Direct Care Staff Partners

Job Summary:

The direct care staff members, “Partners”, provide direct instruction and support for teen and adult consumers diagnosed with autism and other disabilities. Partners participate in a comprehensive hiring process of interviews and mandatory educational, health, and security clearances. Once employed Partners are required to attend mandatory training and pass competency written and in-situ exams and evaluations within the first two weeks of date of hire before being assigned to a group of consumers. In the first year of employment, Partners are required to pass field competency tests every three months.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide supervision, instruction and guidance of consumers per directives provided by the Clinical Behavior Consultant.
• Support work tasks as designed.
• Ensure participation in work routines (e.g., breaks, meal breaks, leisure time, etc.)
• Ensure participation in leisure activities (e.g., reading, games, etc.)
• Provide support during adaptive skill routines (e.g., preparing a meal, hygiene, etc.)
• Record the performance of individual consumers.
• Implement behavior intervention plans and record all data relevant to such behavior excesses.
• Provide ongoing input, data, and communication with clinical behavior consultant on consumer progress, training needs, problems with consumer's progression, behavior excesses, etc.
• Other duties as assigned.

Other Competencies or Skills:

• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Applied Behavior Analysis, command of terminology in order to effectively communicate with supervisors and administration, understanding and working knowledge of the basic behavioral principles, verbal behavior, and incidental training; knowledge of prompt hierarchy, ability to appropriately address behavior excesses (i.e., tantrum, aggression, etc.)
• Punctual to sessions and meetings, consistently at work and on time, presents self professionally, dresses appropriately;
• Works well independently and as a team player; maintains effective and proper working relationships among coworkers, clients, and supervisors; welcomes feedback, accepts responsibility for own actions, follows directions, follows proper chain of command;
• Ability to manage difficult or emotional client situations, keeps emotions under control, maintains client and company confidentiality;
• Effective oral and written communication, participates in meetings;
• Sets and achieves goals, adheres to a schedule, pursues training and development opportunities, attends ongoing mandated professional development, volunteers readily, asks for help and offers help when needed, applies feedback to improve performance, monitors own work to ensure quality and accuracy, meets productivity standards, ability to multi-task, organizes work, completes work in timely manner, checks and responds to email daily, completes billing on time and accurately;
• Displays original thinking and creativity, meets challenges with resourcefulness, works well with teens and adults, displays high energy level;
• Observes safety and security procedures, reports unsafe conditions, uses equipment and materials properly;
• Adheres to all company policies and procedures

Education/Experience/Training:

• Education equivalent to High School Diploma.

• Minimum of six months experience working with individuals with special needs in a home, care setting, classroom, recreational program, therapeutic or tutorial setting, or ABA program.

• Partners receive formalized continuing education training throughout their employment, and are provided with continued hands on training and feedback on their performance on a daily basis. If a Partner exhibits deficits in any particular area of program implementation, re-training is provided within 30 days. Partners must receive 80% passing rate on all areas of the field competency and evaluation forms.

Physical Demands:

Ability to run, stand, sit, stoop, crawl, kneel, reach, push, and lift 75 pounds; normal visual, vocal & hearing acuity; use of a computer; ability to travel via automobile.

Background Checks and/or Licensing:

Must be at least 18 years old; criminal background check; reference checks; provide a negative TB test; education verification; current drivers license and proof of auto insurance.

Other Requirements:

Must have reliable means of transportation and willingness to travel via personal automobile; availability to work a minimum of 30 hours per week; and have access to a computer with knowledge of internet, e-mail and Microsoft Office applications.