VABIR

Basic Function
To help people with disabilities become and remain employed by performing a variety of liaison functions with employers and the State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation within an assigned geographic area.

Characteristic Duties & Responsibilities
Provide direct assistance to job seekers:

• Interview and evaluate individuals to assess vocational skill and eligibility for job openings;
• Assist in development of resumes, job seeking skills, and interviewing skills;
• Arrange for interviews or furnish with job leads;
• Check references;
• Coordinate placement support such as trainers, interpreters and readers as appropriate;
• Arrange assessment and networking interviews with employers.

Serve as liaison with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and other agencies involved in direct assistance to people with disabilities.  Provide information on employers’ hiring criteria and job demands, coordinate job referrals, placement and follow up.

Prepare a variety of reports documenting activities of the job seekers and employers contacted on their behalf.  Meet with the local VR representative as needed to discuss job seeker and employer activities.

Participate in a variety of VABIR and interagency staff and committee meetings to plan, evaluate and coordinate programs, services, and activities.

Serve as a liaison with area employers:

• Develop and maintain contacts with community businesses in order to acquaint them with VABIR services, learn area hiring practices, job requirements, local business trends, special employment problems and communicate these back to job seekers and rehabilitation agencies;
• Identify and assist in developing job opportunities for people with disabilities;
• Refer job seekers to employers for job openings;
• Follow-up job placements to assist employers in resolving problems they may encounter with VABIR referrals;
• Assist employers to retain employees who become disabled;
• Recruit and coordinate a Business Advisory Council;
• Coordinate with community resources as appropriate.

Maintain a constant presence in the employing community by attending business functions such as those sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, by addressing business groups such as Rotary, and through direct correspondence and mailings.  Initiate and implement workshops.   When appropriate participate in arranging media coverage.

Supervision Received

General supervision is received from the Executive Director or Assistant Director.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate field, plus two years of relevant experience, or a combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and skills are acquired.

• Ability to network with a wide variety of people;
• Good writing and speaking skills; good administrative and organizational skills;
• Ability to deal effectively with the business community, people with disabilities, and social service agency personnel in carrying out all functions, requiring high levels of initiative, diplomacy and sensitivity; public speaking skills desirable;
• Familiarity with the problems and needs of the disabled, and the rehabilitation process.

BASIC FUNCTION:
To assist VocRehabVermont’s Rehabilitation Counselor by performing a variety of functions as needed with adults on public assistance to find and maintain employment. The adults served have significant barriers or disabilities which severely limit their functional capacity to work. VRV is a small, publicly funded employment agency serving Vermonters who have a significant disability.

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provide direct assistance to job seekers under the daily supervision of the Counselor. The assistant must possess the skills and knowledge of assessing vocational skills, interests, and aptitudes with an understanding of the psychology of disability, and the impact that a disability has on a person’s functional capacity to meet the demands of living in all areas of life. The assistant must be willing to
facilitate, and provide skill instruction to groups of adults including a weekly Job Club or workshops developed by the Counselor. Must assist in developing resumes, job seeking skills, interviewing skills, job search skills, and the use of job leads. The assistant will make referrals for community services, coordinate multiple tasks in a very busy public office, and work effectively between multiple state service providers. The assistant will schedule individual appointments with customers to assist them with any issue or barrier to work while maintaining their plans of employment/rehabilitation with VRV. The assistant will coordinate job development, and placement supports with accommodations such as trainers, interpreters, readers, assistive technology or natural supports as appropriate while identifying, and assisting in developing job opportunities for people with the VABIR Employment Representative. The assistant will refer job seekers to the VABIR ER for job openings, or will develop work sites. The assistant will identify work site trainings or situational site assessments of job skills, perform job analyses or transferable skill analyses as appropriate. The assistant will follow-up job placements to assist the customer and employer in resolving problems they encounter or with post-employment supports. The assistant will participate in a variety of VABIR and VR interagency staff meetings to plan, evaluate and coordinate programs, services, and activities.
There is considerable documentation to the work including the maintenance of two state agency databases, routine reports on project outcomes, casenotes on customer contacts, billing for reimbursement, direct payments to vendors, daily email correspondence, letters to customers and the maintenance of files and case records for two agencies. Knowledge of Microsoft Office professional applications is required with minimum typing speed of 45 wpm.

SUPERVISON:

Under the daily guidance and direction of the VR Counselor.

QUALIFICATIONS:

A combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge or skills are acquired is acceptable. The exceptional candidate will:
• Demonstrate the ability to network with a diverse variety of people.
• Demonstrate good writing, and speaking skills.
• Demonstrate good organizational, and administrative skills.
• Demonstrate initiative, diplomacy and sensitivity while dealing effectively with people with disabilities, employers, social service personnel, and the education or business community.
• Demonstrate a willingness to become familiar with the problems and needs of the disabled, and the rehabilitation process.
• Accept supervision and direction from the Counselor.
• Ability to travel as necessary outside the geographical work location.
• Demonstrate an interest in pursuing education, and training to acquire or augment work skills to improve job performance.