Direct Support Professional

Do you want to be a part of the solution for someone who is really struggling? Do you want to start your professional mission in a company that is truly dedicated to your growth and success as well as the growth and success of our residents? Do you want to be an essential part of team that includes nurses, therapists, psychiatrists, educators, and other specialists? Do you want to learn ground-breaking innovative approaches to helping kids?

If so, this is the most rewarding job you could imagine.

If you want to punch a clock, be a cog in the machine, or just follow the herd - please don't apply, because you probably won't be up for the challenge. This is, after all, a mission.

The Lead Residential Instructor is perhaps the most important individual in the lives of our residents. You are there to mentor them, teach them, engage them and keep them safe. You are the trusted adult who can weather their storms, show them things that they didn't think were possible, and walk them through the day, and through their course of treatment. You will be a part of what we call a "transdisciplinary team" - everyone's voice is equally important as we work with the child and their family in order to build plans that we give them their lives back.

To families in crisis, you will be a life saver. Listen to this...

To the kids, you will be the best coach.

To your team members, you will be an invaluable colleague.

But also, take a look at this.

Be aware, that if you come to work at Grafton you will be doing the type of work that will change you as a person. It really is so much more than a job. It's a personal mission.

Yes, you will write shift notes… but you will be able to do it in a state of the art electronic health record. Yes, you will deal with challenging behavior… but you will do it using Ukeru, a national best-practice that provides you with a trauma informed foundation that helps you diffuse the drama before it gets out of hand. Yes, you will have to be keeping kids engaged… you will do it on a campus with greenhouses, playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts, music rooms, and activity rooms. And you'll do all of this with the guidance of people who have been doing it for a long time. They know stuff that you will find invaluable. And you'll start at $19.10 plus shift differentials that really boost the pay rate well over $20/hour for most of the hours you work.

For formality's sake, here is is our dry as a bone job description:

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

Under general supervision, models and supervises the day-to-day functions in the assigned group home. May participate in the on-call/on-duty rotation as needed. Provides training and feedback, and assists in supervising the employees during implementation of treatment plans and daily assignments within the group home. Completes auditing tasks and household paperwork as assigned by the Residential Manager. Collaborates and communicates effectively with team members and families. Under supervision, plans, implements, and supervises instructional, therapeutic, and behavioral activities for the assigned group home. Provides instruction designed to improve skills to decrease/alleviate symptoms of concern, improve psychological well-being, increase independence and improve overall quality of life for the clients in the home. Utilizes the clients' treatment plan effectively and appropriately to assist the client in building skills necessary for success in the following domains: self-care, household, leisure/recreational, community participation, safety, communication, physical abilities, and social-emotional. Provides on-going assessment of skills (data collection and analysis) and modifies teaching techniques to assist the client in reaching established goals. Assists in developing goals and objectives related to clients' needs and ensures data are collected as required to monitor progress. Reports to the Residential Manager.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

* Ensures medications are delivered accurately and on time
* Provides for the well-being and safety of the clients
* Follows infection control procedures
* Manages the ordering of protective equipment needed in the home
* Manages the completion of the weekly medication inventory
* Participates in scheduled on-call rotation, which could include evenings, overnight, or weekends
* Works with Program Operations Manager to train new employees in the home
* Provides employee training on new clients entering the program
* Ensures that the home is properly set up for any new client entering the home
* Understands and participates in the individual planning process
* Uses the individual plan to become informed about client strengths, needs, preferences, interests, and accommodations needed.
* Implements and promotes clients' achievement of behavioral and skill development goals
* Implements the treatment/ behavior plan and trains employees in implementation of plans.
* Manages the completion and implementation of activity schedules within the home
* Communicates with Treatment team members regarding client specific interventions
* Builds trusting, respectful relationships with clients and families
* Focus is on client progress - improving opportunity and quality of life
* Manages behavioral crisis safely and in accordance with the treatment plan
* Completes standard documentation
* Completes quantitative documentation audits and EHR audits and follows through with employees' accountability to completion of paperwork
* Completes and collects household paperwork and submits to proper recipient
* Collaborates with multi-disciplinary team to provide continuity of support and care
* Audits MDT notes and attends meetings as assigned
* Attends program meetings when needed
* Ensures safe residence
* Assists with household chores and assures a clean and tidy home
* Assists with nutrition and, in group homes, with meal preparation
* Manages shopping within the home for food and household item and delegates duties to employees
* Provides transportation / community mobility
* Assists with purchases and is accountable for monies; ensures all receipts are turned in promptly
* Communicates with appropriate personnel any areas requiring attention, repair, etc.
* Demonstrates knowledge of program goals, objectives, and standards
* Demonstrates commitment and dedication to the program through personal integrity and dependability and is able to promote program awareness
* Communicates appropriately with stakeholders - other employees, supervisors and managers,
* Promotes a positive working environment
* Participates in and promotes any needed conflict resolution between coworkers and/or managers
* Provides information to assist Program Operation Manager in evaluating staff performance



MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

Required:

* Education requirements:
* High school diploma or G.E.D. & no experience working with children*
* High school diploma or G.E.D. & 6 months experience working with children
* Associate's degree and 3 months experience working with children
* Bachelor's degree in human services
* Valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record
* Per the VA Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, child care staff with a high school diploma or G.E.D. with no experience working with children may not work alone, but may be employed as long as they are working directly with a qualified staff with one or more years of professional experience working with children. This option is currently only offered at our Berryville & Winchester campuses.

Experience may include supervised internships, practicums, field experience, and other volunteer or related experiences as evaluated by Grafton prior to hire. Examples of unpaid experience may include, but are not be limited to: camp counselor; after school care; caring for a child or children with special needs regardless of their relation to the candidate; babysitting or providing daycare for a child or children regardless of their relationship to the candidate; foster parenting of a child or children under the age of 18; volunteer coaching for a sports team; leading community programs, such as Girls Scouts & Boy Scouts.

Preferred:

* 2 years of professional experience working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
* 1 year of professional experience working with children in a residential program for children with special needs
* 6 months experience working in a leadership or supervisory capacity
* 6 months experience working in a residential program at Grafton

REQUIRED TRAINING AT GRAFTON

Please refer to Grafton's "New Employee Initial Training as Required by Job Title" chart and Grafton's "Company Level Planned Training Calendar" for the current year. All initial required training (classroom and online) is assigned to the employee through Grafton's Learning Management System (GLMS).

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

* Medical, dental and vision
* Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts
* 401(k), including an employer match
* Generous Paid Time Off plan
* Education Assistance
* Life Insurance
* Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
* Short-term disability (STD)
* Long-term disability (LTD)
* As Grafton is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, you may be eligible for federal student loan forgiveness

COMPENSATION

* Starting at $19.10 to $22.00/hour based on years of Direct Care experience
* Depending on hours worked you may be eligible for Grafton's shift differential that is currently being offered

Grafton is an equal employment opportunity employer and tobacco-free workplace.

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