The Jewish Community Center is seeking a Program Specialist to join our Adult Day at the J team. This full time position is located at our Creve Coeur location. Full time positions at the J include our employee benefits package: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long term disability insurance, voluntary insurance plans, pension, 403b, paid vacation, sick and holiday time, membership and program discounts, etc.  Our Adult Day Center operates from 7:30am to 6pm, Monday – Friday, with some evening and weekend hours required. Applicants should have flexibility to work within our operating schedule. Adult Day at the J is accredited by the State of Missouri and licensed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Overview:

Since 1979, Adult Day at the J has been providing the highest quality day services to members of the greater St. Louis community. Implementing evidence-based practices and person-centered focused support, our ADJ programs aim to provide cognitive, social and physical engagement to every participant, as well as vital respite and support to their caregivers. Our team of highly trained and skilled staff empower and advocate for individuals through application of our core JCC values of enriching lives, building community, promoting inclusivity, and creating meaning experiences for those we serve.

Through the Program Specialist position we are offering an exciting opportunity for the selected candidate to join a team of innovative, out-of-the-box thinkers to help establish a new prevocational and employment training program for people with disabilities. This position will play a dual role in contributing to the success of both ADJ day services and our new employment support program. The Program Specialist position will actively contribute to the development and implementation of pre-vocational training curricula, provide work-related support, and hands-on skill building activities for young adults and older adults of all developmental and intellectual ability levels. Additionally, this position will directly support young adults with I/DD and older adults with dementia, cognitive and physical impairments attending ADJ each day.

The ideal candidate for this position will be a self-starter, highly organized, and efficient multi-tasker who enjoys a highly active role in a fast-paced environment. This position is responsible for daily activity implementation and direct support of participants attending programs offered through ADJ. Program Specialist will provide inquiry-based experiences for participants in a variety of content areas that support soft skill building, promote independence, encourage socialization. This position is also responsible for collaborating with Program Coordinators, the Inclusion Department team, Early Childhood Center team, other departments within the JCC, and other external agencies to plan and implement programming sessions.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Plan, promote and arrange activity and programming logistics,
• Plan, coordinate and provide work-related vocational support services.
• Provide direct support to participants of Adult Day, which will involve engagement in a variety of activities including physical exercise, swimming, meal services, and managing personal care matters.
• Conduct assessments to identify vocational strengths & barriers of persons served.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams to establish vocational goals and plans to obtain goals.
• Communicate daily with parents/guardians/participants to discuss progress and address concerns. Ensure supervisor is informed of any concerns and notified of any communications which are sent out, as appropriate.
• Together with Adult Day team, plan marketing and outreach efforts to promote the program and recruit new participants.
• Develop and implement strategies to ensure maximum participant attendance is achieved daily.
• Prepare, review and maintain daily documentation to ensure compliance per all funding source guidelines.
• Ensure that individualized goals are recorded, tracked and monitored appropriately for each participant, and annual documentation is current and relevant.
• Responsible for coordinating all logistics for programs/events,
• Ensure staff-to-participant ratios are maintained at all times and ensure proper levels of support are provided according to each participant’s needs. Provide guidance to staff and volunteers to enable them to best support the participants.
• Together with Volunteer Coordinator, identify volunteer opportunities; coordinate, train and supervise volunteers to support activities as appropriate.
• Coordinate with Vocational Rehabilitation or other agencies providing employment assistance.
• Attend meetings as required including, weekly staff meetings, regular meetings with supervisor, and other program specific meetings.
• Maintain knowledge of current best practices for field and complete all trainings as required.
• Provide quality customer service through prompt and consistent communication.
• Collaborate within the JCC to facilitate the most inclusive environment for new and existing programs.
• Adhere to all JCC and departmental policies.
• All other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications:

• Minimum age of 18 is required.
• BS/BA in an education or human services related field required.
• Must have education, credit hours, certification or 1-year experience in area of Vocational Training.
• Graduate degree in a human service and/or education related field preferred (MSW, MEd, etc.).
• 1-2 years prior experience working with persons with ID/DD required.
• 1-2 years of experience in a supervisory or management role preferred.
• Experience with public speaking, and leading small and large group presentations.
• Prior experience with employment support services, program development and/or skill instruction for small and large groups.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills required, grant writing or fundraising experience is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access) required.
• Able to physically stand, walk, bend, stoop, kneel and lift to 50lbs required.
• Capable of engaging in physical exercise for extended periods, both indoors and outside required.
• Must possess strong organizational skills and ability to multitask in a dynamic environment.
• Must be available to work nights and occasionally weekends, as necessary.
• First Aid, CPR and Med Tech certification is required (training provided as necessary)
• Own vehicle and current Chauffeur’s License required.

Adult Day at the J employees are required to become registered with the MO Family Care Safety Registry. Active registration must be maintained for employment at our center. Annual TB testing and current Hepatitis A vaccinations are required per state regulations.

To learn more about the Jewish Community Center, Adult Day at the J and all that we do, please visit our website: www.jccstl.org

The JCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in the Department of Homeland Security's eVerify program.