Career Counselor (TOP Opportunities)

Organization Overview: The Goddard Riverside Community Center (Goddard Riverside) and the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center (Isaacs Center) are well-established Manhattan community-based agencies that support services to approximately 30,000 New Yorkers. We are two of New York City’s leading human services organizations meeting the needs of children, youth and families, homeless individuals, and older adults through-out Manhattan and New York City. We work every day for a fair and just society where all people have the opportunity to make choices that lead to better lives for themselves and their families.

Program Description: TOP Opportunities is a program of Goddard Riverside Community Center that provides vocational training and job placement to prepare underemployed adults for success in the workplace using the evidence-based practice of Individual Placement and Support (ISP) to help program participants to achieve their goals.  We work with adults with severe mental illness and co-occurring barriers to employment, including homelessness, substance use, learning disabilities and justice histories.

Position Summary: The Career Counselor is responsible for developing and managing new employer accounts within various job markets for the purpose of creating employment opportunities for program participants.  The Career Counselor provides career exploration, targeted job coaching and support to program participants, preparing them for success in their chosen field. Utilizing IPS, the Career Counselor works in a team to develop both job placements and retention supports with the goal of developing a career path and achieving greater self-sufficiency and independence.

Salary Range: $43,751-$54,689

Schedule: Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Candidates must have the required qualifications to be considered for the position. The salary offer will be based on the candidate’s number of years experience in the exact or comparable position and additional preferred qualifications will be taken into account.

Roles, Responsibilities, and Essential Duties 

• Conduct intakes, screenings, vocational assessments, recovery plans, individual/group counseling, job development, job coaching, and benefits assistance   

• Has knowledge of client centered Supported Employment Models and Workforce Affiliations like ACCES-VR, Workforce 1, NYCETC 

• Provide intensive employment supports and job retention services for individuals/groups 

• Provide supported education services 

• Develop internships and competitive job placements in the community 

• Coordinate and communicate with collateral providers: counselors, housing workers, therapists and psychiatrists, on behalf of participants 

• Develop and establish strong working relationships with employers and businesses in the community and perform site visits to participants’ work sites 

• Carry a caseload, and document all services rendered including case notes and recovery plans in AWARDS and other data base systems   

• Prepare all mandated reporting as required by supervisor, contract agency and funding agency 

• Attend regular membership workforce meetings such as NYC Employment and Training Coalition and the ACCES-VR Placement Consortium Meetings

Qualifications/Educational Requirements 

•  

  Bachelor’s or master’s degree with 3 years of experience in Vocational Rehabilitation. HS Diploma or equivalent with 5 years of experience in vocational counseling and workforce development.

• A degree in counseling or social work is a plus, including experience working with individuals with serious mental illness

• Valid driver’s license preferred, with a driving record that meets the agency’s auto insurance guidelines (including at least one year of driving experience and no suspensions within the last 3 years)

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities 

• Experience working with individuals with serious mental illness 

• Enthusiastic team player with a strong belief in rehabilitation and recovery 

• Experience in developing job opportunities and employer accounts 

• Strong clinical skills 

• Vocational rehabilitation experience required 

• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred 

Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be: 

• Able to work in the Microsoft Office Suite, should especially be proficient in Word, Outlook and Excel 

• Able to work remotely and assist participants with remote job searches, applications and interviews 

• Able to use teleconferencing software including Zoom to schedule and host remote meetings; able to teach clients how to utilize these tools 

• Able to use or learn to use AWARDS database  

• Able to use or learn other electronic databases, programs, and funder-related software as needed, e.g. NYCMED Portal, NYESS, ACCES-VR  
   

Physical Requirements 

• Must be able to conduct visits of job sites 

• Frequent walking between work sites 

Work Environment 

• Office accessible by stairs only  

• Job coaching conducted at participant work sites including outdoor work with Green Keepers Social Enterprise Business 

We are committed to building an inclusive workplace community grounded in respect for differences. We support hiring a broadly diverse team of qualified individuals who will contribute to our organizations.

Goddard Riverside and Isaacs Center provide equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of duties and responsibilities that will be required of this position and title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be requested to perform job related task other than those specifically presented in this description. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.