Vocational Counselor - Employment Specialist

WellPower provides you with the support you need to help you develop a career in helping others succeed. We innovate, adapt, and leverage the diverse perspectives of the people on our team and the people we serve in everything we do.

WellPower envisions a community where every person’s mental health is fostered through strength, resilience and hope. We empower people to overcome barriers and achieve lasting well-being through collaborative behavioral health care and comprehensive support. 

Our Guiding Principles:

• Person Centered. We honor people’s identities, lived experience and journeys and treat every person with the dignity we all deserve.  
• Exceptional Care. We offer compassionate, innovative services that meet people where they are, from immediate support to long-term recovery.
• Integrity. We operate from a deep foundation of ethical, accountable practices in all we do.
• Organizational Resilience. We meet the moment and adapt to changing contexts with collaborative creativity, agile business processes, and financial stewardship.

Postion Summary:

Vocational Counselor Employment Specialist are responsible for rehabilitation activities which support people we serve who want work adjustment training, job search and placement, and skill training for community employment, work experiences, part-time or full-time employment. Coordinate employment services, including development of community jobs, working with employers to ensure quality job placement, working with outside agencies and partnering to benefit the employment program. Cooperatively work with treatment sites to establish mutual outcomes for the people we serve.

Location: 456 N Bannock St

Compensation:

• Vocational II - $30.12/hr 
• Vocational Counselor III - $31.25/hr 
• Language Differential - $2.50/hr for bilingual proficiency in Spanish & ASL

Responsibilities & Job  Duties: 

• Responsible for development of competitive community jobs and skill-building activities needed to attain employment.
• Provide consistent vocational assessments to assist people we serve to be successful in jobs.
• Employment specialist duties are required to identify programs and eligibility as to ensure access for the people we serve.
• Work closely with employers to coach people we serve and provide appropriate interventions.
• Research and develop community contacts that help with job placements.
• Complete reporting pertaining to program measurements.
• Coordinate with clinical teams and therapists regarding vocational objectives.
• Find employment for diverse populations with serious and persistent mental illness.
• Work in the community 60% of the time.
• Public relations and community organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability in program development.
• Ability to work with people we serve with sever and persistent mental illness.
• Ability to give, receive, analyze information, formulate work plans, prepare written materials and articulate goals and action plans.

Requirements & Qualifications:        

• VC I: GED or High School Diploma plus Colorado Peer Family Specialist Certification.
• VC II: Bachelor degree in rehabilitation or related field.
• VC III: Masters degree in vocational rehabilitation or related field; with one year of experience in a vocational rehabilitation setting or experience with specific duties of this position is preferred.

Typical Physical & Mental Demands:

Standing, walking, stooping, bending, lifting up to 50 lbs, repetitive hand/finger motions, manual dexterity. Requires fine motor skills required for precise clinical procedures. Requires visual and auditory acuity to observe patient behavior and respond to alarms and calls. Requires a capacity to handle emotionally charged situations and maintain professional boundaries. Requires critical thinking and problem-solving skills for treatment planning, and to prioritize multiple tasks and adapt to changing patient needs.

Working Conditions

Exposure to infectious diseases, bodily fluids, and chemicals may occur; appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided. Requires regular use of computers and medical equipment. May involve occasional evening or weekend hours depending on patient needs or clinic schedule. Work environment can be fast-paced and emotionally demanding, requiring adaptability and resilience. Noise level is generally moderate but may vary during peak patient flow. Occasional travel between clinical sites

Learn more about WellPower:

WellPower is committed to fair and equitable hiring with salaries based on relevant factors, such as work experience, education, and certification/licensure (rather than wage history). Toward the principle of equal pay for equal work, we post and hire within defined hiring salary ranges. We ask all applicants to carefully review the hiring salary range for each posted job opportunity, as we will not hire outside the predetermined range. 

WellPower is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, transfer, or promotion opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. 

For a complete overview of our robust benefits, visit: https://wellpower.org/workplace-of-choice 

Tuberculosis (TB) screening, testing  -  TB  screening and testing, is required and must be completed prior to hire ( i.e., preplacement), and maintained during employment