Job Description

About Shepherd Center

With five decades of experience, Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation, Shepherd Center is also recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems. Shepherd is the only rehabilitation facility in the nation with an intensive care unit on-site, allowing us to care for the most complex patients and begin the rehabilitation process sooner. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.

Shepherd Center's culture is one of hope, humor, and hard work. You will enjoy career growth, strong relationships with co-workers, strong support from leadership, and fun activities that have kept over 12% of staff members working at Shepherd for more than 20 years.

Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative provides evidence-based rehabilitation for military veterans, service members, and first responders who are ready to accept help and healing for their daily struggle with traumatic brain injuries and mental health concerns.

The Program Technician assists team members in the care of patients through implementation of patient treatment plans within respective department. Areas of focus typically include community re-entry, life skills activities, routine activities of daily living, and meeting behavioral needs of patients. This hands-on job interacts and engages with patients, guiding and monitoring through the treatment plan to assist patients in achieving their goals.

The Program Technician provides rehabilitation treatment to patients at Shepherd Center.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Guides and monitors patients (adolescent, adults and geriatrics) in the planning and simplification of tasks, and in the actual performance of life skills.
• Assists patients with activities of daily living, including showering, dressing, transfers, and meal preparation.
• Supervises patients on individual life skills outings and in repetitive cognitive retraining tasks.
• Assists patient care team members or independently performs lifts, transport, activities of daily living, transfers in any location of the program, passive range of motion, wheelchair mobility.
• Maintains all equipment in safe working conditions and reports broken or faulty equipment to supervisor.
• Maintains therapy areas and equipment for cleanliness and prepares them for the start of each treatment session, as well as at the beginning of the day and clean up at end of the day.
• Coordinates and performs patient and department related administrative tasks (scheduling, patient documentation, etc.).
• Participates in departmental meetings and inservices, as requested.
• Instructs new employees and volunteers in departmental maintenance tasks.
• Performs bivalve splint fabrication for both UEs and LEs, as applicable.
• Initiates and completes special assignments as requested.
• Participates in educational opportunities to advance knowledge and skills related to professional development.
• Practices proper safety techniques in accordance with Center and departmental policies and procedures. Responsible for the reporting of employee/patient/visitor injuries or accidents, or other safety issues to the supervisor and in the occurrence notification system.
• Monitors and ensures compliance with all regulatory requirements, organizational standards, and policies and procedures related to area of responsibility. Identifies potential risk areas within area of responsibility and supports problem resolution process.
• Maintains licenses/certifications, as applicable.

REQUIRED MINIMUM EDUCATION:

• High School Diploma

REQUIRED MINIMUM CERTIFICATION:

• Valid Georgia Driver’s License with clean driving record. Must be eligible to be insured by Shepherd’s insurance carrier
• BLS required within three (3) months of hire date.

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REQUIRED MINIMUM EXPERIENCE:

• One year of previous health care experience as CNA or therapy/program technician preferred.

REQUIRED MINIMUM SKILLS:

• Working knowledge of Microsoft office
• Completes orientation and initial assessment of competency successfully by determined due date.
• Completes mandatory education and annual competency assessment requirements by determined due date.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree from a four-year college or university in a health-related field

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Uses body, tools, or special devices to safely, effectively, and efficiently to move, guide, or place patients. Involves some latitude for judgement with regard to precision attained and the selection of what adaptive device(s) to utilize.
• Ability to transfer and position patients, consistent with lifting up to 50 lbs.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Some potential for exposure to blood and body fluids.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified.