About Casa Esperanza

Casa Esperanza, Inc. is a bilingual/bicultural behavioral health treatment provider serving Boston and the Merrimack Valley. Our mission is to empower individuals and families to recover from addiction, trauma, mental illness, and other chronic medical conditions; overcome homelessness and discrimination; and achieve health and wellness through comprehensive, integrated care.

About the role

Casa Esperanza is seeking a full-time passionate & creative Employment Specialist to launch Casa’s new bilingual/bicultural supported employment program integrated with behavioral health treatment. Our goal is to address the educational and vocational needs of Latinx individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders in order to increase their economic independence, stabilize their families, and support long-term success in recovery. The role of the Employment Specialist is to help individuals obtain and sustain employment that is consistent with their vocational goals and recovery. They will carry a caseload of about 20-25 individuals. They will assess clients’ vocational functioning, develop employment service plans and work with interdisciplinary team to ensure alignment; educate clients on job market and related skills; act as a liaison with employers, as needed; facilitate weekly skills development workshops; provide outreach to clients and key stakeholders, as needed; and ensure that benchmarks, timelines, goals and objectives are being met and reported as required. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of building this program from the ground up!

What you'll do

Program Planning and Service Delivery

• Engages consumers and establishes trusting, collaborative relationships directed toward the goal of competitive employment in integrated job settings
• Conduct client assessments to assess clients’ vocational functioning on an ongoing basis and provide 1:1 job coaching
• Develop Employment Service Plan goals consistent with client needs, interests, experience, skills and goals and update the plan quarterly
• Educate clients on how to differentiate between options for rapid placement and long term career paths
• Provide clients with information about the job market and the skills and experience necessary to obtain and work successfully in a particular job
• Trains and develops independence skills related to employment, such as travel training, hygiene, self-advocacy, etc.
• Provide or coordinate transportation for groups or individual career seekers to interviews, employment assessments, job searching, and other employment activities in the community
• Based on agreement with client, provide education and support to employers, which may include negotiating job accommodations and follow-along contact with employers
• Conduct weekly workshops and individual sessions to support clients with development of interpersonal and inter-professional skills (i.e. resume preparation, job search, interviewing, computer literacy, multi-functional skill-building essentials, etc.)
• Co-facilitate computer lab hours to facilitate job search skills, online Microsoft tutorial, keyboarding tutorial, and GED prep courses
• Complete training on Supported Employment curriculum, including in-service trainings based on SAMSHA’s TIP 38 workbook and demonstration videos
• Provides outreach services to clients, as necessary, when they appear to disengage from SE services. If necessary, maintains some contact even without a vocational focus to sustain engagement
• Collaborate with project team to identify key stakeholders (education, employment, community partners, etc.)
• Maintain required 30, 60, 90, 120 day follow-ups to maintain engagement
• Provide referrals to necessary behavioral health services, social supports, and recovery supports.
• Participate in weekly MDT meetings to coordinate and integrate employment plan into SUD and MH treatment plans

Administrative

• Complete data collection and outcomes reporting, per grant guidelines, parameters and regulations
• Document client progress and manage client files per standards and regulations
• Attend all relevant case conferences and staff meetings, including MDT
• Attend grantee meetings and webinars appropriate or required.
• Attend bi-weekly supervision
•  Other duties as required

Qualifications

• Bilingual Spanish/English required.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience working directly with people with intellectual and/or functional diagnoses/disabilities
• Knowledge of working with individuals with co-occurring/dual and/or multiple diagnoses/disorders
• Minimum of two years of experience with providing supported employment services
• Experience working with multidisciplinary team models
• Familiar with social, health and cultural issues specific to the Latino population
• Experience with strengths-based and trauma-informed approaches to integrated treatment
• Associate degree required; Bachelor degree preferred (rehabilitation, psychology, human services, or related field)
• Employment Support Professional certification required or willing to obtain within one year of hire
• Valid Massachusetts Driver’s License

Schedule: Availability to work Mon-Fri 8a-8pm, and every other Saturday

What we offer:

Casa Esperanza Benefits Package:

• Compensation:  $50,000 - 52,000 [annual salary or base hourly rate]
• Holiday Pay (12 days per year + 1 floating holiday)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) - 18 days year one, 20.5 days at year 2, 23 days at year 5
• Sick Pay - 10 paid days per year
• Long / Short Term Disability 
• Paid by Company Life Insurance
• Health Insurance (Medical Dental, Vison)
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• FSA/DCA (Flexible Spending Account & Dependent Care)
• ComPsych Guidance Resources - EAP
• Educational Opportunities
• Tuition Remission
• Employee Ticket at Work (Discounts for Entertainment, travel, movies; etc.)
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• Increased Salary for Credentials
• and more....

Physical & Mental Requirements

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to walk, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

At Casa Esperanza, Inc., the health and safety of our people is our number one priority. That’s why all offers of employment are contingent on the candidate showing proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID 19 (currently one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and boosted, when eligible) to pass the pre-employment requirements. Individuals with medical issues or religious beliefs that prevent them from getting the vaccine may request an exemption from the vaccine requirement.

Casa Esperanza’s EEO Statement

Casa Esperanza, Inc. values its diverse workplace and encourages women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, older members of society, and others from minority groups and diverse backgrounds to apply.

We recruit, hire, employ, train, promote, and compensate individuals based on job-related qualifications and abilities. Casa Esperanza, Inc also has a longstanding policy of providing a work environment that respects the dignity and worth of each individual and is free from all forms of employment discrimination, including harassment, because of race, color, sex, gender, age, religion or religious creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.  All employees, interns, volunteers and contractors of Casa Esperanza, Inc. are responsible for maintaining a work culture free from discrimination and harassment by treating others with kindness and respect.

Casa Esperanza, Inc. also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief, in accordance with applicable laws. If you need to inquire about an accommodation, or need assistance with completing the application process, please email hr@casaesperanza.org.