Job Description

United Cerebral Palsy Association

of San Joaquin, Calaveras, and Amador Counties

JOB DESCRIPTION

TITLE: Instructional Assistant, Level I - Behavior Management Program

LEVEL: Track 2 - BMP · Level I

REPORTS TO: Program Manager (supervisor). Clinical direction for behavior plans is provided by the contracted Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

POSITIONS SUPERVISED: None

FLSA STATUS: Non-Exempt

DEPARTMENT: Behavior Management Programs - Tracy Adult Development Center; Hammer Ranch

Reporting relationship: The Program Manager is this employee's supervisor and is responsible for scheduling, direction, evaluation, discipline and level placement. The contracted Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) directs the behavior program and provides clinical oversight of behavior-plan implementation; the employee follows the BCBA's clinical direction and reports behavior data and observations to the BCBA. The BCBA is not the employee's supervisor and has no personnel authority.

SUMMARY:

Under the direct supervision of program management, provides functional skills instruction and personal care to adults with developmental and physical disabilities in a behavior management program. Track 2 staff are Direct Support Professionals first: they perform all Track 1 (DSP Worker) duties at this level, with the behavior-program layer added on top. Level I is the entry rung; the employee completes orientation and required training, including the RBT 40-hour course and ProAct, and implements behavior-plan activities under direction.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience: High school diploma or GED, with preference given to persons who have experience working in day or residential programs serving persons with disabilities.

Language Ability: Must possess ability to read, write and understand English. Strong oral and written communication skills are a must. Must be able to understand and follow verbal and written instructions from supervisor.

Math Ability: Knowledge and ability to work with basic mathematical concepts.

Computer Skills: Must have working knowledge of personal computers. (Highly desirable)

Driving Skills: Employees are assigned to work at other UCPSJ program sites and travel between sites during the workday in their own vehicle. A valid California Class C driver's license, a clean driving record, and proof of current personal automobile insurance are required before the first day of employment and must be maintained throughout employment.

Lift and Safe-Transfer Certification: Lifting, transferring and repositioning clients, and providing hands-on personal care, are essential functions of this position. Every position in this classification performs them; they cannot be reassigned to other staff or removed from the role. UCPSJ Safe Client Transfer Protocol certification is therefore a condition of employment. The employee must pass certification before the end of the introductory period and keep it current thereafter. Until certification is passed, the employee does not perform any client lift or transfer and is assigned other duties while training is completed. An employee who does not pass certification within the introductory period does not meet the requirements of the position and will not continue in it. Full lifts and transfers of clients are performed by two staff using approved technique and approved equipment, at every level.

REQUIRED TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION AT THIS LEVEL:

During the introductory period:

• Completes new-hire orientation baseline, including client rights, dignity, choice, privacy and person-centered support
• First Aid/CPR certification
• Assigned Relias coursework in progress
• Lift and safe-transfer certification in progress
• RBT 40-hour course in progress
• ProAct training in progress
• Meets California Community Care Licensing personnel standards (Title 17 & 22)

To complete the introductory period:

• Lift and safe-transfer certification passed and current
• Assigned Relias coursework complete
• RBT 40-hour course and ProAct still in progress
• Introductory period completed, confirmed by the Program Manager on the attestation form

COMPETENCIES:

• Is punctual and dependable
• Provides excellent internal and external customer service
• Must work in an ethical and professional manner
• Must maintain confidentiality of all client and employee information - in verbal conversations, written notes, text messages, email, photographs, video, social media and informal discussions
• Must maintain professional boundaries with clients, families, care providers, coworkers and outside providers
• Has strong interpersonal skills that include responding well to supervision
• Must be able to work collaboratively
• Must be able to work independently
• Must demonstrate respect and sensitivity to diversity
• Must possess general knowledge of developmental and physical disabilities; individual/group instruction techniques; behavioral and medical knowledge associated with given disabilities such as seizure activity; practice of correct lifting, positioning and transferring techniques; behavior modification techniques; documentation procedures; and the ability to remain calm in high-stress situations
• Must maintain First Aid/CPR certificates and be able to meet California Community Care Licensing personnel standards
• Follows behavior-plan direction precisely and reports what was observed, without interpreting or modifying the plan

UNIVERSAL CONDUCT STANDARDS:

• The following nine standards are expected of every employee at every level. The Program Manager attests that all nine are consistently met at each level placement, on the DSP Level Placement Attestation Form.

