Veterans Employment Specialist

## Description **SUMMARY** Deliver intensive, customized employment and related services to homeless Veterans and/or Veteran families through empowerment, clinical techniques, and employment assistance to return to dependency. **ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS** **Empowerment** - Establish relationships and inform homeless Veterans, sub-populations of Veterans, military families, and soldiers of VOA Michigan (VOAMI) Veteran programs. - Be knowledgeable of places where Veterans and individuals associated with the military congregate. - Develop educational opportunities with institutions in the community that are suitable to the needs and desires of clients - Coordinate with relevant VOAMI staff and community partners to provide the support needed to attain empowerment and employment goals - Conduct periodic evaluations and provide regular feedback regarding client’s employment search and employment performance with service coordination teams and supervisor - Stay abreast of best practices when serving Veterans and sub-populations of Veterans in need **** **Clinical Techniques** - Coordinate case management with VOAMI Veteran staff and relevant VOAMI staff - Coordinate with program partners for case management to determine client eligibility and disposition to employment. - Develop and maintain relationships with the Veterans through therapeutic techniques such as motivational interviewing, strengths-based approach, or person-centered approach to foster a relationship that assists them with overcoming barriers - Perform basic counseling skills i.e. motivational interviewing, strengths-based approach, cognitive behavioral therapy **** **Employment Assistance** - Maintain developed community partnerships through regular interaction - Participate in the development of each member's Individual Employment Plan, which will detail member's employment readiness goals and an action plan for achieving those goals - Develop employment positions with employers in the community that are suitable to the needs and desires of clients - Conduct individual assessments and job readiness and identify employment-related deficits - Maintain VOAMI and Department of Labor databases as it relates to employment and enrollees - Facilitate or co-facilitate weekly employment readiness and employment support groups - Develop and maintain relationships with program partners, community partners, employer supervisory staff, and other VOAMI Veteran staff and related VOAMI staff - Develop and maintain relationships with business, non-profit, and government employers - Coordinate with program partners to attend outreach/educational events and meetings - Maintain and strengthen employment and outreach databases - Inform employers of veteran employment tax benefits and wage subsidies **Additional responsibilities** - Plan, implement, and achieve individual goals within position, as agreed upon with the Veterans Employment Manager - Maintain client files and paperwork as required by program standards - Complete all relevant trainings on VOAMI’s Relias System in a timely manner - Exercise discretion while working with community partners, stakeholders, external partners, and Veterans - Use independent judgment when providing therapeutic assessments, treatment plans, clinical decisions and managing matters of significant crisis in the absence of immediate direction or supervision - Represent VOAMI in a professional manner when conducting business in the community and attending community events with community partners - Maintain compliance with VOAMI policies and procedures - Ensure that all duties are carried out in a timely and orderly fashion so that VOAMI functions in the most efficient manner possible - Other duties as assigned **REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITES** **** - Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related social services field in which advanced knowledge was obtained through specialized intellectual instruction or equivalent of 1 (one) year experience with…