Job Details
Job Location: Millersville, MD
Position Type: Full-Time / Part-Time
Education Level: High School / GED
Salary Range: $20.50 Hourly
Travel Percentage: Limited w/access to agency vehicle
Job Shift: As Needed
Description
The Arc supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to live the lives they choose. Everyone has unique needs, goals, and personalities, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to our supports.
We are searching for someone who is the perfect fit to support four women who each have IDD and live together in a single-family home in northern Anne Arundel County.
Who You’d Be Supporting
The four women in this house have lived together for years and are very comfortable with each other. While three of the women do not use words to communicate, you will quickly come to understand what they’re thinking and feeling based on their facial expressions (there’s a lot of smiling in this home!) and movements. One of the women does use words to communicate, and she is a kind, knowledgeable, strong-willed person who, with a little motivation, is eager to explore her community.
All of the women have unique personalities and enjoy spending time together. They love listening to music and they love being spoken to and included in conversations, even if they don’t respond with words.
What Does a Typical Day Look Like?
Two of the ladies have families that do not live close by, but the other two have families who are very involved in their lives, so you might interact with them from time to time. To maintain everyone’s health and well-being, there are many doctor appointments during the week, and sometimes even urgent care or hospital visits.
All of the women are wheelchair users and require your support for all aspects of personal and intimate care, cooking, dressing, and bathing. There are always two Community Support Assistants in the home on weekends and in the evenings. Because only one of the women tends to stay home during the day, there is only one Community Support Assistant present during the weekday morning and daytime hours.
What You Bring to the Table
While this position does not require any prior experience as a direct support professional working with people who have IDD, the ideal candidate will be someone who is comfortable managing (or learning how to manage) wheelchairs and motorized wheelchairs of different sizes, manual and electric Hoyer lifts, G-tubes and specialized diets.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate for this position is someone willing to jump in and help with anything and everything that is needed. If you are someone who excels in building relationships, especially with people who do not use words to communicate, if you are patient, adaptable, empathetic, and willing to learn, then you might just be the perfect fit to work with these four wonderful women.
This position requires a high school diploma or GED, though at least one year of experience working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is preferred. Candidates must also possess a valid Driver’s license with no egregious records and complete all required Arc and Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) trainings, becoming trained as a Certified Medication Technician if you are going to administer medication. This position includes paid professional development and continued education, as well as a competitive total rewards (benefits) package.
About The Arc Central Chesapeake Region
The Arc Central Chesapeake Region (The Arc) is a dynamic regional organization providing person-centered supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, work, and connect with their communities. We advocate for equity and access for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live self-determined lives and foster opportunities towards self-sufficiency.
The Arc highly encourages all employees to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and other communicable diseases.