Direct Care Associate

About the role

The purpose of this position is to provide individuals diagnosed with an Intellectual Developmental Disability (IDD) assistance with activities of daily living such as meal preparation, personal hygiene, and medication administration. This position will also facilitate community involvement by accompanying individuals on community outings or providing transportation to work or other activities. It will entail collaboration with the clinical staff to support the Individual Plan of Care, therapeutic and behavioral plans in place to enhance the quality of life of the individual.

Responsibilities

• Conducts Independent Living Skills Assessments
• Participates in Interdisciplinary Team meetings for the purpose of planning and coordinating services and support.
• Complies with required staff trainings per Texas Administrative Code (TAC).
• Provides transportation to Medical appointments, individualized skills and socialization program, work, or other activities as determined in the Individual Plan of Care.
• Summarize client's activities on a daily and weekly basis.
• Affixes with training and orientation of new staff.
• Affixes with meal preparation complying with dietary orders.
• Affixes with Individual Program Plan training.
• Affixes in grocery ordering process and proper perishable and non-perishable items storage.
• Conducts and prepares daily documentation per Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) Service Definition Manual Documentation requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned in accordance with the work setting.
• Provides respite services according to the Individual Plan of Care.
• Ensures the safety and health of each individual, takes vital signs, directly communicates health related data to the nurse.
• Supervises self-administration of medication in compliance with physician orders.
• Follows curriculum as specified for individuals in an individualized skills and socialization setting according to the individual level of functioning.

Requirements

• Requires High School graduation or GED equivalent supplemented by one (1) year of experience in human or social services, case management or related field; or possession of any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Experience with trauma-informed services; cognitive behavioral therapies, including DBT; and motivational therapies including the use of incentives, preferred.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of trauma-informed theories, principles, and practices (includes multi-faceted understanding of concepts such as community trauma, intergenerational and historical trauma, parallel processes, and universal precautions), preferred.

Skills

• Physical Demands: Performs sedentary work that involves walking or standing most of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or sustained keyboard operations.
• Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment): Involves routine and frequent exposure to: Bright/dim light; Dusts and pollen; Extreme heat and/or cold; Wet or humid conditions.

Benefits

• Emergence Health Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• ADA requires Emergence Health Network to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities.

Pay

$13.97 hourly; $29,054 annually

Schedule

Flexible schedule: subject to non-traditional hours available to cover 24-hour operation at various locations.