Program Specialist

This full time position offers a wealth of benefits to include comprehensive health benefits, paid parental leave, generous paid time off, tuition and student loan assistance, employer retirement contributions, and much more!

Essential Job Functions

• Assess active treatment strategies and makes recommendations and requests on behalf of the residents for needed services and interventions.
• Functions as the head of the interdisciplinary team coordinating, integrating, and monitoring each resident’s Individualized Program Plan.
• Facilitates consistency among external and internal programs and disciplines.
• Coordinates services, equipment, and programs that are needed to provide each resident with appropriate active treatment.
• Modifies and develops programs based on individual needs.
• Meets with other team members, as needed, to promote positive approaches, choices, and develops individualized programs and intervention strategies.
• Consults with personnel from other agencies, when necessary, for evaluations and other services.
• Participates in developing behavioral support plans along with the behavior specialist and other team members.
• Participates in licensing inspections.
• Maintains accurate progress notes.
• Participates in any emergency psychiatric hospitalizations.
• Provides follow-up for incident management when necessary.
• Assists with preparation for waiver submissions.
• Participates in medication reviews.
• Writes the annual as well as quarterly program/service reviews.
• Provides Counseling to individuals as needed.

Other Job Functions

• Proactively promote and protect the human and civil rights of each individual.
• Maintains and promotes a safe, clean, and positive work atmosphere in accordance with our Core Values, by behaving and communicating in a professional manner at all times in the presence of clients, co-workers, supervisors, and external stakeholders.
• Adheres to confidentiality standards relative to individual’s records, training progress, and tracking documentation according to HIPPA Regulations.
• Upholds quality compliance of clinical/professionals standards of practice.
• Learns and follows all Developmental Program Divisional policies and procedures.
• Participates in Incident Management activities and functions as a certified investigator as needed. Recertifies certification as required.
• Participates in the 24/7 On-Call rotation.
• Other duties as assigned by the Administrator(s) or designee.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s degree in special education, psychology, rehabilitation, social work, human services, or other Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) field with a minimum of two (2) years of experience working directly with the IDD population.
• Has experience writing social/emotional plans for individuals with low frequency behaviors.
• Successful completion of Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) rater training.
• Must be detail oriented, have good problem-solving skills, organizational skills, and must have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to successfully pass and maintain acceptable background checks – FBI, PA Child Abuse, and PA State Police Criminal History.
• A valid US Driver’s License is required. Attaining approved driver status for the organization is required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position does not include any direct supervisory responsibilities.

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form; ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Computer Skills:

Working knowledge of computers and being willing to learn the software programs used by the State and other governing agencies (e.g., HCSIS, Enterprise Incident Management System) and other internal systems. Must be proficient in Windows Operating Systems and Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to work in a variety of settings and environments and has a low exposure risk to adverse weather conditions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

In the event that unanticipated aggressive behavior manifests from individuals served and de-escalation techniques fail, physical crisis intervention may be required.

Must be available to work flexible hours and is expected to come in at various times depending upon workload and business needs.

Physical Demands:

The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds, occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and rarely lift and/or move more than 100 pounds with assistance. 

Specific vision abilities required by this job include Close vision, Distance vision, Peripheral vision, Depth perception and Ability to adjust focus.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand for long periods of time; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to walk and sit.

Hazards:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may face low exposure risks to blood borne pathogens, with a low exposure risk to hazardous materials.

** Equal Opportunity Employer M / F / D / V **