Job Description: Disability Employment Specialist

Company: Open Door Group
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (Lower Mainland)
Job Category: Not Specified
Job Type: Full-Time
Salary: $$26.42 - Hourly

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Disability Employment Specialist

Open Door Group is a non-profit organization that has been serving communities across British Columbia since 1976.  Today, we continue to provide tailored employment services to individuals and businesses to build strong workforce ecosystems and thriving communities.

 

As one of Canada’s Certified Great Places to Work, ODG prides itself on modelling a culture of compassion for others and authenticity. Our core values are based on the genuine belief that all individuals can succeed and are the drivers of their own success.

 

Position Summary:

 

Under the general supervision of the Associate Program Director, the Disability Employment Specialist assists clients with a disability to successfully acquire education, work, or play (leisure/recreation) in the community by determining appropriate interventions required to meet individual needs and situational requirements. 

 

The Disability Employment Specialist provides a variety of day-to-day emotional and social support; teaches, demonstrates, and supports clients/candidates to acquire employment readiness, essential, leisure/recreation, and employment skills; facilitates community, education and/or job placements; provides onsite community/education/employment coaching; provides advocacy, information, and access to community resources. This position supports delivering WorkBC employment services in Vancouver. Please visit www.workbc.ca for more information on the types of services the program includes.

 

Duties:

 

• Evaluates client eligibility for programs and services; distributes financial supports necessary for client/candidate participation in programs and services.
• Engages in goal setting and case planning activities with clients/candidates by performing duties such as interviewing clients/candidates to 1) identify and understand previous experience and 2) determine needs/wants, including administering informal, self-reporting Disability Related Needs Assessments (DRENA); assist clients/candidates to develop realistic goals; and identify and determine appropriate interventions, programs, or resources to help support clients/candidates to achieve their goals.  
• Observes clients, identifies, and assesses potential emergency situations, and develops short-term strategies to deal with such situations. Reports medical, behavioral, and other problems as required.

• Provides supportive counselling and behavioral management techniques to assist clients in establishing strategies to seek, obtain, and maintain employment.

• Teaches client/candidate and provide coaching using a variety of instructional methodologies to enable the development of skills necessary for increased employability, personal independence, and/or participation in community education/leisure/recreation programs and services.

• Assist clients to become ready for further education and/or self-employment. Assist in researching and applying for funding to support in the payment of education and/or self-employment.
• Ensure clients/candidates have access to the necessary skills and resources to engage in a job/community search process.
• Facilitates the placement of clients/candidates by performing duties such as directly approaching community agencies and/or employers to identify and secure opportunities, explain wage subsidy information and placement terms to clients and community agencies/employers.
• Follow up with employers and community providers to ensure education, community/work experience, employment/recreation/leisure placements and agreements are established and maintained, and to monitor the quality of placements.
• Ensure the sustainability of community and employment placements by performing duties such as onsite community/job coaching; access to supportive counselling and further skills building; and access to government incentives, i.e., wage subsidies.  
• Builds and maintains relationships with various community networks including contractors, employers, and clients.
• Completes and maintains accurate related records, documentation, and reports on client and job candidate progress.
• Responsible for ensuring that relevant statistical, program and student/participant reports are processed accurately, reflect professional quality, and adhere to established deadlines.

 

Qualifications:

 

• Diploma in Social Sciences or a relevant allied health discipline.
• Or other Qualifications determined to be reasonable and relevant to the level of work.
• Must pass a criminal background check.
• As per the current Public Health Orders (Long Term Care/Seniors Assisted Living Provincial Health Officer Order and the Health Sector Order), as of October 26, 2021, all employees working for Open Door Group must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination status will be required. 

 

Experience:

 

Recent, related experience of two years in supporting people with disabilities in a helping profession and/or in providing employment readiness, essential skills, or employment services.

 

Skills and Abilities:

 

• Demonstrated ability to apply a person centered, strength-based approach to service delivery. Ability to observe and recognize changes in clients/candidates.
• Demonstrated ability to meet the demands of a varied and large client load.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in cooperation with others.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Demonstrated ability to instruct and to analyze and resolve problems.
• Conflict resolution and crisis intervention skills.
• Knowledge of disability issues and resources.
• Ability to accurately maintain client files and ability to proficiently use Microsoft Office programs and/or government databases.