Easterseals DC MD VA is seeking a highly organized and thoughtful person to join our team as a Veteran Employment Specialist (VES). You will provide veterans experiencing homelessness with high-quality, employment-focused case management and service coordination. The position requires 2+ years of case management or career counseling with homeless or veteran populations and knowledge of their unique needs. The job requires work in the community, reliable transportation for regular local travel, and some flexibility in work hours. You will cover Washington DC & the Northern Virginia area.
Veteran Employment Specialists (VES) are key members of the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) team. HVRP is an employment-focused grant program funded by the Department of Labor, Veterans' Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS).
Responsibilities
- Engagement. Interact with the community to find veterans in need of services. Meet veterans where they are, attend events and activities, and maintain “office hours” at partner sites which provide us space to meet with veterans.
- Assessment / Intake. Perform an assessment of each veteran to determine program eligibility and to gauge job readiness and willingness to engage in employment. Determine employability by assessing their education, work experience, resources, and motivation. Assess the essential needs and barriers to stable employment.
- Case Management. Provide referrals to appropriate service providers or agencies including other Easterseals services. Help grant participants navigate and access social service resources and government benefits and incentives to provide for their essential needs such as stable housing, health care (including mental health), transportation, childcare, etc.
- Collaborate with other service providers working on behalf of the client to ensure a unified approach and leverage the maximum number of resources for the veteran.
- Employment and Job Readiness. Develop individualized employment plans (IEP) based on the individual's strengths and preferences. Help them identify good jobs in stable, high-demand occupations earning livable wages.
- Help identify training, certification, or education opportunities to support client’s employment goals – focused on training that is targeted to the specific industries, occupations, and skills that are sought-after within the job market.
- Provide basic job readiness guidance including resume/cover letter writing, interview coaching/mock interviews, and computer/technology literacy regarding applying for jobs.
- Work directly with local American Job Centers (AJC), employers, and other employment services.
- Work hands-on with clients and employers from the initial application for employment, through the hiring process, and throughout the first year of employment to ensure the client is meeting expectations and help resolve any issues that may arise.
- Regularly meet with participants in-person or over phone/video to ensure they are continually progressing towards their employment goals. Determine whether a client needs any participant support such as training fees, work clothes, transportation assistance, etc.
- Maintain client case files to ensure compliance with HVRP grant standards. Document case notes, correspondence, assessments, activities, outcomes, and expenditures for each client managed.
- Submit weekly reports, expense reports, and other administrative tasks on a timely basis.
- Record and report on key output data items, including housing placements, job placements, hourly wage, household demographics, retention earnings, training placements/enrollments, and supportive services connections/referrals.
- Collaborate, and help maintain positive relationships with external organizations to which we can refer veterans or from which we can receive referrals. This includes the VA, HUD, the local Continuum of Care, LVERs/DVOPS, State Workforce Agencies, veteran service organizations, civic leaders, educational & training institutions, and other support organizations.
- Stay informed about national resources, local resources, and procedures for accessing or referring clients to those services.
- Stay informed about the job market and which employers are hiring.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related field like social work or human resources highly preferred
- 2+ years as a case manager or career counselor or other closely related job; 10+ years of professional experience overall.
- Veteran status preferred
- Experience working with the homeless or veteran population and knowledge of their unique needs
- Work experience with diverse audiences from various backgrounds
- Knowledge of career options, industry trends, hiring practices and how to conduct research on career options, training options, industries, employers, etc.
- Knowledge of the local resources for veterans experiencing homelessness preferred. Existing relationships with these entities are a plus
- Local Travel required: Willingness and capacity to travel locally up to 60 miles on 3-4 days out of the week to meet with veterans or partners or to attend community events
- Valid Driver’s license, reliable transportation, and auto insurance. (Mileage will be reimbursed.)
- Flexibility in work hours, potentially including some evening and weekend hours.
- Detail-oriented – Including strong skills in notetaking and ability to maintain accurate and complete records to the high standards required by the program. Prior experience with government grant procedures and compliance requirements preferred
- Organization and Time Management – Self-starter who can plan ahead, stay organized, and use time efficiently to keep various ongoing tasks organized
- Multitasker – Able to juggle multiple competing priorities simultaneously
- Team Player – Demonstrates good collaboration and communication to be effective in a team setting and enable the team to achieve positive results for veterans
- Interpersonal skills – Ability to establish rapport with veterans experiencing homelessness as well as with service providers and other professionals. Ability to represent Easterseals with professionalism. Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences
- Flexible, customer service mindset and an empathetic listener. Ability to provide guidance and feedback in a respectful and constructive manner
- Decision Making & Critical Thinking – Ability to think analytically and evaluate the impact of decisions. Ability to effectively assess the service needs of a client and offer appropriate solutions
- Composure – Ability to remain calm and maintain a professional manner in all situations, even during difficult circumstances
- Passion for and commitment to the program mission
- Computer savvy – Good typing speed. Proficient in MS Office Suite, especially Outlook and Word. Excellent internet research skills
- Ability to hold a corporate credit card
Work environment
- Work in multiple environments including an office/desk setting, remotely from home office, traveling to meet with clients across the service area, attending meetings and events, and in partner’s sites where we are given space to meet with veterans.
- Hybrid role: applicants are required to have a quiet home workspace and a fast internet connection (or come into the office in Silver Spring every day when not in the field).
Physical demands
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
- Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds at times
- Must be able to drive and have reliable transportation
- Prolonged period of standing, especially when staffing tables at resource fairs
Affirmative Action/EEO statement
Easterseals policy is to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants and employees regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, status as a special disabled veteran, or any other protected criteria as established by federal, state, or local laws. Employment decisions at Easterseals are based solely upon relevant criteria, including an individual’s capabilities, qualifications, training, experience and suitability.
