ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS:
The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) creates and coordinates services that enhance the quality of life for Cambridge residents. Driven by the needs of residents, DHSP’s extensive services and programs touch almost every sector in the city: from newborns to senior citizens, from school-aged children to homeless families, from non-profit organizations to local employers.
ABOUT THE ROLE:
The Senior Inclusion Support will provide direct support in adapting and modifying programming to meet the needs of a specific child who requires substantial support and/or accommodations in After- School Placements.
The Senior Inclusion Support will be supervised directly by the site supervisor in each program with support and guidance provided by the Inclusion Initiative of DHSP. DHSP offers a range of safe and engaging After- School programming to Cambridge children, youth, and teens.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Work to support and create relationships with all children and adults in the program in relation to the student directly receiving support.
Work as a team with other members of the staff to create and maintain a positive, inclusive environment for the children and youth in the program.
Maintain consistent communication with site supervisor, program staff, as well as the Inclusion Initiative.
Maintain regular communication with the parents/guardians of the child/youth.
In conjunction with the Inclusion Specialists, develop and implement accommodations to meet the needs of the identified student.
Implement designated support plans/strategies that address behavioral, social, and or emotional needs. This may include behavior plans, sensory breaks, positive reinforcement systems, social stories, or other identified plans.
Assist children, as necessary, with physical needs including feeding, toileting, lifting, and mobility.
Assist children with assistive technology devices which may include communication devices.
Assist children with orthopedic devices needed for sitting, walking, or standing.
Attend program meetings, trainings and professional development activities.
Other related duties, as assigned.
Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Education and Experience
At least 1 year of experience working with children who have identified needs or disabilities.
An associate’s degree or higher in Education, Child Development, Psychology, Social Work, or a similar field preferred.
Experience working in educational settings, community-based programs, clinical settings, or similar settings that provide youth programming.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Demonstrate basic clinical/diagnostic understanding of children’s needs.
Basic knowledge of childhood growth and development.
Have a basic understanding of concepts related to Applied Behavioral Analysis, Social Emotional Learning, and Sensory Regulation Skills.
Having patience and understanding when working with students who exhibit challenges with learning, behavior, or communication.
Ability to adapt programming to meet the individual needs of the student being supported.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
The City of Cambridge’s workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, WORKING CONDITIONS, WORK FLEXIBILITY AND ACCOMODATIONS
Vision abilities are required for supervision of children.
Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
Please upload the following documents to complete your application:
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, a nexus of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Notably, Cambridge is home to two internationally prominent universities, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. According to a 2008 census estimate the city population was 105,594. It is the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, Worcester, and Springfield. Cambridge is one of the two county seats of Middlesex County (Lowell is the other).
The site for what would become Cambridge was chosen in December 1630, because it was located safely up river from Boston Harbor, which made it easily defensible from attacks by enemy ships. The first houses were built in the spring of 1631. The settlement was initially referred to as "the newe towne". Official Massachusetts records show the name capitalized as Newe Towne by 1632. Located at the first convenient Charles River crossing west of Boston, Newe Towne was one of a number of towns (including Boston, Dorchester, Watertown, and Weymouth) founded by the 700 original Puritan colonists of the Massachusetts Bay Colony under governor John Winthrop. The original village site is in the heart of today's Harvard Square. The marketplace where farmers brought in crops from surrounding towns to sell survives today as the small park at the corner of John F. Kennedy (J.F.K.) and Winthrop Streets, then at the edge of a salt marsh, since filled.
