Program Specialist

Description

The Program Specialist provides direct support to the individuals served by the agency and is responsible for ensuring the successful implementation of agency policies and procedures by qualified, knowledgeable staff. Designation assigned to Program Specialist within a specific Community-Based home(s), who demonstrates the strongest leadership skills and responsibility in working with the rest of the home's Direct Support Professionals to ensure that daily routines, assignments, etc., are carried out efficiently. This position entails special skills and responsibilities and is a supervisory position of limited nature and scope. Demonstrates and practices New Avenues values. Responsible to promptly report to supervisor any circumstances that negatively affect the health, safety, or well-being of clients, staff, the agency or its property and equipment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following: other duties may be assigned:

1. Ensure Health and Welfare of individuals served through direct services provided (hours of billable services depends on number of individuals in the home (1-4 individuals).
2. Maintain knowledge of ISP, BSP, and other service delivery techniques & ensures all Direct Support Professionals are trained in these areas.
3. Reports any conduct performance issues/actions to Program Developer on a timely basis.
4. Timely completion of all position deadlines and staff accountability including but not limited to:

•  Progress notes/HPC documentation/Site documentation
•  MAR – monitoring of documentation and implements change over
•  Weekly Med QA’s
•  Arranges and attends medical appointments and ensures written documentation/physicians orders are relayed timely to appropriate staff
•  Communicate all recommendations from medical appointments to Program Developers and Health Services Manager
•  Submit completed bi-weekly schedules in Data plus for the site to Program Developers for approval and publish.
•  Review bi-weekly payroll for managed staff hours and make adjustments as necessary. 

5. Maintain effective relationships with team members to ensure the following:

•  Orienting new staff to the household routines and documenting on-site and individual specific training of new employees.
•  Ensuring smooth daily transition between working varying shifts (at main site or in cluster) in order to facilitate supports for individuals.
•  Schedules community errands/trips appropriate to individual’s interests and needs.
•  Ensuring all incident reporting procedures are followed including incident reports being reported and written immediately after incident occurs; then sent to the Program Developer in a timely manner.
•  Maintain and secure all financial information and monies for the individuals as required by policy/procedure. 

6. Securing the house and maintaining a healthy and safe environment by:

•  Ensuring the house cleanliness on a daily basis.
•  Monitoring proper diets, meal planning and food shopping.
•  Communicating appropriate repairs and equipment needed to landlord. 

7. On call responsibilities include maintaining appropriate staffing, being available to work direct shifts as needed, and maintaining timely communication with all team members for their homes.

8. Will follow New Avenues CBS on call procedures. 

9. On call PS will maintain health and welfare by completing site visits.

10. Other duties as assigned. 

Requirements

Evaluation Factors/ Qualifications/Physical Requirements:

Evaluation Factors:

1. Ensuring the staff schedule in Data Plus meets the staffing pattern of the site and ISP.
2. Ensures that all staff time and attendance entries are complete in Data Plus by payroll deadline.
3. Ensures all documentation listed in responsibilities is completed and submitted in a timely manner.
4. Attending all mandatory staff trainings to enhance personal competencies of the individuals and agency.
5. Ensure completion of all site specific/individual specific training is complete for new employees at site.
6. Medical Surveys have zero (0) deficiencies.
7. Minimum of 25% per quarter of individual’s participation in community integration.

Qualifications:

1. Minimum of 18 years of age or older.
2. A desire to assist people with their growth and success.
3. A high school degree or equivalent.
4. Minimum of two years of experience with individuals with IDD.
5. Minimum one year of supervision experience.
6. An ability to stay organized while managing multiple tasks.
7. Must have one year of previous experience with individuals with IDD, residential experience preferred.
8. A valid Ohio driver’s license with 4 points or less on the individuals BMV driving record
9. Current Auto Insurance

Physical Requirements:

1. Is able to sit, stand, and walk at full capacity for at least eight hours and requires frequent bending, squatting, reaching above the shoulder, kneeling, balancing, pushing, and pulling.
2. Lifting requirements of this position are frequent lifting of up to 20 lbs. & occasional lifting of up to 50 lbs.
3. Ergonomic team lifting of clients weighing up to and over 100 pounds.
4. This position requires employees to use both hands for simple grasping, firm grasping & fine manipulations.
5. This position requires exposure to environmental factors such as aggressive client behavior, over-the-counter chemicals & products, prescription medications, etc.
6. This position requires that no treatment and/or medication adversely affect this person's ability to work