|
Vocational Rehabilitation Division
Location: Southwest Iowa
Salary: $22.28 - $33.84 Hourly
Job Type: Temporary
Agency: 131 Iowa Department for the Blind
Job Number: 21-02917
Post Close Date: June 2, 2021
Point of Contact: Keri Osterhaus, VR Program Administrator keri.osterhaus@blind.state.ia.us
To Apply: Persons who wish to be considered for this position apply here.
This is a non-merit temporary position with the Iowa Department for the Blind.
Positions in this class are exempt from the screening and referral requirements of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services - Human Resources Enterprise.
Only applicants who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and meet all selective requirements will be placed on the eligible list.
The Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB) is seeking qualified applicants for the temporary position of Job Development Specialist / Services Specialist for the Blind 2. The position will provide job development and job coaching services to clients in southwest Iowa.
Following successful completion of training and orientation in Des Moines, Iowa, the position will require a home-based office with travel required. This is a non-merit position with the Iowa Department for the Blind. The Domicile is negotiable to areas in southwest Iowa.
Job Duties:
This position is responsible for networking in southwest Iowa to develop jobs for individuals who are blind or have low vision, including individuals with significant disabilities. The individual will be responsible to communicate with vocational rehabilitation counselors regarding VR clients; perform job and site task analysis to determine appropriate referral partner and/or need for accommodations and assistive technology; conduct planning meetings for new clients regarding monthly placements, assist employers with providing necessary accommodations for clients to perform job duties effectively.
The individual in this position will maintain case notes on the current system for client’s VR cases on daily basis; perform job coaching duties in the absence of the job coach (s); including but not limited to: training consumers on various job duties/workplace policies and procedures/social skills/safe and efficient operation of equipment, etc.; performing Job Readiness Training; advocating for clients in the workforce to promote successful relationships between employers and employees. The position will require the individual to spend 65% or more of scheduled work hours in local communities.
The ideal candidate will be skilled in developing and maintaining professional, cooperative relations with local businesses and agencies; interested in assisting individuals seeking to achieve competitive and integrated employment. The candidate may carry a caseload of up to 15-20 clients. Strong candidates will possess solid communication skills,
Essential Functions
- Develop competitive and integrated community employment for clients.
- Work closely with employers to coach clients that we serve and provide appropriate accommodations and supports.
- Research and develop community contacts that help with appropriate job placements.
- Complete data/reporting pertaining to program measurements.
- Coordinate with VR counselors and other IDB staff regarding vocational objectives.
- Communicate in written, oral, and presentation formats with educators, community rehabilitation providers, internal partners and employers about equipment modifications, accommodations, and alternative techniques that help blind people succeed.
- Develop and implement approaches to help individuals who are blind explore career alternatives, find and interview for available jobs, and keep and/or advance in current jobs.
- Conduct work-site assessments and job analysis at clients' work places or potential work places across the state of Iowa in order to identify potential barriers and resources.
It is the policy of the Department for the Blind to conduct background checks on all finalist candidates prior to any offer of employment.
Selectives
257 Career Development Counseling
6 months’ experience at the high school or college level or in the public or private sector such as Iowa Workforce Development or an employment agency. In the case of the latter, must have experience analyzing and assessing applicants’ work and education history and applying it to career goals. Must possess broad knowledge of postsecondary education and/or job training infrastructure. Must be able to communicate with program participants of varying academic and vocational abilities
AND
752 Vocational Rehabilitation
6 months’ experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination of both that specifically relates to employment and training services for individuals with disabilities. That knowledge base will include an awareness of the unique needs of this population, laws relating to discrimination or reasonable accommodations, assistive technology, and an understanding of employment and training systems and services, especially as provided in Iowa.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Graduation from an accredited college or university and experience equal to one year of full-time professional or paraprofessional work in human service fields such as: social services; nursing; personnel; vocational rehabilitation; education; psychology; or intangible sales, interviewing, recruiting, and promotion; recreation, public information, volunteer service for public or private organizations, fund raising, or ministry in a recognized faith or denomination;
OR
graduation from an accredited college university with a major emphasis in library science or liberal arts and at least one year of library work experience;
OR
an equivalent combination of education and experience substituting the equivalent of one year of full-time work experience (as listed above) for each year of the required education to a maximum substitution of four years.
|
