Personal Assistant for Adults with DisabilitiesAt — Unlimited Possibilities
Are you looking for a job that is flexible with your class schedule and provides you with experience working with people with disabilities? This is the perfect job for you whether you are preparing to be a in education, social work, or the medical field!
Summary:
Caring for loved ones is often a thankless job. The challenges and joy may often be invisible to most. At Unlimited Possibilities (UP), we see, hear, and understand the compassion needed to support the unique challenges each individual and family is facing. Our team of Personal Assistants provide support to adults with disabilities in a variety of community-based services. These adults may be attending college classes, working at various job sites, grocery shopping, preparing meals, and more. Personal Assistants provide the needed support to adults with disabilities perform tasks that he or she would normally perform if there were no disability. This support provides much-needed relief to families as well. Families can feel at ease with our team of experienced specialists who provide age-specific enrichment and daily life activities. For many in the Orange County disability community, UP is the trusted source for support. Our experienced staff and volunteers work closely with individuals and their loved ones to problem-solve and guide them on their paths to safety, success, wellness, and fulfillment.
Personal Assistants may serve more than one individual in the community. This is a flexible part-time role with shifts of 4 or more hours, Monday through Friday. Additionally, this may be combined with our Personal Care Attendant and Inclusive Child Care Facilitator roles to serve the spectrum of ages at UP. Respite roles may offer overnight and weekend shifts.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Supporting Individuals – 90%
· Review goals with person served – goals regarding personal care, domestic services, food preparation, companionship, etc. Each person is unique and daily activity is varied.
· Support person served with various task like, but not limited to:
o Dressing, grooming, transferring, toileting, etc.
o Household tasks like sweeping, washing, laundry, cleaning, etc.
o Preparing food, menu planning, teaching and demonstrating, shopping, facilitation at meetings, assistance with use of communication devices, help to participate in work, home, or community activities, companionship, etc.
· Show up to job site on time.
Administrative – 10%
Attends quarterly staff in-service meetings.
Completes required paperwork accurately, completely, legibly and submits according to deadlines.
Screens for, and reports abuse and neglect.
Provide copies of required employee documents to supervisor prior to expiration: CPR & First Aid certification, TB clearance every 2 years.
Actively serves as an ambassador for UP in the community, representing the mission and vision of the organization.
Serves as a primary liaison between UP and families, assuring information and access to the many resources and programs available.
Supports fundraising efforts at UP by sharing family stories and hardships with Coordinators and Marketing Department and encourages family participation in appropriate fundraising activities.
Requirements:
Must be a minimum of 18 years of age and have high school diploma or GED.
2-4 years experience working with people with disabilities or equivalent related life experience preferred.
Must be available to work on a consistent basis to match the individual’s schedule within the community.
· Must successfully pass DOJ/FBI background check and be eligible for acceptance by our company commercial auto policy based upon DMV report with annual review thereafter.
· This position requires local travel. Must provide proof of valid CA driver’s license and automobile insurance upon hire & at expiration thereafter. Must have a reliable means of transportation.
· Complete/provide proof of negative tuberculosis test result; maintain clearance every two years.
· Complete & maintain Infant/Child/Adult CPR & First Aid training or provide proof of certification.
Knowledge and Skills:
· Ability to represent UP in an ethical and professional manner.
· Ability to exhibit UP values including the ability to be family focused, being steadfast, human-centered, and thinking beyond.
· Communication skills including strong interpersonal skills, and ability to speak, read and write effectively in the English language.
· Excellent customer service skills.
· Ability to work both collaboratively and independently.
· Ability to organize, prioritize and meet deadlines.
· Ability to exercise independent judgment and reach logical, practical decisions.
· Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion.
· Exhibit patience, initiative, enthusiasm, adaptability, resourcefulness.
· Ability to operate a motor vehicle and provide services in the community.
Language Skills:
· Ability to communicate in English. Knowledge of second language, Spanish and/or Vietnamese, helpful.
· Reading and Writing – able to read instructions, read and write reports, logs and other program material.
· Speaking – able to speak with consumer, supervisor, and general public.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to perform various tasks for extended periods of time requiring physical strength, dexterity, & endurance, which includes: sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs, turning, twisting, bending, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crawling, sitting in chair or on the floor, pushing, pulling, reaching, lifting & carrying, transferring or maneuvering adults weighing one hundred pounds +, from wheelchair without limitations (transfers for hygiene and emergency assistance). Ability to move quickly to ensure safety of consumers.
Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, must be available to work weekends, holidays. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Tasks:
1. Share write-up or provide visual aides demonstrating successful response to behaviors
2. Share write-up or provide visual aides demonstrating successful engaging activities with child/adult
3. Provide minimum of 80 hours of direct service in home or in center with child/adult
4. Effectively embody 9 principles of family-centered care, providing examples during supervision
5 . Demonstrate proof of appropriate reports and progress reports when asked
Training:
1. Introductory training and weekly touch points to review examples, best practices, and challenges
2. Introductory training and weekly support. If appropriate, observe therapy session on UP site
3. Supervisor on-site visit/observation of work, real time training
4. Introductory training and weekly support presentation with handouts
5. Introductory training and weekly support with samples, handbook, best practices
Learning Outcome:
1. Identify and appropriately respond to specific developmental behaviors associated with disabilities.
2. Design & implement age and developmentally appropriate activity for children and/or adults with disabilities.
3. Gain experience in childcare and/or home setting
4. Understand the 9 principles of Family Centered Care
5. Learn how to monitor and report on child/adult progress