Employment Specialist (San Diego & Imperial Counties)

Company Description: NAMI San Diego & Imperial Counties (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is a nonprofit organization that provides free education, support services, and advocacy to improve the quality of life of everyone affected by mental illnesses.

Primary Responsibilities/Function: The Employment Specialist is a valuable member of the NAMI SD/IC Peer Training and Placement team who actively assists graduates in finding placement opportunities for employment and volunteer positions. They will develop a referral system for organizations that hire Peer Support Specialists so they may post job/volunteer opportunities in an internal database for our training graduates. This position requires traveling and attending in-person meetings and in-person outreach in both San Diego and Imperial Counties. When not at in-person meetings or events, this position can work from a company or home office. Typical workdays/hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with occasional evenings/weekends.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct virtual career counseling sessions.

• Identify job/volunteer opportunities for Peer Support Specialists in San Diego and Imperial Counties.

• Support graduates to find job/volunteer opportunities that match their career aspirations.

• Make check-in calls to monitor placement and certification progress after one, three, and six months. Send surveys four months after placement and six months after training completion.

• Carry out outreach activities, including in-person community events, resource fairs, and meetings in San Diego and Imperial Counties, to generate placement opportunities and/or promote our training programs.

• Liaise with NAMI SD/IC volunteer services team to develop and support expedited volunteer placement opportunities within NAMI SD/IC for our graduates.

• May periodically fill in as support trainer, which involves responding to questions in the chat and reviewing a few slides with the class.

• Perform any other assigned duties.

Accountability: Reports to Program Manager

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with qualified disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

• Prolonged periods of standing and walking.

• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Minimum Requirements, including linguistic and cultural skills, education, experiences, licenses and certifications:

• High school diploma or GED

• One (1) year of experience supporting individuals with obtaining employment or volunteer placements in the behavioral health field.

• A minimum of two (2) years' experience working with adults with serious mental illnesses (SMI) and co-occurring disorders.

• Advanced knowledge of computer software (Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Forms) and web navigation.

• Peer Training or Peer Certification is preferred.

• Lived experience of self, or a family member or loved one with behavioral health challenges is strongly preferred.

• Fluency in English required, fluency in Spanish or another threshold language preferred.

• Able to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.

• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality.

• Reliable and consistent attendance.

• Must be willing and able to drive personal car and have a satisfactory driving record.

Due to our work with vulnerable populations and county contractor requirements, applicants will be required to undergo a background check following a contingent offer of employment and must receive satisfactory results prior to a final offer of employment. If you have any questions regarding this requirement, please feel free to reach out to HR@namisd.org.