This Employment Specialist (Follow-Along) position focuses on providing ongoing support to individuals who have successfully exited Vocational Rehabilitation Services and are now employed.Develops consumer employment opportunities, contacting employers throughout the community, reviewing job advertisements, educating local businesses about program, and following up on possible leads.Assists consumers with application and interview process, assisting consumer in completing application and attending job interview with consumer as needed.Provides job coaching to consumers at the job site, assisting consumer in becoming independent while promoting natural supports within work site culture.Develops and performs situational assessments in the community, taking consumers to different work sites to determine how well they perform a particular job, how well they like the position, how they compare to other employees and the supports they will need.Maintains daily documentation of job coaching and development; prepares written progress reports for funding sources as required.Serves as a consumer advocate to local employers, ensuring that consumer's work performance meets expectations and negotiating possible solution to raise consumer's performance to employer's level of expectation.Assists consumers in coordinating daily methods of transportation to and from work.  Provides training on accessing public transportation if needed.Prepares progress reports for all consumers as required by funding source; performs post placement follow-up surveys and contacts.Attends and schedules appointments for staff meetings, contacting vocational rehabilitation, consumers, families and superiors.Maintains records and files, prepares necessary correspondence, and updates materials as needed.Maintains communication with various governmental agencies, such as Vocational Rehabilitation, Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services and Social Security, to secure funding for programs and assist consumers with any benefit issues.Operates a motor vehicle to travel to job sites, develop jobs, and perform ongoing assessments.Performs related duties as assigned, assuring the best interest of both the agency and the consumers' welfare.
