Direct Support Professional - Residential Child Services

Do you want to be a part of the solution for someone who is really struggling?  Do you want to start your professional mission in a company that is truly dedicated to your growth and success as well as the growth and success of our residents?  Do you want to be an essential part of team that includes nurses, therapists, psychiatrists, educators, and other specialists?  Do you want to learn ground-breaking innovative approaches to helping kids?

If so, this is the most rewarding job you could imagine.

If you want to punch a clock, be a cog in the machine, or just follow the herd – please don’t apply, because you probably won’t be up for the challenge.  This is, after all, a mission.

The Residential Instructor is perhaps the most important individual in the lives of our residents.  You are there to mentor them, teach them, engage them and keep them safe.  You are the trusted adult who can weather their storms, show them things that they didn’t think were possible, and walk them through the day, and through their course of treatment.  You will be a part of what we call a “transdisciplinary team” – everyone’s voice is equally important as we work with the child and their family in order to build plans that give them their lives back. 

To families in crisis, you will be a life saver. Listen to this...

To the kids, you will be the best coach.

To your team members, you will be an invaluable colleague.

But also, take a look at this.

Be aware, that if you come to work at Grafton you will be doing the type of work that will change you as a person.  It really is so much more than a job.  It’s a personal mission.

Yes, you will write shift notes… but you will be able to do it in a state-of-the-art electronic health record.   Yes, you will deal with challenging behavior… but you will do it using Ukeru™, a national best-practice that provides you with a trauma informed foundation that helps you diffuse the drama before it gets out of hand.  Yes, you will have to be keeping kids engaged… you will do it in the community itself, using the community as your classroom.  In short, on good days you will be paid to play.  Yes, not all days are good, but you will be doing something good every day.   And you’ll do all of this with the guidance of people who have been doing it for a long time.  They know stuff that you will find invaluable.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Health, Safety and Wellness of Clients

• Ensures medications are delivered accurately and on time.
• Provides for the well-being and safety of clients.
• Supports client health and hygiene.
• Utilizes infection control procedures.
• Reports serious incidents, participates in reviews and implements follow-up measures, as applicable.

Individual Plan Implementation

• Knows the SNAP (strengths, needs, abilities and preferences), goals/objectives/outcomes and treatment strategies from the current Plans (Treatment Plan, IEP, ISP) of assigned clients.
• Promotes clients’ achievement of behavioral goals by implementing the behavior strategies and teaching alternative behaviors, as indicated in the Treatment Plan/IEP/ISP. 
• Actively instructs assigned clients so they can achieve education/residential goals and objectives or ID Waiver outcomes. 
• Collects and documents behavioral and instructional data, accurately and reliably.
• Documents services delivered, accurately and in a timely manner.
• Maintains a high level of engagement with and monitoring of clients.  Implements planned activities throughout the work day.   

Provides a Supportive and Solution–Focused Environment

• Builds trusting, respectful relationships with clients and helps clients do the same.
• Demonstrates knowledge about the symptoms and supports associated with diagnoses of assigned clients and a trauma-informed care approach.   
• Manages behavioral crisis safely.
• Collaborates with the Treatment Team to provide continuity of support and care, by communicating and contributing to team discussions and decisions.
• Exhibits exemplary customer service with guardians, agency personnel and visitors.

Site Management – Housekeeping, Nutrition, Transportation, Finances

• Ensures a safe residence / classroom environment.
• Assures a clean and organized residence/classroom. 
• Promotes good nutrition and, in group homes, assists with meal preparation.
• Provides transportation / community mobility.
• Assists with purchases and is accountable for program and client money, as applicable.

Teamwork and commitment to the mission, values and vision of Grafton

• Demonstrates knowledge of organization.
• Demonstrates the core values of personal integrity and accountability.
• Performs other duties, as assigned.

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

• Must be 21 years of age
• Education requirements:
• High school diploma or G.E.D. & 6 months experience working with children**
• Associate’s degree and 3 months experience working with children**
• Bachelor’s degree in human services
• Valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record
• Demonstrates moderate computer skills – how to log-in, how to navigate the Web for information, how to start and save a document in Microsoft WORD, and has basic keyboarding skills.

** Experience may include supervised internships, practicums, field experience, and other volunteer or related experiences as evaluated by Grafton prior to hire. Examples of unpaid experience may include, but are not be limited to: camp counselor; after school care; caring for a child or children with special needs regardless of their relation to the candidate; babysitting or providing daycare for a child or children regardless of their relationship to the candidate; foster parenting of a child or children under the age of 18; volunteer coaching for a sports team; leading community programs, such as Girls Scouts & Boy Scouts.

COMPENSATION

• Starting at $17.00 up to $21.15/hour based on years of Direct Care experience with adolescent population
• Depending on hours worked you may be eligible for Grafton's shift differential that is currently being offered

• Shift Differentials: $1.50/hr weekday evenings & overnight 3:30p - 10:30p & $3.00/hr weekend Fri 3:30p - Mon 7:00a

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

• Medical, dental and vision
• Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts
• 401(k), including an employer match up to $2,500 annually
• Generous Paid Time Off plan
• Education Assistance up to $5,250 annually
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Short-term disability (STD)
• Long-term disability (LTD)
• As Grafton is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, you may be eligible for federal student loan forgiveness

If you have issues applying or have any questions about this position, please reach out to us at hr@grafton.org 

Grafton is an equal employment opportunity employer and tobacco-free workplace.

#DSPRichmond

Salary : $21 - $5,250