Employment Specialist (39174)

Birch Family Services; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 33,062 - 38,572; Full time

Job summary

Birch Family Services seeks an experienced program assistant at our Administrative Office in New York, NY. This hybrid full‑time position focuses on screening, assessment, planning, and coordinating pre‑employment training to help participants obtain competitive employment in integrated settings.

You will develop learning plans, monitor progress, and collaborate with program coordinators to ensure effective strategies.

Qualifications

• Experience working with individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Basic computer proficiency required.
• Commitment to supporting program participants in obtaining and maintaining employment.

Responsibilities

• Screening: Develop key questions or learning experiences to assess present levels of skills with a potential program member.
• Assessment and planning: Develop a learning plan to drive skill development and meet life plan goals.
• Pre‑Employment Training/Discovery: Share plans with your supervisor and complete discovery reports when needed.
• Opportunity and Experience Development: Create volunteer/internship/work opportunities aligned with program goals and engage employers.
• Personal Organization: Maintain calendars, manage tasks, and complete progress notes and Staff Action Plans.

Skills

Written and verbal communication

Basic computer proficiency

Experience with autism/IDD

Education

GED or Equivalent

Job description

Job Details

Level: Experienced | Location: Administrative Office - New York, NY 10001 (Hybrid) | Position Type: Full Time | Education Level: GED or Equivalent | Salary Range: $24.00 – $28.00 per hour | Job Shift: Any | Purpose: To provide assistance, support, training and coaching on needed skills necessary to enable program participants to obtain or maintain competitive employment in integrated work settings. This work is performed in services such as Supported Employment (SEMP), ACCES‑VR or Community Based Pre‑Vocational (Pre‑Voc) training.

Reports to

SEMP and/or Community Based Pre‑Voc Program Coordinator or Director.

Areas of General Responsibility

Screening

• Develop key questions or learning experiences to assess present levels of skills with a potential program member.
• Provide feedback/input to Birch leadership on appropriateness of Birch services for the individual.

Assessment and Planning Prior to Beginning Services

• Develop assessment opportunities and experiences to better understand top strengths and areas for growth.
• Develop a scope and sequence (a learning plan) that will help drive skill development for the individual to meet their life plan goals.
• Work with and seek feedback from your direct manager to ensure your plan, tactics and approach are effective for helping drive results for the program member.
• Devising internal learning plan goals and monitoring progress toward meeting those goals by an established date.

Pre‑Employment Training and/ or Completing Discovery

• Proactively share plans and seek feedback from your direct manager/coach to ensure plans, strategy, approach and tactics are as effective as possible.
• If necessary, complete a discovery report for the Employment Training Program (ETP) within the allotted timeframe that will yield a clear plan of top strengths, areas of growth and best fit job opportunities for the program member.
• Attend OPWDD Innovations training (ETP 101) and seek support from supervisor/coach on effective strategies for completing discovery.

Opportunity and Experience Development

• Develop volunteer experiences, internship opportunities, situational assessment sites and paid work opportunities that align with service/program goals and the interests of the program member.
• Contact and convince potential employers and work experience sites, modify existing jobs to better meet the program member’s needs, and provide information on incentives and supports available to employers.

Personal Organization

• Maintain a calendar to clearly identify all billable time (direct and indirect hours) worked.
• Create task/to‑do lists for work with your supervisor/coach and with each program member.
• Complete data collection (progress notes) within 48 hours of providing services.
• Draft Staff Action Plans within 2 weeks after a Life Plan meeting and complete monthly progress reports with any additional required documentation.

Work (Paid or Unpaid) Placement and Coaching

• Assist program participants in securing work opportunities.
• Support individuals in applying for paid employment.
• Serve as liaison between a potential employer, program member and other supports/stakeholders.
• Assist an employer, as necessary, with position modifications.

Communication and Documentation

• Maintain necessary contact with family members, residence managers and service coordinators for the individual.
• Participate in and send a recap/notes for Life Plan meetings.
• Draft Staff Action Plans.
• Write detailed data collection notes to Precision Care.
• Write thorough monthly updates.
• Complete ACCES‑VR billing forms (if needed).
• Complete Pre‑Voc annual assessments and/or ETP discovery documentation.

Support

Meet with a coach/supervisor at least once per week to proactively name progress toward goals, identify what’s on track and not on track, and propose solutions and next steps. Use the coach as a resource for meeting your goals, not as a manager of your goals. Seek advice from colleagues and external partners to support your own development and progress toward goals for the position.

Miscellaneous

• Participate in all required/mandated trainings.
• Maintain all certifications related to job responsibilities (transcript for OPWDD and/or ACCES‑VR trainings, as needed).

Qualifications (Preferred)

• Experience working with individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Background, passion and proven results for teaching other people.
• Passion for helping make the job landscape more equitable for people with disabilities.
• Demonstrated effective written and oral communication skills.
• Basic computer proficiency.

EEO Statement

Birch Family Services provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Birch Family Services complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Birch Family Services expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Birch Family Services’ employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.