Job Description

SUMMARY:

The Program Manager for the Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA) provides supports and advocacy to participants and their families to ensure opportunities for learning, skill development and community inclusion in accordance with the agency’s mission.

The Program Manager develops an implementation strategy based upon the choices, preferences, needs and desires of the participants and their families as outlined in their Personal Plan. The Program Manager must embrace the agency’s vision, mission, and core values.

Additionally, the Program Manager needs to be willing to engage in a person-centered philosophy and collaborative approach. They must demonstrate effective communication skills, flexibility to changing program needs, and display professionalism when engaging with participants and families. The Program Manager must have genuine interest in the welfare of participants and their families.

ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES:

All employees of Community Link are expected to advocate and demonstrate the values of the organization. These values include: Dignity - We celebrate our participants and their uniqueness; Respect – We honor and value everyone;

Integrity – We earn the trust placed in us thorough honesty, transparency and accountability; Compassion - We treat everyone with kindness; Unity – We work together as a family to ensure the best outcomes for everyone

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Participate as a full member of the individual’s support network; develops an implementation strategy based upon the Personal Plan which outlines what is important to and for the participant; ensures supports and activities identified in the strategy are implemented; routinely reviews the participant’s strategy making adjustments as needed.
• Completes all required documentation in a timely manner to ensure compliance with the program’s rules and regulations.
• Ensure that participants are provided the opportunity to engage in the community; developing relationships necessary for employment, volunteerism, development of personal interests and social experiences.
• Reports on participant progress regarding outcomes set forth in the implementation strategy and ensures the outcomes continue to meet the needs and choices of the participant. Progress is reported to the participant and their support network.
• Establish constructive working relationships with the participants and their support network in order to ensure the needs and desires of the participants are being met.
• Protect the financial interests of participants by monitoring all money management transactions in checking and savings accounts and entitlements such as Social Security and
• Illinois assistance programs.
• Ensure agency’s strategic plan, policies and philosophy are communicated and understood by participants and staff.
• Coordinates and conducts Direct Support Personnel training in compliance with the
• Department of Human Services’ approved curriculum. Uses various training formats such as role play, group activities and the internet to enhance the curriculum. Completes and maintains all necessary documentation.
• Aides in the development of the agency through promoting volunteerism, involvement in promotional activities, and providing education and awareness to the general public in order for Community Link to be a leader in programs and services.

Requirements

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, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's degree in human services field, including, but not limited to psychology, sociology, special education, or rehabilitation counseling and one year experience working directly with individuals with Intellectual or other Developmental Disabilities.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technicalprocedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and

procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from

groups of managers, participants, customers, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers,

common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percentages.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to

interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal

with several abstract and concrete variables.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

Must have a valid driver’s license and must provide proof of insurance with a minimal of 100,000/300,000 liability coverage.

OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES:

Effective and efficient communication skills. An ability to adapt favorably to changing program needs. Competent knowledge of behavior principles. Ability or willingness to learn basic computer operations for participant data tracking, incident reporting and other processes deemed necessary by the supervisory staff.

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.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit. The employee occasionally is required to bend stoop, squat, crawl, climb-height, reach above shoulder level, crouch, kneel, balance and push/pull. The employee continuously is required to lift up to 10 lbs. The employee occasionally is required to lift between 11 lbs – 50 lbs. The job requires the employee to use the left and right hand for repetitive actions for simple grasping, firm grasping and fine manipulating. The employee must have the ability to drive the agency’s van. The employee must be able to provide assistance to individuals as needed such as maneuvering wheelchairs, or assisting participants in ambulating and transferring when necessary.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and distance vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.