Vocational Specialist - Homeless Services
About the job
- A bachelor's degree and two years of applicable experience, or a minimum of six years of applicable experience.
- Knowledge of the complex interaction of multiple factors of homelessness, substance use disorder, mental health, and domestic violence, with sensitivity to cultural and gender-specific issues affecting individuals and families.
- Knowledge of the Human Resources Administration, entitlements, and the homeless shelter system.
- Knowledge of current practices in vocational education, labor market trends, and employment opportunities in both the private and public sectors.
- Conduct assessment interviews to elicit information about clients' skills, education, abilities, and interests.
- Identify barriers to employment, including English as a Second Language, substance use disorder, and mental health issues, and collaborate with the Case Manager to make appropriate referrals.
- Assist engaged clients in developing vocational and educational service plans and monitor and facilitate their implementation.
- Document all counseling, assessment, testing, and service plans in clients' folders.
- Implement and coordinate the EMPath economic mobility program.
- Maintain an active employment and vocational or educational training database and serve as the program representative to vocational, educational, and employment placement service providers.
- Provide career coaching and guidance and assist with resume and cover letter preparation, job searches, and filing applications.
- Design and facilitate adult life-skills workshops covering budgeting, tenant behavior, home maintenance, and related topics.
- Develop direct job-placement services through the program job bank.
- Maintain tracking forms for job and skills-training placements and job retention, and submit required reports.
- Conduct vocational workshops.
- Attend required training sessions and meetings.
- Perform other duties as required or assigned by the Program Director or designee.
About the company
S:US helps New Yorkers who face homelessness, disability, behavioral health and addiction challenges, poverty, criminal justice involvement, and trauma access a wide range of supports across New York City and Long Island. It coordinates services such as case management, housing and stabilization, behavioral health treatment, recovery supports, rehabilitation, advocacy, and community-based programs tailored to each person’s needs. By linking housing, health, justice, and community resources, S:US delivers integrated, place-based services that address multiple barriers at once rather than focusing on a single issue. The goal is to help people lead purposeful lives, improve neighborhoods, and break the cycle of poverty for current and future generations of New Yorkers.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
New York City, New York
Founded
1978
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- The April 2026 crisis center adds recurring operating funding through 2031.
- Urban Farms and bed-stuy food programs deepen neighborhood visibility and referrals.
- TD's 2026 grant expands Homebase staffing during acute eviction pressure.
What critics are saying
- S:US depends heavily on New York public funding and contract renewals.
- Aerosolized political attacks on supportive housing threaten S:US's core Brooklyn model.
- If state reimbursement tightens, its housing-and-behavioral-health network faces existential contraction.
What makes Services for the Underserved unique
- S:US opened Brooklyn's sixth state-funded Crisis Stabilization Center in April 2026.
- S:US won a $250,000 TD Charitable Foundation grant for eviction prevention.
- S:US secured a $894,050 Truxton SRO contract through 2032.
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Benefits
- Wellness Program
- Professional Development Budget