her vocational goal through the development of specific, measurable, achievable, realist and time-limited action steps.Complete billing, monthly progress reports, satisfaction surveys, other funder requirements and other data work requested in a timely manner, according to department policy.Assist in the provision of skills trainings and general advocacyUtilize community settings for observation, career exploration, potential job opportunities, etc.Locate competitive job sites in the community, contacts employers, conducts job site analyses, monitors progress of persons served at their job site, and as requested, intervenes to promote vocational successParticipate actively as part of the services team: attend staff meetings, in-service trainings, and other trainings/meetings per accreditation requirements.Follow up with participants through weekly meetings to ensure goal progression (or need for revision), and the fulfillment of weekly action steps and assignments.Provide post placement support when necessary.Receive Information and Referral Calls, provide advocacy, peer support, transition or refer consumers to other staff to provide these services.Participate in the planning and implementation of Missouri VR's Summer Work Experience program.Regular and predictable attendanceREQUIRED SKILLSBachelor's degree in a related fieldOne year experience working with individuals who have disabilitiesCurrent state driver's license and a good driving recordAbility to travel regularly to provide services to individuals within The Whole Person's service area in Missouri (Jackson, Cass, Clay, and Platte Counties) and Kansas (Johnson, Wyandotte, Leavenworth).PREFERRED SKILLSMaster's Degree in related fieldKnowledgeable about community servicesPersonal experience with a Disability is a plus!COMPETENCIESEffective written and oral communications skillsStrict adherence to confidentialityThe ability to successfully interact with individuals, businesses and service organizations on all levels.The ability to work independently and meet deadlines.Organizational skillsComputer literacy (Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook) and experience in a database environmentNote: All employees for The Whole Person must provide proof of vaccination against the Covid-19 virus.WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDSThis position spends a portion of their time in the office, but also will travel locally to visit consumers/clients, meet with service providers or attend meetings. While performing the duties of this job the employee has the potential to encounter unpredictable clients. The position has mostly an inside work environment and occasional outside work, traveling from one location to another, with exposure to weather conditions.OTHER DUTIESPlease note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.The Whole Person is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring staff members reflecting the great diversity of our community. Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request. People with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.