Vocational Counselor - Ocean State Job Lot : Job Details

Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.

Compensation Range: $23/hr - $26/hr commensurate with experience

Benefits:We have three comprehensive healthcare plans to choose from based on your priorities and budget. Housing Works covers most of the plan; you pay a portion, based on your salary. Staff begins accruing PTO immediately for a total of up to 30 days earned in the first year. We offer employees an educational benefit. This money is available for tuition loan reimbursement, tuition costs, and text books.

Overview:

The Vocational Counselor plays a key role in supporting participants of the Ready For Work and Peer programs on their path to employment. This position involves conducting intake interviews, recruiting participants, performing pre-enrollment and job readiness assessments, and identifying barriers to employment. The Vocational Counselor provides coordinated care and support for individuals facing complex challenges such as mental health conditions, substance use, HIV, homelessness, and chronic health issues.

The Counselor also collaborates closely with the Job Developer to design and lead community workshops that promote workforce development. The Vocational Counselor is responsible for managing each participant's job readiness journey—ensuring access to professional services, maintaining consistent follow-up, and adapting support plans based on individual progress. Services are delivered both on-site and through field visits within the community

Responsibilities:

• Conduct pre-enrollment assessments to determine suitability for the program and ongoing assessment to identify needs, goals, and support needed.
• Engage participants using motivational interviewing, addressing their concerns with interventions grounded in trauma-informed care and harm reduction principles.
• Work with participants to identify and address barriers that may be hindering progress toward their goals
• Facilitate access to supportive services through timely referrals and actively encourage participant engagement with those resources.
• Complete comprehensive risk assessments for participants and ensure responsive, strengths-based follow-through tailored to individual needs
• Offer compassionate crisis intervention and ensure supportive, ongoing follow-up to promote stability and well-being.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and coordination of services to ensure participants receive seamless, continuous support
• Advocate with service providers/resources as needed.
• Develop individualized goals that support participants' mental health and social well-being, while consistently tracking, documenting, and communicating progress with the team.
• Maintain detailed progress notes and input updates into the AIRS and e-Icare Systems, capturing referrals and key participant interactions to support continuity of care.
• Verify that all necessary assessments and consents are completed and up to date for every enrolled participant.
• Ensure documentation is thorough, timely, and aligned with organizational policies and procedures to support accountability and quality care.
• Engage participants through both telephone and in-person outreach to support recruitment and facilitate a welcoming, seamless enrollment process.
• Associate degree plus a background in vocational counseling.
• Vocational Counseling experience working with acute/chronic health service needs and/or HIV/AIDS related illnesses preferred.
• Experience working with those living with mental health needs required.
• Proven ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team environment, contributing to shared goals and integrated care.
• Willingness and availability to perform field-based work as needed to support participant engagement and program delivery.
• Ability to remain flexible in response to changing workspaces, schedules, and participant needs.

Housing Works requires employees working in our Health Services division to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless approved for a legal accommodation. If you need an accommodation for any reason, including related to this job requirement, please contact Human Resources.

Job candidates should be aware that scammers may pose as employers and create fake job postings in order to extract personal information from individuals for financial gain. Housing Works will never ask job candidates for personal information, such as social security numbers or bank account details, over the phone. If you suspect that a job posting may be fake or wish to confirm that a job posting from Housing Works is genuine, please contact us at [email protected]

Housing Works was founded in 1990; With a long-term commitment to AIDS advocacy. Housing Works established New York State's first harm reduction-based, OASAS-licensed outpatient drug treatment program. Other services include Health Home care management, behavioral health, and syringe exchange programs. A pioneer in the social entrepreneurship movement, Housing Works operates 10 high-end thrift shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn and a much-loved Bookstore Cafe in Soho. For more information, visit www.housingworks.org

Housing Works fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing, healthcare, HIV prevention, and treatment, among other lifesaving services.

Housing Works provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements. Housing Works complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. Housing Works also does not request prior salary information during the hiring process. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

This position is included in a bargaining unit of Housing Works' New York City employees represented by a labor union known as the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (“RWDSU”). Accordingly, the RWDSU has the exclusive right to bargain over the terms and conditions of employment related to this position and this position may become covered by the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (a “CBA”) between Housing Works and the RWDSU

Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.

U. S. Patents 7,080,057; 7,310,626; 7,558,767; 7,562,059; 7,472,097; 7,606,778; 8,086,558 and 8,046,251.