Community Development Services Caregiver (CDS/CAREGIVER)
EMPLOYER/CLIENT: 25-year old man with disability, severe autism, intellectual disability, and exhibiting extremely difficult behaviors and aggression on a sporadic basis, who requires caregiving services, transportation and assistance and training on managing himself out in the community as part of a caregiving schedule that requires 24/7 care and supervision and coaching in the community surrounding his home in the area of Potomac Maryland.
Client lives in a lovely family neighborhood, but needs significant supervision, behavior management and support in all activities throughout the week in order to get out into the community, learn to function as part of society, and enjoy parks, physical and recreational activities, learn to go shopping, being outdoors and indoors in unfamiliar places and remaining safe and calm in all settings throughout the weekly schedule.
CLIENT SPECIAL NEEDS: The client is currently a Participant in the Community Pathways Waiver program, Adult Services division of Maryland Dept of Disability Services, Self-Directed Services, for adults with disabilities. Client is severely disabled, mostly nonverbal, requiring professional assistance in all of the following areas on a 24/7 basis:
Assistance and supervision to stay safe and away from harm at all waking hours at home and in the community;
Client needs safe transportation to his varied schedule of activities out in the community in the automobile of the CDS/Caregiver for community development services;
Client needs constant reminders to hold hands, avoid traffic, wear seatbelts, stay safe, keep hands from touching others belongings or toys out in the community and staying calm in order to enjoy his time, increase his social skills and acquire new recreation skills each week;
to increase his social and behavior and recreational skills
Takes medication to modulate behaviors both in the morning and evening;
Assistance needed at all times with toileting, changing clothes, bathing, eating, and performing basic grooming tasks such as brushing teeth, hair grooming, and choose appropriate activities for the day or evening.
Client participates in walks, physical exercise, excursion to malls, stores, parks, outings, and engages in some games and plays with some toys that would normally be appropriate for toddlers, as the Client is an adult male, age 25, who operates at the level of the average 2-3 year old;
JOB SUMMARY & DUTIES:
Client requires professional assistance in staying safe when he is out in the community and becomes sporadically agitated, and may lash out with hitting, kicking, head banging or grabbing in order to self-calm;
CDS / Caregivers must be able to assist Client with toileting, wiping, dressing, eating, and cleaning up after himself and practicing self-care tasks such as hand washing in public bathrooms while out in the community, and staying on task to practice skills throughout the day.
CDS / Caregivers must be able to accompany client to the park, involving walking up to 2 miles per day at the park and to / from the playground where Client visits regularly, shop in a grocery store, post a letter, make a bank deposit, shop in a mall, eat in a restaurant at least once per week, helping client to stay calm, act appropriately in the process, avoid agitation episodes, and get to the car if needing a time out away from noise or crowds;
Client has a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has prepared and supervises a specific and detailed Behavior Intervention Plan for the Caregivers to be able to implement on a daily basis both at home, out in the community and during transport in the CDS / Caregiver’s automobile. All CDS/Caregivers must be able to implement the Behavior Intervention Plan and reduce difficult behaviors to ensure his safety and that of those around him;
Caregivers must be able to help client remain clean and safe throughout the day during many activities, frequent hand and face washing, clothes changing assistance when needed, help with meals and clean up and keeping client from handling dangerous items in the kitchen (stove, knives, etc.) or breaking things he encounters at the park or in the home.
CAREGIVER MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING SKILLS & ABILITIES AND DOCUMENTED TRAINING & EXPERIENCE IN PROVIDING:
First Aid Certification;
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification;
Experience in application of the EPI-PEN for severe allergies;
Possess a clean driving record, current driving license and current auto insurance;
Be able to pass a background investigation;
Possess not less than 7 years full-time experience with working with adults with developmental disabilities that exhibit extreme or difficult behaviors such that the job mandates the implementation of a Behavior Intervention Plan throughout the day;
Possess not less than 7 years full-time experience working with disabled adults in their home setting and in the community in which they live;
Have a strong physical strength, in order to manage the physical needs of the client, who is a full-grown man, 5’9” tall and 230 pounds, and comply with the behavior plan in terms of managing behaviors;
Must have documented training and experience with ABA, Applied Behavior Analysis and management techniques;
Have documented training and experience in the collection of data pertaining to the implementation of an ABA Behavior Plan;
Must have a four-door car in good condition, and the ability to drive Client safely to his activities and recreational opportunities around the community.
WORK SCHEDULE: Client requires the services of between 4-6 different persons throughout the week. Caregivers must be willing to accommodate a work schedule that varies between 4 and 32 hours per week, hours to be assigned on a monthly basis, covering any of the 7 days per week. (We try to have caregivers rotate so that no one person is required to cover every weekend or evening.) Hours of work may begin as early as 4:00 am and end as late as 12:00 midnight.
COMPENSATION: Hourly rate of $32.45 for hours worked, timekeeping via computer and paid every two weeks.
BENEFITS: No health insurance benefits offered. 4 Days of Sick/Safe Leave per 12 months. 7 Hours vacation accrue per month worked.
Please send resume detailing your experience and qualifications, as outlined above, and a list of references that can verify the years of employment and skills employed therein. Please include an email and phone number where you can be reached for an interview.
