Rehabilitation Counselor I - Pathways Youth Specialist

If you are a current State of Maine employee, please submit your application through the internal application process using the Find Jobs report in PRISM. Seasonal employees who do not have PRISM access should apply through the State’s career page and indicate on the application that they have previously worked for the State.

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Department of labor - Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Job Class Code: 3081

Grade: 19 (Professional/Technical)

Salary:  $19.84 - $27.49 (Hourly- includes a 2% stipend)

Location: Statewide: Augusta, Bangor, Portland

Opening Date: May 13, 2026

Closing Date: May 29, 2026

• Do you enjoy working with a team?
• Do you have successful experience facilitating workshops or groups?
• Do you like to work in a fast-paced environment and on a variety of tasks? Are you able to organize and prioritize your work independently?

If so, you may the right person to join an exciting grant-funded project to support children and youth as they prepare for adult lives and success in post-secondary education, employment and community living.

The Maine Department of Labor supports employee success through intentional collaboration, innovative thinking, and adaptability. We value an inclusive, diverse, and accessible workplace where all employees thrive and contribute to the overall success of the agency.

Position may be subject to fingerprinting. Due to the nature of the work, the position may be based at any Division of Vocational Rehabilitation office across the state with hybrid telework scheduling.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Conducts outreach to students with disabilities, families, and schools to increase registration in Pre-Employment Transition Services and enrollment in the Pathways to Partnerships (P2P) Grant
• Works collaboratively with the Pathways to Partnership (P2P) Grant team and joins regular meetings virtually and in-person
• Co-delivers career exploration activities (virtually or in-person) with VR or school staff to promote readiness for employment
• Collects grant-related data and inputs it into case management system or other data collection sites
• Supports development of resources for posting on grant website
• Gathers feedback following grant activities
• Represents the agency in the community to promote awareness
• Participates in school-based planning meetings
• Maintains confidentiality of client information
• Provides logistics support to the P2P grant team
• Visits worksites to gather information on client placement and provides support to client and employer
• Enrolls clients (or supports clients to enroll) in staffing payroll systems as needed for payment of wages in work-based learning activities. May approve timesheets and submit for payment
• Provides support to job fairs, workshops, and other targeted outreach activities
• Knowledge of disabilities-particularly youth and student needs
• Knowledge of life skills and work methods
• Knowledge of interviewing and intake methods and techniques
• Knowledge of best practices in working with youth
• Knowledge of standard office practices.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Ability to promote positive work attitudes
• Ability to provide job coaching and support in a classroom and on the job setting
• Ability to identify the need for job accommodations

Minimum qualifications:

A four (4) year combination of training, experience, and/or education in vocational rehabilitation

program development and implementation.

Contact information:

Questions about this position should be directed to Samantha Fenderson at [email protected] 

Benefits of working for the State of Maine:

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($11,196.96 - $12,514.32 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($387.92 annual value).
• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 14.11% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS) for MSEA, or 18.91% for Confidential employees.

State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for anything less than full-time.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Thinking about applying?

Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If you’re currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your lived experience and passion set you apart.

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If you are unable to complete the online application, please contact the Human Resources representative listed on the job opening you are interested in applying for. They will work with you for an alternative method of submitting.