Title: Transitional Work and Retention Specialist
Unit: Employment Services
Reports to: Program Manager and Program Manager, Data
Status: Full Time; Regular; Non-Exempt
Salary Range: $27.48 to $31.87 per hour (Approximately $50,000 to $58,000 Annually)
Location: Long Island City
Days/Hours: 35 hours per week (Monday – Friday, 9:00AM – 5:00PM); Some evenings and weekends as required.
The Fortune Society, Inc. (Fortune) has been working for over 57 years in service to our mission: to support successful reentry from incarceration and promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of our communities. The organization has evolved into one of the nation’s preeminent reentry and justice-informed service organizations, providing formerly incarcerated people with the skills and wrap-around services needed to break the cycle of crime and incarceration and to build productive lives in their communities.
Fortune has grown steadily over the years to an agency with close to $90 million in annual budget with just under 600 staff. We anticipate that we will keep growing, both in size and depth of service. Fortune has a dual mission: both advocacy and service. The advocacy portion of our mission focuses on building a more just criminal legal system and reducing the barriers to reentry into society. The service side of Fortune has evolved to encompass a broad range of programs that started with employment and education and now includes a robust array of services, among them: alternatives to incarceration, supervised release, court advocacy, discharge planning within correctional facilities, licensed substance use and mental health treatment, a housing continuum ranging from emergency and transitional through permanent congregate and scattered site housing, assistance in obtaining benefits, a care management unit, HIV services, a food and nutrition program, and an arts program. Each service we provide is informed by the needs of the population we serve. Fortune currently serves approximately 14,000 people a year.. Our program models are recognized, both nationally and internationally, for their quality and innovation. We have locations in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan and Queens.
Under the direction of the Program Manager, the Transitional Work Specialist and Retention Specialist will be responsible for recruiting, screening, enrolling, outreaching, and personnel oversight of participants enrolled in the Transitional Work Program. They will also be responsible for managing the retention collection and incentive distribution process for individuals who return to share their employment outcomes. This individual will use a trauma-informed approach when engaging our participants as they support individuals in gaining needed work experience through Fortune’s transitional work program. This team member will support with managing the employer relations for internship host sites. This team member with support the Program Manager with overseeing data accuracy for Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that measure trends, metrics and track the outcomes for the Transitional Work Program. They will also support the Program Manager, Data with managing the retention collection and data related to employment outcomes.
The Transitional Work and Retention Specialist empowers participants by encouraging them to build on the foundation of soft skill professional development as outlined in the Career Development Workshop. While facilitating weekly job club meetings with participant cohorts enrolled in the Fellowship, the Transitional Work and Retention Specialist will empower them to build upon their skills and assist them in overcoming obstacles that may appear during their internship. The Transitional Work and Retention Specialist will also support with screening whether someone is ready to begin seeking employment at the end of the internship, prior to their meeting with an Employment Specialist, offering feedback to the participant and colleagues. The Transitional Work and Retention Specialist will also support to unit by collecting and documenting retention outcomes of participants. The position requires excellent communication, data entry and facilitation skills.
Embodies Fortune’s mission and values and will be an effective member of the team in furthering both. The candidate should exhibit compassion and understanding for our participants (wherever they are in their re-entry process) and embrace Fortune’s core value that none of us should be measured against the worst things we have done.
The Transitional Work and Retention Specialist must have the ability to meet various demands simultaneously effectively. Will have the ability to offer intense concentration on complex tasks. The Transitional Work and Retention specialist will be able to rotate concentration to prioritize most critical and pressing demands first and can determine when the need arises to seek guidance and support with prioritizing from leadership.
The Transitional Work and Retention Specialist will focus on identifying the key needs and support opportunities for participants. They have an ability to illustrate the highest level of customer care and empathy while thriving to resolve participant concerns and issues. They will also act as a liaison between Fortune and our community partners that refer individuals to our agency for social service support.
The Transitional Work and Retention Specialist must demonstrate competency to develop systems and processes to organize and keep track of retention, case management efforts, employer research and work progress; is routinely conscientious, thorough, accurate and reliable when performing and completing job tasks; and recognizes trends, detects inconsistencies, and determines essential details. Ability to multi-task is preferable.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Recruit, screen, and enroll Employment Services participants into the Transitional Work Program, including assisting participants in completing program applications and modifying their resumes;
Assess career interests and aptitudes, guiding participants toward the most suitable transitional work placement sites;
Act as an intermediary between interns and employers to resolve workplace issues and promote successful completion;
Collect documentation related to employment retention and distribute incentives to participants sharing employment outcomes;
Regularly document all retention outcomes in Client Record Management system, and work with the Program Manager, Data to ensure data quality is accurate to support with reporting to internal and external stakeholders;
Complete timely and accurate documentation of all services;
Co-facilitate weekly Job Club Sessions for transitional work program participants and assist the Program Manager with regularly updating the curriculum as needed to enhance the program model;
Participate in collaborative meetings with Employment Services’ staff to assess participant progress and plan services;
Co-facilitate transitional work program orientations;
Visit participant work sites to understand behaviors in various settings and hear feedback from employer host sites;
Review employer and participant feedback and performance reports, identify barriers to participant success in the program, and provide coaching and support to promote attendance, safe behavior, and effective participation in job club sessions and transitional employment;
Screen current interns throughout the internship to determine if they will be ready to seek employment post completion of the internship and communicate feedback with their assigned Employment Specialist and Program Manager;
Follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and program performance guidelines as outlined by the Program Manager;
Ensure records are accurate, maintained, and updated regularly to align with ongoing changes;
Assist with administrative tasks, such as updating referral trackers, data entry, reporting, typing, filing, and scheduling appointments;
Support with creating, revising, and editing resumes to include Fellowship experience for placement support;
Maintain regular phone, email, and in-person communication with participants and supervision officers who are making referrals to Fortune;
Document all pertinent discussions, events, and incidents in real-time in the agency database system(s) within 24 hours;
Perform other duties as assigned.
High school diploma or equivalent required; Associate’s degree from and accredited college or university in social work, psychology, counseling, human services or education preferred;
At least 2 years of prior experience as a Case Manager, Counselor or related field;
Experience in providing services to individuals involved in the criminal legal system;
Exceptional attention to detail and talent for accuracy and precision, with strong organizational skills and the ability to facilitate workshops;
Adequate computer skills; proficient in Microsoft office: Outlook/365, Word, Excel;
Skilled communicator who is able to liaise interdepartmentally, as well as with community partners and stakeholders; Strong writing skills;
Administrative experience and strong time management and customer service skills;
Bilingual in Spanish a plus;
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Excel, Outlook and Office 365;
Ability to apply skills learned from prior work experience, or formal academic training in a related subject area, to the day-to-day project activities;
Demonstrated success in being participant-centered, self-motivated with excellent relationship skills;
Ability to work a flexible schedule;
Ability to work independently and on a team;
Responsive to feedback, having the ability to seek support when needed and remain in communication for guidance;
Experience and/or desire to work with a culturally diverse population.
We seek talented, dedicated individuals from all walks of life who possess a strong commitment to this mission. Relevant personal experience is a plus.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The responsibilities and requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skills, minimum education, training, licensing, experience and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
The Fortune Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of conviction history, race, religion/creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, victim of domestic violence status or marital status.
