Community Habilitation Specialist

**PURPOSE OF THE POSITION**: Community Habilitation Specialist will provide assessment, skills building training and assistance to individuals with developmental disabilities enrolled in HCBS Waiver living at home to gain skills for independence and to complete documentation in compliance with the CARES Act

**REPORTS TO**: Community Habilitation Supervisor

**I.** **SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES**
- Provide assessment, training and assistance to developmentally disabled individuals enrolled in HCBS Waiver living at home.
- To facilitate an individual’s independence, individualization, inclusion, and productivity (otherwise known as the 3 IP’s) utilizing a variety of modalities including but not limited to: interaction and communication techniques and use of assistive technology.
- Completes daily electronic checklists and monthly summaries based on the valued outcomes on the person-centered Community Habilitation Staff Action Plan.
- Attend annual OPWDD Trainings.
- Submit Annual PPD clearance (if applicable)
- Support and advocate for all individual’s within the home and the community.
- Create meaningful activities for individuals within their Home and the community.
- Performs all other duties as assigned.
- Recognizing and addressing abuse, neglect, and exploitation

**II.** **QUALIFICATIONS**
- High School Diploma/ GED (minimum)
- OPWDD Fingerprint and Background Clearance
- Valid NYS Driver’s License and Insured Vehicle
- Clean driving record
- COVID-19 vaccination orqualifying exemption with weekly COVID PCR testing

**III.** **RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS**

The Community Habilitation Specialist must interact with the individual, their family, the individual’s circle of supports, which includes the individual’s Care Manager, as well as maintain regular contact with their immediate supervisor. In addition, the CHS needs to possess the following characteristics:

- Be team player
- Be committed to empower others to resolve their issues independently
- Sensitivity to cultural diversity present among staff and clients within our organization
- Value a nurturing family as the ideal environment for an individual
- Assurance and conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change
- Ability to establish a respectful relationship with person’s served to help them gain confidence
- Ability to work collaboratively with other personnel and/or service providers or professionals
- Capacity to maintain a helping role and to intervene appropriately to meet service goals
- Ability to set limits

**IV.** **WORKING CONDITIONS**
- All Community Habilitation Specialists work with the individual in the individuals’ home and their community.
- All Specialists must work with one individual within the home and/or the community.
- All Specialists must drive a car safely.
- All Specialists must be willing to transport individuals in their own vehicle.
- All Specialists must attend Agency trainings and required Supervision meetings directed by their supervisor.
- Our intake process facilitates the pairing of Community Habilitation staff to individuals whose needs match the specific skill set and professional strengths of each individual Community Habilitation Specialist.
- Case assignments are sufficiently small enough to allow for flexibility for the Community Habilitation Specialist to use scaffolding and a person-centered approach to providing services and supports to each individual.

**V.** **SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY**
- The Community Habilitation Specialist is responsible for the Individual’s safety while in their home, as well as driving with them and supervising them within their community.
- The CHS is responsible for training and assisting (in areas such as, but not limited to, community integration; budgeting, computer, organizational, reading and math skills, activities of daily living, etc.) the individual with attaining their valued outcomes as outlined on the Community Habilitation Plan.
- The Community Habilitation Specialist must make all necessary notifications to individual’s family and service providers.

**VI.** **TRAINING**
- The Community Habilitation Specialist will learn positive behavioral supports
- The Community Habilitation Specialist will demonstrate proper lifting and transferring techniques along with safe transportation (when applicable)
- The Community Habilitation Specialist is trained to use emergency services by calling 911 in the event of an emergency
- Staff is required to take annual refresher trainings in the areas of: HIPAA, Sexual Harassment, OSHA, Mandated Reporting, Cyber Security, Corporate Compliance, Implicit Bias, Basic Choking, Preventing Discrimination, Justice Center.
- Community Habilitation Specialist receive training in the areas of required Medicaid paperwork in compliance with the CARES Act, as well as agency specific electronic platforms.
- Community Habilitation Specialist has access to a library or professional development online courses for others,