19/21 hours a week
Tuesday: 12:00pm-2:00pm e/o/w
Wednesday: 2:30pm-9:00pm
Thursday: 2:30pm-8:30pm
Friday: 3:00pm-9:30pm
Summary
Residential direct support staff are members of a team responsible for providing high quality direct care services to adults with developmental disabilities. Each direct support staff member is responsible for ensuring the human rights of all Individuals served are met. Staff are responsible for treating all Individuals with dignity and respect.
Direct Support staff assigned to the group homes function are responsible for supporting Individuals in the completion of their daily routines and for ensuring clients live a safe, healthful, enjoyable life in the community. Direct Support staff are responsible for ensuring Individuals are provided with opportunities to learn and exercise increasing independence as much as practicable.
Essential Job Functions
- Responsible for the health, safety and well being of Individuals served, seeking assistance and medical interventions as appropriate.
- Serves as a Mandated Reporter and is required to advise direct supervisor, DDS and DPPC immediately if abuse and/or neglect of an Individual is suspected.
- Handle crisis situations according to agency policies and procedures, seeking resources when necessary.
- Monitor group home site and vehicle for safety, cleanliness and upkeep and take necessary action to ensure same. Report safety concerns per established protocols.
- Establish rapport with Individuals participating in the group home program.
- Support the learning of Individuals by use of motivational techniques, effective interventions and various communication approaches including verbal, gesture, and written communication.
- Assist Individuals with any activities of daily living (ADLs) as applicable to each Individual’s abilities.
- Responsible for scheduling and accompanying individuals to medical appointments/treatments, ensuring accurate reporting to physician and follow through with respect to doctor’s orders and recommendations.
- Responsible for producing accurate, legible and complete medical documentation for Individuals served, including but not limited to treatment charts and data sheets.
- Properly administer medication (or support individuals who can self medicate) in accordance with Agency, DDS and DPH guidelines – Medication Administration Procedures (MAP).
- Ensure Individuals are provided nutritionally sound food options along with the education to help them understand the impact of their food consumption.
- Support each Individuals existing relationships and assist in increasing their network of friends and acquaintances.
- Provide transportation for individuals to/from activities, medical appointments, and/or day programs through use of agency vehicle.
- Provide sex education, relationship building, life and money management counsel when appropriate.
- Assist individuals in becoming part of their community by supporting them in learning how to find resources, activities and transportation in the community.
- Carry out all interventions in an Individual’s Behavioral Protocol Plan as written and trained. Redirect and/or physically support Individuals who may be aggressive using proactive techniques while maintaining self-control.
- Responsible for understanding and implementing any support strategies pertaining to ISP goals.
- Communicate effectively, professionally and respectfully with Individuals, co-workers, management, guardians, and others while on company time.
- Responsible for being familiar with and abiding by Agency, Department, and Program policies and procedures and for acting in a manner consistent with organizational values, mission, and goals.
- Serve as an active, contributing and problem-solving member of the team. Provide support to co-workers including relief staff by sharing knowledge about Individuals as appropriate for the role of support staff.
- Attend and actively participate in mandatory staff meetings and trainings as well as supervision meetings.
Supervisory Responsibilities
None
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, individuals must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily. The requirements below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Experience/Education
- High School diploma or GED
- Previous related experience providing child care/elder care/direct support to developmentally disabled persons or previous experience supporting individuals in a mental health/special education or other human services setting is required.
- An equivalent combination of education and related work experience may be considered.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations
Must successfully complete all mandatory trainings as required by the Agency within the required timeframe.
- Current Red Cross or American Heart Association First Aid
- Current Red Cross or American Heart Association Adult CPR
- Massachusetts MAP certification
- Valid driver’s license
- Certification in specific restraint training required by some positions
- Must be able to pass a Criminal, Sori, DPPC, and Mass Fraud screening
- Must be able to pass leasing company driver screening and be approved to drive Agency vehicles
Language Skills
Ability to effectively, professionally and respectfully communicate with co-workers, management, Individuals, guardians and stakeholders
Must be able to read and write instructions; compose progress notes; read and interpret policy and procedure manuals; understand and follow written and/or verbal instructions; complete data sheets and other documents as needed in a complete and legible fashion.
Ability to speak effectively, professionally and respectfully before groups.
Mathematical Skills
Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.
Reasoning Ability
Ability to understand and apply common sense to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems, maintaining composure and professionalism.
Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, use hands/fingers, talk and hear.
The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
Employees working with individuals who require physical interventions for behavior control need to demonstrate competency in physical restraint techniques (PAC restraint certification required).
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to loud.
This job description is not all inclusive and does not state or imply that these are the only duties to be performed by direct support staff. Employees are required to follow/perform any job related instruction or job related duty as directed by their immediate supervisor or another member of management in the Residential function.
Source: Indeed.com
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