Project Serve Case Manager

Project Serve Case Manager

Living Classrooms Foundation strengthens communities and inspires young people to achieve their potential through hands-on education and job training, using urban, natural, and maritime resources as "living classrooms."

Project SERVE (Service, Empowerment, Revitalization, Validation, Employment Training) is a rapid attachment to work program with a primary service focus on Returning Citizens. It provides transitional work experience, career coaching, career development, family support services, and wrap around job placement support service throughout the program.

The ultimate goal of this program is to prepare returning citizens and/or community residents with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to find and sustain full-time employment.

Overall, the Workforce Development Department provides job-training, personal skills workshops, industry recognized certification trainings, and various workforce development initiatives at all our centers in the TIZ for unemployed and disadvantaged adults. The major goals are to positively impact communities with direct services; provide workforce development and job training; and increase education and service-learning opportunities.

The Case Manager for Project SERVE is responsible for providing case management and career readiness assistance for residents; developing and cultivating employment and training opportunities; and documenting and collecting data that will assist in measuring our impact in the TIZ. The Career Coach reports to the Case Management Manager.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Primary Responsibilities

1. Case Management + Career Readiness Assistance

• Complete comprehensive barrier assessment and goal strategy activities with Baltimore City residents at each of our community centers.

• Develop individualized career plans and mentor members through to successful goal attainment.

• Connect program members to training and employment opportunities.

• Ensure program members remain employed after placement.

• Track and provide support to participants for one year after employment placement.

• Refer participants to support service partners, as needed.

2. Employment & Training Development

• Develop and maintain relationships with outside agencies who may provide workshops, trainings, and employment opportunities to workforce training participants.

3. Impact Measurement

• Interpret grant performance goals into service plan outcomes

• Administer assessments related to program eligibility and identify risk factors that could impact participants success

• Help participants identify barriers which may impede employment success – i.e., lack of job-specific expertise, transportation and childcare challenges, vocational and/or remedial challenges, soft skills, and housing

• Assist participants in making intelligent, logical career decisions based on local labor market data

• Craft and manage participant service plans that include credentialing, job interview preparation, and post-placement activities

• Conduct regularly scheduled case management sessions with participants

• Maintain real-time information on participant's progress through career coaching, training, employment, and in to employment retention.

• Ensure appropriate documentation is complete and maintained for each participant

• Assist other staff members in helping participants secure employment, including contacting employers, setting up interviews, obtaining employer feedback, and sharing this information with participants

• Contribute to program as needed.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

1. High School diploma or GED required.

2. Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (BSW), Psychology, Counseling, Criminal Justice, or a related social/behavioral science field

3. Bilingual – a plus

4. Ability to work effectively with people of diverse educational and cultural backgrounds, from justice-involved individuals to public officials

5. Two-three years’ experience in community development/delivering case management services

6. Expertise in identifying local labor market data and effectively translating this information to participants

7. Knowledge and experience working with the criminal justice system

8. Excellent verbal and written communication skills required

9. Computer literacy, including knowledge of basic software applications and familiarity with the Internet, email, social media, and other forms of computer – and phone-based communication.

10. Driven to attain measurable results

11. Ability to foster a cooperative work environment

12. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships