Program Overview: The Supported Employment Program works with adults 18 years of age or older who have been diagnosed with a mental illness and are interested in working. Employment Specialists work with these individuals to help them find and maintain meaningful and competitive employment in the community. Employment Specialists will help the individual to complete and submit applications, write resumes, work on interviewing skills, job coaching, job assessment, communication, etc. The goal of the program is to help consumers who want to work find and maintain employment so they can be an active part of the community and live independently. General Description: The Supported Employment Specialist will work directly with the persons served to complete a job assessment and build an employment plan based on the information provided by the consumer. The Employment Specialist will assist the persons served in areas of need such as dressing for an interview, transportation, entitlements/benefits, job coaching, resume writing, personal hygiene issues, budgeting money, professional communication, customer service, etc. Employment Specialists may be required to work on weekends and in the evenings based on the persons served schedule and needs. Qualifications: High School Diploma/GED required, preferably supplemented by other course work or work experience in psychology, mental health or the human services field. Bachelor's Degree in Social work, Psychology, Rehabilitation Counseling, or related disciplines is preferred. Must possess a working knowledge of mental illnesses as well as techniques to manage symptoms of mental illness. Additional experience must consist of at least one (1) year in direct service. Relevant work experience with the human services field may be substituted for the above qualifications. Job Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: . Possess a clean driving record, with no more than 2 points. Must be insurable under SMCN's vehicle insurance plan. . Must pass a criminal background investigation and drug screening. . Demonstrated understanding of and willingness to participate in a team environment. . Ability and willingness to learn and apply techniques daily during work routine as well as crisis management. . Must have a working knowledge of computer applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook. . Demonstrated ability to collaborate with all employees, consumers and community agencies. Americans with Disability Specifications (Physical Demands): The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential job functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions that do not pose to be a financial hardship to the agency. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, sit for a long period of time, bend and kneel, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance, stoop, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Employee must be able to drive, involving, sitting, sight, hearing, turning hands and head and good road decision making concepts. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Usual office working conditions apply. The employees must be able to navigate the physical environment in which the people receiving services live and work. Work Environment: . While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to natural weather conditions as this is a mobile job and frequently requires traveling and community visits. . The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Essential Duties and Responsibilities may include the following, but are not limited to: . Provides direct and indirect job coaching/mentoring to persons served within the Supported Employment program. . Encourages and recruits persons served who are eligible, willing and able to enroll in the Supported Employment program. . Assist persons served in locating jobs within the community. . Works on skill sets with individuals that are looking for employment to better their success in obtaining jobs. . Assists in identifying skills of persons served and match those to the jobs available to better align them for success. . Enhances personal appearance in order to prepare them for interviews, or work days and overall professional appearance/etiquette. . Assists/teaches the persons served with resume writing and successful interviewing techniques. . Assists with job placement process and ensure persons served are aware of rights, rules and regulations set but the organization/agency and federal laws. . Follows-up with job placement and progress on a routine basis. Ensuring that persons served are aware of job responsibilities, deficiencies they may be having and other concerns of the employer. . Works on job performance as needed with persons served as indicated by employer or observation. . Adheres to good ethical practices and establish professional boundaries with persons served, community resources and co-workers alike. . Assists in the planning and coordination of rehabilitation activities including self care skills, health promotion, safety, communicable disease prevention, crisis services and other areas as needed with individual persons served. . Available for crisis interventions during working hours or afterhours if they should occur while carrying the agency work phone. . Acts as a liaison with outside agencies to include, but not limited to DORS, Core Services Agency, Social Security Administration, and other Human Service agencies. . Keeps the Program Coordinator/Director abreast of all issues, job searches, problems and/or achievements of the persons served or overall department. . Promotes Southern Maryland Community Network services, develop and maintain positive relations with individuals, groups and businesses in the community at all times. . Employees are expected to demonstrate cultural awareness by not discriminating against persons served or co-workers based on their race, gender, age, religious preferences, sexual orientation, etc. . Works within the provisions of HIPAA, and the SMCN confidentially agreement to protect the persons served privacy. . Participates in Clinical Coordination by collaborating with other SMCN departments, clinicians, and natural supports in regards to persons served barriers and progress. . Provides prompt, dependable and courteous transportation services for job search, development, and interviewing as appropriate. Staff accompanies persons served for job search, development/coaching, and interviewing as appropriate. . Maintains company vehicles and reports any unusual occurrences while immediately informing the appropriate authority of any incidents, accidents or deficiencies. . Properly uses all technology including computers, internet service, phones, and fax machines within the confines of the SMCN Employee Handbook. . Promotes a positive work environment within the Supported Employment Program and the other departments within SMCN. . Utilizes all company resources as set forth by policy/procedure with out misuse. . Attends all meetings and trainings as scheduled and directed. . Will ensure that his/her CPR, First Aid, CPI and annual privileging is up to date. . Employees are expected to contribute to agency fundraisers by volunteering at events or sitting on the Development Committee. . Employees are expected to help SMCN create a healthy and safe work environment by participating on the Health and Safety Committee. . Employees are expected to abide by SMCN's Code of Ethics and report any ethical violations to Human Resources as per policy. . All other duties as assigned by the Supported Employment Coordinator and/or Program Director.