Community Employment & Living Services Specialist

This is a paraprofessional high school graduate level position designed to assist persons who meet medical necessity criteria for community living supports, employment, and/or skill building services. The position incumbent will provide a wide range of direct assistance to consumers (within the scope of his/her training) and within the framework of the consumers Individual Plan of Service (IPOS). The services provided are designed to increase or maintain personal self-sufficiency and support recovery.

JOB DUTIES:

1. Implementing the IPOS using person-centered principles, including, but not limited to providing
   1. Community Living Supports (CLS): Assistance in the form of teaching, reminding, or guiding to help individuals attain or maintain levels of independence and/or participation in the community. Specific responsibilities may include training and support with activities of daily living and independent living skills (such as personal hygiene, meal preparation, medication assistance, money management, healthy coping skills, routines etc.) as well as activities focused on recreation, socialization and relationship building.
   2. Skill Building Assistance: Assistance with activities identified in the IPOS that help a beneficiary to increase their economic self-sufficiency and/or to engage in meaningful activities such as school, work, or volunteering. Such activities are intended to support beneficiaries with attaining and retaining Individual Competitive Integrated Employment (ICIE) and may include helping individuals develop ability to communicate effectively in business settings, acceptable workplace conduct and dress, ability to follow directions and attend to task, workplace problem-solving skills, general workplace safety and mobility training. May also provide learning and work experiences where the beneficiary can develop general, non-job-task-specific strengths and skills.
   3. Supported Employment: Services that are provided in a variety of community settings for the purposes of supporting beneficiaries in obtaining and sustaining full- or part-time work at minimum wage or higher, with wages and benefits similar to workers without disabilities. Specific responsibilities may include Job-related exploration and discovery, person-centered employment/career planning, job placement, job development, negotiation with prospective employers, job training and systematic instruction, job coaching, and career planning that supports the beneficiary to make informed choices about ICIE or self-employment.
   4. Other interventions identified in the IPOS: This can include personal care (direct assistance with toileting, dressing, bathing etc.), mobility assistance, and medication administration, that while not a primary function of CLS, Skill Building, or Supported employment, may be needed in course of delivering these services.

2. Monitoring and Participation in multi-disciplinary treatment team activities as necessary including:
   1. Participates in monitoring the progress of consumers.
   2. Attends various treatment team meetings of consumers as requested.
   3. Provides written and verbal information to supervisors, clinical staff, and the clinical record regarding observations of and interactions with consumers.
   4. Completes incident/accident reports, when necessary.

3. Transportation: Will transport consumers to and from a variety of appointments both internal to the agency and within the community as medically necessary.
   1. Operates agency vehicles safely.
   2. Promptly reports any problems with vehicles to supervisor (and facilities when needed) and completes any necessary incident reports.
   3. Maintains current licensure appropriate for the vehicle being operated.
   4. Properly completes trip reports in a timely manner.

4. Documentation: CELSS document services provided in the electronic health record and Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system in a timely manner. The record must accurately reflect the provision of CLS, Skill Building, and Supported Employment services, including the nature of the service, the date, and the location of contacts.