1. Respectful communication
2. Supports client choice
3. Person-centered conduct
4. Calm under escalation
5. Speaks up for the client
6. Accurate, timely documentation
7. Quality of daily care
8. Present and engaged on shift
9. Professional boundaries and confidentiality

DUTIES:

Core duties - performed at every level:

• Provides group and individual instruction daily
• Provides direct personal care, including toileting, as needed
• Reads and uses each client's Individual Service Plan (ISP) to know their clients and the objectives being worked on
• Records daily data on each client's progress toward ISP objectives
• Follows floor routines, classroom and vehicle safety procedures, and facility emergency procedures
• Supports each client's health and safety in the facility and in the community
• Rides with and supervises clients during transport to and from the program and on community outings, including safe boarding and exiting
• Maintains classroom and program equipment; provides general clean-up for the facility
• Develops and maintains good rapport with clients, staff, families and stakeholders
• Assists with and meets Community Care Licensing regulations (Title 17 & 22)
• Works at other UCPSJ program sites as assigned, within their training, evaluated based on the employee's ability and availability to perform assignments consistent with their position

Behavior management program duties - at every level:

• Implements behavior-plan activities as written and as directed
• Records behavior data and reports observations to the Program Manager and the BCBA

After the introductory period is complete:

• Reliably delivers ISP-based instruction under direction - group and individual instruction, in the day program or out in the community
• Provides competent personal care with minimal prompting
• Records accurate daily data on each client's ISP progress without reminder
• Implements behavior-plan activities under direction with growing consistency
• Completes the RBT 40-hour course and ProAct training

General duties - at every level:

• Attends required agency meetings and training as requested by the Program Manager or designee
• Immediately reports, through the required UCPSJ channels and as a mandated reporter, any suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation, serious injury, medication concern, seizure activity, medical distress, elopement or elopement risk, unsafe condition, or violation of client rights, and completes the required incident documentation
• Documents in factual, objective, professional language, and promptly corrects any record, data entry or communication discovered to be inaccurate and notifies the Program Manager
• Performs other duties as assigned

Note: an employee who has not yet passed lift and safe-transfer certification does not perform client lifts or transfers. Personal care that does not involve a lift or transfer is performed as trained and assigned.

Note: client-specific clinical supports - ostomy care, catheter care, and G-tube feeding, hydration and medication - are assigned by client need and are not a requirement for placement at any level. Where the program serves a client whose plan requires one of these supports and the Program Manager assigns the training, completing that training and providing the support is a duty of this position. Declining assigned client care is a conduct matter. It is addressed through coaching and the corrective action provisions of the UCPSJ Employee Handbook, which may lead to discipline up to and including termination, rather than by holding the employee at a level. A pattern of it, documented through coaching or corrective action, is weighed at Level III. This note does not apply to a request for a disability, religious, or other legally protected accommodation, which is handled under the accommodation provisions of the UCPSJ Employee Handbook and is never counted against advancement.

COMPLETING THE INTRODUCTORY PERIOD:

Level I is one level, paid at the Level I rate from the first day of employment. To complete the introductory period, the employee passes lift and safe-transfer certification and the assigned Relias coursework, confirmed by the Program Manager on the DSP Level Placement Attestation Form. Completing the introductory period does not change the employee's level or rate, and it does not change the at-will employment relationship. The Level I rate is stated in the offer letter.

ADVANCEMENT:

Advancement on the UCPSJ DSP career ladder is competency-based, not automatic with time. Movement to the next level occurs when the Program Manager confirms consistent, sustained demonstration of the criteria for that level, documented on the DSP Level Placement Attestation Form. The criteria for each level are set out in the job description for that level; the requirements, evidence and sign-offs for advancement are set out on the attestation form.

Meeting the criteria for a level makes an employee eligible for consideration. Advancement also requires an open, funded position at that level. Nothing in this job description or in the UCPSJ DSP Level Framework guarantees promotion, placement at any level, a particular rate of pay, or continued employment.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS:

• Accurate implementation of each client's Individual Service Plan, assigned plans and program procedures
• Reliable attendance, punctuality, and readiness to support clients during assigned work hours
• Timely, accurate completion of data collection, documentation and reporting
• Professional acceptance of supervision, feedback, retraining and corrective instruction
• Consistent protection of client rights, dignity, privacy and safety
• Clear escalation of concerns to the Program Manager or designee rather than independent decision-making outside the role
• Professional communication with supervisors, coworkers, clients, families, care providers and outside partners

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:

• Stand, stretch, twist and reach with hands and arms for prolonged periods of time
• Lift and carry 50 lbs or more, repeatedly throughout a shift
• Use hands to finger, to handle or to feel
• To talk and to hear others

While performing the duties of this job the employee is frequently required to:

• Stand, walk, climb, balance and to drive

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and ability to adjust to focus requirements as required in driving, reading, writing, or monitoring floor activity.

Full lifts and transfers of clients are performed by two staff using approved technique and approved equipment; no employee performs a full lift or transfer of a client alone.

Work is performed in adult day program settings, classrooms, multipurpose areas, community-based settings, vehicles and outdoor spaces. The employee may be exposed to challenging behavior, elevated noise levels, bodily fluids, medical events including seizures, and other conditions typical of adult day services. The employee must follow safe body mechanics, infection-control and bloodborne-pathogen precautions, emergency procedures and UCPSJ safety protocols at all times.

EMPLOYMENT AT WILL:

Employment with UCPSJ is at will. Either the employee or UCPSJ may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice. Nothing in this job description, in the UCPSJ DSP Level Framework, or in the completion of the introductory period creates a contract of employment or a promise of continued employment, or changes the at-will relationship. Only the Chief Executive Officer may alter the at-will relationship, and only in a written agreement signed by the Chief Executive Officer.

UCPSJ may revise this job description at any time, with or without notice, based on operational, regulatory, licensing, payer or client-service needs.