Life Sharing Program Specialist

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage a Caseload of Diverse Individuals

• Provide each individual with the opportunity to live his/her own Everyday Life
• Develop a rapport with individuals’ families and county representatives to facilitate communication in all aspects of individuals’ lives
• Enter relevant information into the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST) system and update annually and all other times as needed
• Increase job knowledge by learning the 6100 and 6500 regulations
• Attend team meetings as necessary to provide input on an individual’s progress during program, assist in updating the Individual Support Plan and SIS assessments as necessary to meet the individual’s needs
• Schedule and attend doctor’s appointments as needed with individuals
• Ensure individuals are happy with their services on a quarterly basis at ISP meetings
• Reinforce that individuals’ outcomes are being met during program and that they are appropriate
• Advocate for individuals to maximize their independence in multiple capacities of their lives
• Provide direct service as needed to ensure quality of program
• Search for and provide opportunities for individuals to advance their lives
• Assist individuals as needed outside of program hours
• Provide emotional support to individuals through difficult life situations
• Model and encourage a healthy lifestyle for individuals during program hours
• Assist in identifying individuals’ strengths and how they can use them in the community
• Work closely with Crawford, Mercer, Venango and McKean County Human Services on all proceedings
• Inform Support Coordinators of any changes for the individuals as they arise
• Summarize individual client progress as required
• Ensure that all files and client interactions remain confidential
• Respond appropriately to emergencies involving the Life Sharing Program

• Supervise Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and work directly with Life Sharing Providers (LSPs)

• Develop rapport with Direct Support Professionals and Life Sharing Providers
• Educate new and existing Direct Support Professionals and Life Sharing Providers on the specific needs of each individual on your caseload
• Monitor Direct Support Professionals to assess their work performance and facilitate positive change by providing verbal and written corrections when behavior goes against agency policy
• Mentor Direct Support Professionals and Life Sharing Providers having difficulties
• Provide critical, strength-based employee evaluations to assess DSP performance
• Coordinate all programmatic aspects of the Life Sharing Program sites
• Calculate and track Room & Board costs
• Maintain all individual files and house files to meet Chapter 6500 Regulations and requirements
• Monitor Life Sharing sites and ensure physical site regulations are in compliance

• Office Duties
• Replace ISPs annually and update individuals’ records as changes are made
• Organize and store individuals’ files securely
• Approve monthly mileage and business expenses of Direct Support Professionals
• Verify employees’ timesheets daily and approve on a on a weekly basis
• Attend Office, Program Specialist, Life Sharing and DSP meetings and provide input on changes happening in the agency
• Report incidents to HCSIS in a timely manner and follow-up when appropriate
• Submit units for billing by Tuesday at 10am to the Program Manager
• Maintain client files for Chapter 61 and 65 Regulations for Provider Monitoring
• Meet required deadlines as outlined by Chapter 6500 Regulations
• Verify data in Billiyo and document edits daily
• Respond to emails and phone calls daily
• All other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: 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, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE: Per Life Sharing Regulations, the following educational requirements are necessary for this position.

• A master’s degree or above from an accredited college or university and 1 year of work experience working directly with persons with an intellectual disability or autism 
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and 2 years of work experience working directly with persons with an intellectual disability or autism
• An associate’s degree or 60 credit hours from an accredited college or university and 4 years of work experience working directly with persons with an intellectual disability or autism
• A high school diploma or general education development certificate and 6 years of work experience working directly with persons with an intellectual disability or autism

REASONING ABILITY: Ability to apply understanding and problem-solving skills to carry out detailed written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems in a constantly changing environment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand and walk for long periods of time.

JOB-RELATED EXPECTATIONS:

• Proficient with MS Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to adapt to and use new programs adopted by the agency
• Flexible schedule
• Ability to communicate (verbally and written) professionally with individuals at all levels of the organization and external contacts
• Problem-solver
• Self-motivated
• Dependable
• Manage time efficiently
• Self-starter
• Ability to multi-task
• Regular attendance required
• Ability to maintain the integrity of highly confidential information
• Occasional driving expected