Vocational Coordinator at The Jewish Board in New York, New York

Job Description:

Make a bigger difference


At The Jewish Board, we don't just make a difference - we make a bigger difference as we serve 45,000 New Yorkers every year. Join our dedicated team that's been helping communities across New York City for almost 150 years and see just how big of a difference you can make.



Reasons you'll love working with us:

• If you have a particular age range or population you're interested in working with, you can find your niche here. Our clients and staff are as diverse as the city we work in, and include people of all cultures, religions, races, gender expressions, and sexual orientations.

• We're committed to supporting your career development by encouraging mobility and advancement across different program types and jobs.

• With 70 locations throughout the five boroughs, you can work close to where you live.

• Generous vacation time and 15 paid holidays will help you achieve a healthy work/life balance.

• We offer an excellent benefits package with affordable, high-quality health and dental insurance with low co-pays.

• You'll receive ongoing support through high-quality supervision, specialized trainings from our Continuing Education team, and an education benefit.

How you can make a bigger difference:



The OnTrackNY program is part of the Community Behavioral Health Division located at our Crossroads Clinic. The program serves adolescents and young adults who have experienced early psychosis. The model uses a multidisciplinary team approach. Professionals use evidence-based interventions and recovery-oriented models to enable participants to reach goals and reduce disability. The program provides emotional and practical therapy and support to help participants and their families in their recovery journeys. The multidisciplinary team includes the Team Leader, Primary Clinicians, Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator, Supported Education and Employment Specialist, Peer Specialist, Psychiatrist, and Registered Nurse. Services are either provided at the clinic site, in the home, or other off-site locations that are convenient for the participants and their families. 24-hour on-call services are included. Intensive education will be offered to all members of the OnTrackNY Team regarding the evidence-based model and their roles for members to adhere to fidelity standards and successfully support program participants.


The Vocational Coordinator carries out supported employment services in the program by assisting participants in obtaining and maintaining competitive, paid employment. The Vocational Coordinator has administrative, supervisory and direct service responsibility for the vocational component.


Some responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Practice using a recovery orientation, shared decision-making, an active/focused stance, flexibility and consistency, cultural humility and culturally-affirming care, and a process that fosters autonomy yet allows individuals to remain connected with the team to achieve employment/education goals while reducing stigma and disability


• Uses the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Model of Supported Education and Employment


• Assessment of educational/work status, selection of education and/or employment and job training goals, and planning and execution of employment/education plan


• Develop career profiles on each program participant and assesses individuals' preferences, goals, work history, education history, and so forth through conversations with the program participants, speaking with other team members, and with permission, family members, past employers, and educators


• Use motivational enhancement approaches in combination with other team members' interventions and family/community support services to increase readiness for change, target individual needs, and develop and strengthen skills to increase success in work and school.


• Regularly engages in job development and job search services directed toward positions that are individualized to the interests and uniqueness of the individuals


• Assist in identifying college, high school equivalency, and other career development programs


• Arranges meetings with tutors, mentors, industry professionals, and other community partners for program participants' career exploration and ongoing success in work and school


• Discuss and strategize potential disclosure to employers/schools


• Arranges access to or provide benefits counseling


• Assist with registration for pre-testing, registration and/or transfers for college and HSE programs


• Spend at least 50% of time or more in the community meeting clients at community locations (home, workplace, school, coffee shop, library, etc.), taking clients to apply for jobs/schools, investigating local employment/education options, meeting with employers/schools, providing follow-along supports, etc.


• Partners with program participants to minimize academic/employment problems and promote success


• Help clients think strategically about when to drop classes and how to retake them


• Review school/work schedules: planning a schedule for studying, completing assignments, meeting the team, and/or working


• Help with transportation, buying books other school supplies, where to spend time between classes, going on a walking tour to become familiar with campuses and important office buildings


• Provide assistance with study habits for both completing general work and for studying for exams


• Offer information about effective test preparation and test-taking strategies


• Identify and arrange for support services including tutoring services, accommodations, college career centers, student groups, etc.


• Provide assistance in resume-writing, interviews, networking, etc.


• Help participants achieve a balance between energetic involvement in school or work and engagement in continued treatment.


• Work with the primary clinician and participants on social skills, including making small talk with other students/coworkers, sharing ideas while working on a group project/team work environments, responding to classmates/coworkers who invite individuals to go drinking with them, asking teachers/supervisors questions, etc.


• Have ongoing discussion about school/work progress and how to communicate with school/employers about challenges


• Assist with researching different types of scholarships and other financial aid opportunities.


• Develop partnerships with schools, employers, and families to assist consumers in building natural supports.


• Interact with school personnel in order to determine the student's progress, and to identify problems in the early stages


• Provide written summaries of how client's educational performance may be impacted by their illness and advocating for appropriate classroom accommodations and school setting


• Provide education regarding the need to balance structure and flexibility to accommodate a program participant's needs.


• Identify, establish relationships with, and meet as often as needed with school officials, including high school and university counselors, advisers, deans, teachers, etc., to advocate for and provide support for students' academic success and to minimize the burden of student debt


• Locate and learn about how the office of student services helps individuals with learning/testing accommodations for students with specific needs


• Request copies of report cards and Individualized Education Plans / IEPs


• Providing documentation for and/or assisting client with absences from work/school or medical withdrawal from courses


• Understand concerns of the family and engage in family members' support of education/employment plan


• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:



The Jewish Board is currently looking for talented individuals of all cultures, religions, races, and gender expressions with the following qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in fields related to mental health, social services, education, and/or business.


• Training and experience working with adolescents and young adults with serious mental illness desirable. Training in the IPS model preferred.


• Experience providing employment and educational services preferred

If you join us, you'll have these great benefits:

• Generous vacation time, in addition to paid agency holidays and 15 sick days


• Affordable and high-quality medical/dental/vision plans


• Tuition assistance and educational loan forgiveness


• Free continuing education opportunities


• 403(b) retirement benefits and a pension


• Flexible spending accounts for health and transportation


• 24/7 Accessible Employee Assistance Program


• Life and disability insurance


• Diversity, equity, and inclusion working groups that are available for you to join, including Confronting Structural Racism (COR), Coalition Against Anti-Semitism (CAAS), and the LGBTQ Steering Committee

Who we are:



The Jewish Board delivers innovative, high-quality, and compassionate mental health and social services to over 45,000 New Yorkers each year. We are unique in serving everyone from infants and their families to children, teens, and adults. We are proud to employ and serve people of all religions, races, cultural backgrounds, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. We are committed to building diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams to help support our mission, and we strongly encourage candidates from historically marginalized backgrounds to apply to work with us.



More on Equal Opportunity:



We respect diversity and accordingly are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, age, disability, sex, gender, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, partnership status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.


This applies with respect to recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, termination, assignments, benefits, employee activities, access to facilities and programs, and all other terms and condition of employment as well as general treatment during employment.


We will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of qualified employees with disabilities, without regard to any protected classifications, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. Any employees who need assistance to perform their job duties because of a physical or mental condition should contact human resources.

Other details

• Job Family Direct Care [200s]
• Job Function Social Workers
• Pay Type Salary
• Employment Indicator 8810 - Clerical Office Employees NOC
• Min Hiring Rate $60,000.00

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