Personal Care Assistant

 Summary: Provide and assist with personal care for adults. Provide support and assistance as requested in assigned classrooms.   

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Personal Care Responsibilities (Primary)

Provide scheduled personal care to adults in a safe, respectful manner and in accordance with program procedures.

• Follow the daily Personal Care (PC) Schedule.
• Provide toileting/diapering, feeding, hygiene/cleaning, and other individual personal care needs.
• Ensure assigned individuals’ personal care needs are met consistently.
• Document all personal care on the classroom PC sheet immediately after completion; services not documented are considered not provided.
• Use proper transfer/safety procedures (e.g., changing table, Hoyer lift) and request assistance as needed.
• Clean and disinfect equipment and maintain sanitary personal care areas.
• Maintain confidentiality and protect individuals’ privacy.

Teaching Assistant Responsibilities (Secondary)

• Support the Teacher in delivering the Learning Strategies curriculum and implementing daily lesson plans.
• Provide individualized support and accommodations to keep individuals engaged in meaningful activities.
• Assist with skills training using appropriate methods (individual instruction, small group, or classroom-based) and adapt materials to learning styles.
• Support implementation of each individual’s program plan and behavior supports using positive interventions.
• Maintain required staff-to-adult ratios and monitor the location/supervision of assigned individuals.
• Complete assigned classroom documentation related to objectives/behavior/therapy goals as directed by program administrators.
• Maintain a safe, organized classroom/training environment and work collaboratively with staff.

General

? Complies with the prescribed work schedule assigned by the Supervisor. The work schedule may vary with little to no notice based upon workload and organizational needs. 

? Arrive prepared for scheduled or assigned job duties and responsibilities. 

? Comply with organizational and departmental attendance and leave policies. 

? Monitor the need for assistance and/or behaviors for adults during paid meal period and breaks, will not congregate with other staff; will acknowledge a request for assistance from individual served, co-workers or supervisors. 

? Demonstrate ability and flexibility to transfer professional knowledge, temporarily or permanently, to multiple training areas based on workload and organizational needs.  

Compliance/HIPAA:

While performing the duties of this job, employee will comply with all federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to Easterseals Arkansas.

Employee has access to all client protected health information of the individuals directly served by this person, except psychotherapy notes. Employee will not attempt to access any other protected health information unless otherwise approved by Supervisor or Privacy Officer.

Qualifications: 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:                   

High School diploma, preferred CNA Certificate. Two years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.

• Competencies:

? Excellent interpersonal skills.

? Good organizational skills.

? Good written and verbal communication.

? Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collaboratively with individuals receiving services with diverse ability levels and employees with diverse experience and knowledge levels.

? Ability to be self-directed, creative and to take initiative.

• Demonstrated commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.
• Ability to use technology to communicate, track and document services provided.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

Valid Arkansas Driver's License

Other Skills and Abilities:                      

Ability to lift and transfer adults. 

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts. The employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The Center for Training and Wellness has employee-to-participant ratio regulations that are managed by a regulatory agency and may require direct care employees identified as part of the employee-to-participant ratio to complete their scheduled work shift without an unpaid meal break being provided.

This position requires that staffing ratios will be maintained in all areas at all times.

This position will remain actively engaged and responsible for the active treatment, care and safety of the individuals served.

Easterseals Arkansas has designated this position as a “non-safety sensitive” position under the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment.