Customized Employment Specialist, Tri-cities

**Full Time Position: Customized Employment Specialist**
**Neil Squire, Tri-Cities, BC**

**Neil Squire Society **is a Canadian national not-for-profit organization that empowers Canadians with disabilities through the use of computer-based assistive technologies, research and development, and various employment programs. Headquartered in Burnaby, BC, the Neil Squire Society is presently hiring for a **Customized Employment Specialist** for the YWCA WorkBC Program (Tri-Cities, BC), a project funded by Ministry of Social Services.

Our Society operates many programs throughout BC and Canada. Our Customized Employment Specialist will work closely with the YWCA in their WorkBC Employment Services program, which includes service delivery to clients located in the **Tri-Cities** area. Integrated Case Management (ICM) is strongly desired.

**Key Duties and Responsibilities**:

- Work with adults, who have disabilities and have complex employment support needs, to identify barriers to employment, strategies to overcome them, and where appropriate, refer to additional services for further assistance and / or diagnostic assessments.
- Provide employment and motivational counseling.
- Deliver Customized Employment services, including completion of Discovery Assessment and Employment Profile, Job Carving and on-site Job Coaching to assist job seekers to achieve sustainable employment.
- Develop unique employment opportunities by identifying client’s employment goals, skills, interests, environmental preferences, supports and best-match scenarios between these and work tasks.
- Create a personalized employment relationship between the client and employer to help the client to find employment that is rewarding and sustainable, and is a good fit for both the client and hiring employer.
- Create the Employment Profile, a client portfolio, to introduce the client to the employer with a focus on the contributions that the client will bring to the workplace.
- Seek to establish and document employment themes that cover broad industries and potential employment environments or activities that allow the client to explore variety of jobs that match with client’s interests, current skills, strengths, abilities, contributions, and tasks that can be learned.
- Refer to appropriate specialized service providers as needed.
- Utilize the Integrated Case Management system (ICM) to capture client data and to evidence qualitative and quantitative outcomes.
- Maintain accurate client notes and records as per policy and Quality Assurance guidelines.
- Understand and completing work in accordance with WorkBC policy, and YWCA performance expectations.
- Determine client need and eligibility and administer financial supports when appropriate.
- Communicate effectively with service providers, funders, internal stakeholders, and clients.

**Qualifications and Experience**:

- A post-secondary degree, certificate or diploma in a relevant field (career or employment development, counselling, social work, sociology, psychology, human services, education), or a certificate or diploma or course work in related fields, or a combination of training and experience in an area related to the program.
- Experience working with individuals with complex barriers and a broad range of cultural backgrounds.
- Sound knowledge of the Employment Insurance Act, BC Employment and Assistance program and WorkBC employment services policies.
- Knowledge of motivational interviewing.
- Experience job coaching/counselling.
- Excellent interpersonal verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to work cooperatively in a team environment.
- Proficient in Microsoft Windows operating system and Microsoft Office software such as Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, the Internet and Integrated Case Management system (ICM).
- Experience providing customer service and resolving issues both in-person and in a virtual service delivery environment.
- Experience conducting and interpreting client needs assessments, coaching and mentoring clients.
- Experience building partnerships with employers, community agencies and other stakeholders.
- Experience developing mutually agreed-upon action plans and monitoring progress while assisting individuals to move towards labour market attachment.
- Experience negotiating financial supports and assessing the financial needs of the client within the limits of WorkBC policy and assessing appropriate taxes.
- Experience building relationships with trade associations such as the Industry Training Authority, and Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASETS).
- Extensive knowledge of training programs.
- Experience de-escalating and maintaining composure in high-stress situations using Nonviolent Crisis Intervention certification.
- Ability to speak a second language will be considered an asset (Farsi, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Vietnamese and Tigrinya).

**Other Requirements**:

- Current and satisfactory Criminal Record Check