Autism Outreach

**UNDERSTANDING - ACCEPTANCE - INCLUSION**

**About Autism Nova Scotia **

Autism Nova Scotia is a national leader in providing social, educational, and employment supports for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), their families, caregivers, and professionals. Our vision is a society where people with ASD can live their lives to the fullest. This vision informs our day-to-day operations and provides a philosophy that revolves around person-focused supports, strength-based approaches, and community-oriented learning opportunities.

Autism Nova Scotia delivers programming in Halifax and in nine communities across Nova Scotia through our Regional Autism Centres. Our three program divisions are: Social & Community Inclusion; Employment Support; and Family and Caregiver Support.

**Department: Employment & Community Transitions Department**

**Term**:1 year contract, with possibility of extension.

**Time**:40 hours per week (some evenings and weekends)

**Location**:Truro Chapter, NS

**Travel (frequency)**:Local - Frequent

**Accountability**:The AOESC is accountable to the Employment & Community Transitions Manager

**What you will be doing **

Autism Nova Scotia is seeking a passionate, committed professional to join its Employment & Community Transitions Department out of the Truro Chapter to support the delivery of a labour market initiative called Ready, Willing and Able (RWA) and expand its availability to rural parts of Nova Scotia.

Ready, Willing & Able

RWA is a national partnership of the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL), the Autism Alliance of Canada (formerly Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance (CASDA)), and their member organizations. Funded by the Government of Canada and active in 20 communities across the country, RWA is designed to increase the labour force participation of people with an intellectual disability and people on the Autism Spectrum.

General Employment Support

The AOESC is one of four staff within Nova Scotia that make up the General Employment Support team; you will find them in Annapolis Valley, Cape Breton Region, Halifax, and Truro. The AOESC will be primarily responsible for connecting job seekers to employment supports and inclusive job opportunities in their community. This will involve outreach efforts to find autistic job seekers, service navigation and referrals, consolidating them on an existing job seekers database, and providing pre-employment coaching support with agency partners.

**General Duties**:

- Engage in outreach efforts (e.g., presentations, fairs, meetings, etc.) to connect with job seekers on the autism spectrum for the purpose of connecting individuals to inclusive employment opportunities.
- Provide navigation support to job-seeking adolescents, young adults, and adults on the autism spectrum by connecting them to relevant employment supports and services in their community with the aim of assisting individuals in obtaining paid employment.
- Deliver one-to-one pre-employment coaching (e.g., mock and direct interviews, resume and cover letter support, etc.) to autistic job seekers as necessary.
- Ensure accurate collection of data relating to the project and individual outcomes is recorded, analyzed, and reported, curating the job seekers database, and being able to report on results and efforts in a timely way.
- Attend team meetings
- Supervision of staff associated with the rural expansion of initiative (Labour Market Facilitators and Autism Outreach & Employment Support Coordinators)
- Other duties as required

**Education and Experience**:

- Post-Secondary education or equivalent experience in a related field
- 3-5 years experience working with Autistic Adults/Youth
- Must have a valid Nova Scotia Driver’s License and use of a reliable vehicle for community visits
- Must be comfortable driving on all types of roads, distances, and weather
- A valid criminal record check and child abuse registry check are required for this position
- Current First Aid Certification (considered an asset)
- Current Non Violent Crisis Intervention Certification (considered an asset)
- Current ASIST Certification (considered an asset)

**Skills**:

- Commitment to full inclusion for people on the autism spectrum, including the right to employment and economic participation in the community.
- Demonstrated knowledge of issues and barriers faced by autistic people in accessing the labour market
- Strong knowledge of local employment-related services and supports for people on the autism spectrum; experience in service navigation and coordination
- Experience in building relationships with diverse groups and interests
- Experience in working on a large-scale project and collaborating virtually with team members
- Excellent presentation and public speaking skills
- Superior written communication skills, excellent time management skills with the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
- Able to work with partners, team members,