Employment Opportunity

The Independence Center has provided psychosocial rehabilitation, group and individual therapy, case management, vocational, and crisis services to adults with chronic mental health needs in Lake County for over 30 years. Employees of the Center are champions in supporting our individuals as they progress toward achieving and maintaining healthier lifestyles and managing the cyclical nature of their diagnosis.

As a small, private agency, we provide a work environment that encourages autonomy, fresh ideas, creativity, teamwork, and growth through continual development and training opportunities. Our staff strives to positively impact the lives of the community we serve through a unique and whole-person-centered approach to treatment. We offer competitive salary and benefits, including health (medical, dental, vision) insurance (starting at $5 per month employee responsibility), retirement savings plan, life, and disability insurance, and paid time off. We also have LCSW and LCPC supervision hours for individuals working on licensing requirements. Our staff enjoys a flexible, friendly, and casual-dress workplace. If you want to work with a purpose and make a difference in someone's life, a career at the Center could be the rewarding professional experience you have been seeking.

We are currently interviewing qualified candidates for the following opening:

Vocational Program Coordinator

This position is responsible for the Independence Center's vocational program and provides over-arching supervision regarding all clinical concerns. The Vocational Coordinator provides individualized support to assist in gaining and maintaining employment. Services include; job coaching; personalized benefits counseling, assessing members' employment functioning and preferences in working; communicates regularly with treatment team members, including agencies, to coordinate and integrate employment services into treatment.

Essential Job Functions

• Ensure that the program functions while meeting our members' community support and rehabilitation needs; this may include but is not limited to the standards and documentation requirements as established by: CARF, Medicaid, DRS, IHDA, IDOT, and DHS.

• Supervises and teaches essential job skills to employment specialists, including building employer relationships, engaging members, conducting the career profile, developing individualized employment goals, member interviewing skills, and providing job support.

• The position spends at least 65% or more of the total scheduled work hours in the community. For example, meets with the member in community settings and develops relationships with managers at their businesses.
• The position is responsible for a minimum of 20 job starts each year after the first year of employment.
• Conducts at least six employer contacts each week to learn about businesses and employer needs, specific members looking for work, and employer services offered by the vocational program.
• The position provides direct service to vocational program members, including assessments and intake for potential members. Engages new members and acts as a case manager until the person is either assigned or terminated from the program. Services will include treatment planning, skills training, transition/ discharge planning, and crisis intervention. Service/ transition/discharge plans are to be developed in cooperation with the member, his/her family, collaboration agencies, case manager, and others, as necessary. Service planning includes but is not limited to a comprehensive assessment of the members' functioning level and community support.
• Coordinate with rehabilitation staff. Documents, in a timely fashion, progress notes, reports, and service interventions for services rendered. Provide crisis intervention as needed to new and returning members.
• Conducts job development and job search activities directed toward positions that are individualized to the interests and uniqueness of the people on his/her caseload, following the principles and procedures of IPS.
• The Vocational Coordinator provides education and support to employers as agreed upon by members, which may include negotiating job accommodations and following along with the contact with the employer; assists members in obtaining information about their benefits and how benefits will be affected by employment.
• Works as a job coach for members actively working through the Center's Vocational Program.
• Helps members with career development, including finding more desirable jobs, helping people ask for raises and promotions, and helping with education and training programs available to the general public.
• Provides individualized follow-along support to assist clients in maintaining employment. Provides frequent in-person support during the first month of a new job and monthly after working steadily and desired by members.

Provides outreach services as necessary to members when they miss appointments. Uses various methods to discover what is interfering with the person's employment plan.

• A bachelor's degree in a human service field from an accredited institution is required.
• Job development/ recruitment experience preferred.
• Must be self-motivated, organized, and comfortable in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Must be a collaborative, solution-focused team player to help facilitate safe patient outcomes and contribute to institutional goals.
• Previous clinical work experience in a health care setting of at least one year, acute care hospital setting preferred.
• Previous Substance use disorder experience in a health care setting of at least one year,

The Independence Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit discrimination in all phases of employment based on an individual's race, color, sex, age, pregnancy, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, and any other classifications protected by federal state and local law.