INTERNAL ONLY- Supported Employment Specialist- CSS

MCCFL; Hood River (OR); On-site; USD 55,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

Mid-Columbia Center for Living (MCCFL) seeks a Supported Employment Specialist to provide community-based services in The Dalles, Hood River and surrounding areas. You will help clients obtain and maintain competitive employment within the CSS/ACT framework.

Ideal candidates have QMHA certification, experience in employment readiness, and a valid driver’s license for local travel. This full-time role includes an on-call rotation and coordination with mental health teams.

Qualifications

• QMHA certification or QMHA-R registration within 14 days of hire.
• Experience in employment readiness, job development, and job retention preferred.
• Bilingual fluency in Spanish/English preferred.
• Valid Oregon/WA driver’s license and insurability for travel.
• Criminal history checks per ORS rules and agency policies.

Responsibilities

• Engage clients in program services and pursue competitive employment.
• Develop individual job support plans with clients and health teams.
• Coordinate with CSS staff and Vocational Rehabilitation as liaison.
• Meet program fidelity requirements per OSECE standards.
• Provide on-call after-hours support if assigned to ACT program.
• Support clients in obtaining benefits information and reporting earnings.
• Maintain regular contact with local employers and document interactions.

Skills

QMHA Certification

Spanish/English bilingual

Driver's license

Community outreach

Education

QMHA Certification (QMHA-R)

Job description

Internal - Onsite, The Dalles and Hood River, OR - Full Time

Working Title: Supported Employment Specialist
Program: CSS- Supported Employment/ACT
Report to: Program Supervisor- Supported Employment
Pay Range: $26.43-32.12/hour
Location: On-site, The Dalles, Hood River and Sherman County, Oregon (Subject to work in Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties)
Travel: This position is a community-based position, so regular travel within the community.

Hours/FTE: 1.0 FTE(37.5 hours/week) Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm with 1 hour lunch
Fidelity requires an on-call rotation be available. If that is not available through the mobile crisis team, this position requires participation in a rotation.
FSLA Status: Non-Exempt

The Supported Employment Specialist works within the Community Support Services (CSS) department, providing direct services and assistance to clients in obtaining and maintaining employment that is consistent with their vocational goals. This position interacts with clients in the community, at work sites, and in community partner agencies.

The Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program addresses recovery and service needs for individuals with severe and persistent mental health conditions. This program has fidelity requirements which include job-specific trainings, meetings, and reviews. The ACT program also has an on-call after hours phone which rotates within the ACT team as required.

Mid-Columbia Center for Living (MCCFL) is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) that specializes in providing services that are both trauma-informed and recovery-oriented to persons / consumers with mental illness and addictions. Trauma-informed care includes safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, cultural sensitivity, and empowerment for both clients and staff. MCCFL serves Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties and utilizes a consumer-involved, consumer-engaged, and consumer-driven model. MCCFL provides a whole-person care approach to adults and children to address both physical and mental health needs. MCCFL offers a variety of programs including a mobile crisis unit, intensive case management, ongoing counseling, community support, supported employment, jail diversion, hospital discharges, hearings, and more.

What you'll need:

• Certified as a Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA) by the Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO) or register as QMHA-R within 14 days of hire.

• Experience in employment readiness, job development, and job retention preferred.
• Demonstrated experience working with individuals who have severe and persistent mental illness preferred.
• Experience in providing community support services, rehabilitative services, and/or work in the vocational rehabilitation field is preferred.
• Bilingual fluency in Spanish/English is preferred.
• Must possess a valid Oregon or Washington Driver's license and be insurable for client service purposes and for travel between business offices, meetings and/or trainings.
• Must pass all criminal history check requirements as required by ORS 181.536-181.537 and in accordance with OAR 407-007-0200-407-007-0370.

What you'll do:

• Perform outreach activities to engage clients in program services. Establish and maintain trusting, collaborative relationships directed toward the goal of competitive employment in community job settings with other workers who do not necessarily have disabilities.
• Collaborate with clients in developing job support plans. Consult with the client’s mental health team; adjust plans according to client needs and preferences. Conduct job development and job search activities directed toward positions that relate to individual client interests. As approved and directed by clients, provide education and support to family members. Explore with clients their preferences for disclosing psychiatric status to employers.
• Participate in regular meetings with mental health treatment team; communicate individually with team members between meetings in order to coordinate and integrate vocational services into mental health treatment. Collaborate with CSS staff and act as liaison to Vocational Rehabilitation.
• Meet all established program fidelity requirements as determined and defined by the Oregon Supported Employment Center for Excellence (OSECE).
• Maintain ACT on-call after-hours phone on a rotational basis if assigned to the ACT program.
• Ensure that optimal support is provided to clients who start new jobs; meet with clients both directly before and after new job starts; ensure that clients understand job expectations. Provide ongoing assessment of client vocational functioning utilizing background information and work experiences.
• Provide individualized follow‑along support to assist clients in maintaining employment. Provide interventions as needed; ensure that interventions are timely and appropriate. Provide education and support to employers as directed by clients, this may include evaluating and negotiating job accommodations.
• Establish and maintain regular contact with various employers in the community. Discuss current business needs; describe supports offered by the program; describe client strengths that are relevant to the position.
• Assist clients in obtaining information about their benefits (e.g., SSI, Medicaid, etc.) and how regular employment might impact them; refer clients to benefit counseling, as indicated. Assist clients in reporting earnings, as needed.
• Perform a variety of outreach activities as necessary when established clients appear to disengage from program services.
• Perform all relevant essential responsibilities using the English language.
• Use agency vehicles to provide community-based services and transport clients to appointments, activities, and other approved destinations. Ensure the comfort, dignity, and safety of clients during transport, following all applicable safety protocols.
• Regular and reliable attendance; professional communication with all contacts; maintain confidentiality.

The process:

• Application review starting 9/24/26
• Conditional Offer if not completed previously
• DMV Record Review, if the position requires driving
• 10 Panel Drug Screen (Although recreational marijuana use is legal in the state of Oregon, you will not be considered for this position if you're unable to pass a pre-employment drug screening due to federal regulations.)
• Criminal History check through Orchards BCU
• Licensure Primary Source Verification

MCCFL provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. To request accommodation in the recruitment or selection process, please contact human resources at 541-288-4359 or email [e-mail].