Program Assistant I - (Direct Activity Support Professional) presso St. Louis Jewish Community Center

Description

We offer outstanding benefits! Including a $500 Signing Bonus. Apply today.

About us:

A multigenerational gathering place, offering a variety of programs and services for the St. Louis Jewish community and the community at large, the J has something for everyone. We welcome people of all backgrounds and faiths. The J provides educational, cultural, social, Jewish identity-building and recreational programming on its campuses in Creve Coeur, Chesterfield and at Camp Sabra, located at the Lake of the Ozarks. Throughout our history, the J, a non-profit organization, has been the Town Square of the Jewish Community. It’s the one place where families, regardless of affiliation, can feel comfortable and welcome. We are looking to hire Program Assistant - Activity Professionals for both St. Louis and Chesterfield.

Benefits for our Program Assistant - Activity Professional include:

• Vacation, sick, and holiday pay.
• Pension and 403b Plans
• Outstanding medical insurance, life, and long-term disability insurance.
• Discounted massages at the Creve Coeur Location
• Free membership to our outstanding Fitness Centers – over 150 Group Exercise Classes offered. Free or discounted personal training.
• Free babysitting while working out.
• Discounted benefits on Early Childhood School and Adult Day Care Programs
• Free tickets to cultural arts events, such as theatre shows,
• The J is an eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Responsibilities for our Program Assistant - Activity Professional include:

Summary and Position Overview:

Adult Day at the J offers two specialized program tracks, Connections and IN. Our Connections program provides day

support to older adults with Alzheimer’s/Dementia and other cognitive and physical impairments. Our IN program

provides day support to individuals over the age of 18 who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other intellectual

and developmental disabilities. Both programs are geared to help our participants build upon and maintain their current

knowledge, discover new abilities and cultivate personal growth while working to achieve their individualized goals.

The Program Assistant I (Direct Support Professional) position is responsible for providing personalized services for our

Connections or IN participants. Both programs are geared to help our participants build upon and maintain their current

knowledge, discover new abilities and cultivate personal growth while working to achieve their individualized goals. This

may include activities that support soft skills, speech therapy, physical fitness, volunteerism, and socialization. Adult Day

at the J is accredited by the State of Missouri and licensed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The ideal candidate is a self-starter, is flexible, and comfortable working closely with others. They should have the

flexibility to work within our operating hours, 7:30am to 5pm, Monday – Friday, including some evening and weekend

hours.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Support individuals with developmental disabilities and cognitive impairments as they participate in group
• activities which include swimming, exercise, volunteering, interaction with animals, art, music, gardening,
• cooking, etc. Note, will be expected to get into the pool or participate in fitness classes to directly assist
• participants during the activity.
• Assist in researching, developing and implementing activities focused on benefiting participants cognitively,
• socially, recreationally, physically, and will assist with independent skills development, both for large and small
• groups of participants.
• Complete all daily documentation and data collection to record observations on assigned participants to
• maintain compliance with licensure and contracts: i.e. Department of Mental Health and Department of Health
• and Senior Services.
• Facilitate individual accommodations necessary to assist individuals to fully participate in activities.
• Facilitate physical location transitions or sensory breaks between activities (on and offsite) as needed.
• Appropriately intervene in all crisis situations related to behavior or health as needed.
• Work cooperatively with the Adult Day Center multi-disciplinary team to enhance offered programs.
• Observe participant behavior, assess its appropriateness, and apply appropriate behavior management
• techniques.
• Assist participants in mobility, personal care and serving food during mealtimes.
• Assist participants with activities of daily living including toileting.
• Care for the physical and emotional wellbeing of every Adult Day Center participant at all times.
• Recognize and respond to opportunities for problem solving.
• Jewish Community Center Saint Louis, MO
• Enforce appropriate safety regulations and emergency procedures.
• Complete Incident Reports as required.
• Greet family members as they arrive to drop off/pick up participants.
• Work collaboratively with ADJ team members to effectively execute recreation activities, adapted programming,
• transportation services, individualized skill development, daily meal services, special events and direct support
• to the participants and families of ADJ.
• Provide exceptional customer service at all times, and represent the JCC and Adult Day in a positive and
• professional manner.
• Attend staff meetings, training sessions and assist with agency events and programs as requested.
• Provide backup coverage to Adult Day programs as needed.
• Adhere to Social Work Code of Ethics, HIPAA, and confidentiality guidelines at all times.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High School diploma or GED is required; related Associates or Bachelor's degree is preferred.
• 1+ year(s) of experience working with relative population required; including, individuals with
• developmental/intellectual disabilities and/or the elderly, medically frail and/or people with various cognitive
• impairments such as dementia, preferred.
• Working knowledge of medical conditions and diagnoses common among elderly and disabled populations is
• required.
• Prior experience with providing personal care assistance (i.e. toileting, physical transfers, etc.) is strongly
• preferred.
• Experience with development and implementation of individualized and person-centered goals, preferred.
• Must have good communication skills, both written and oral.
• Must have good computer skills (Microsoft Office Suite: Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint); Demonstrated
• ability to learn new computer applications is a must.
• Must have a teamwork mentality and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to swim in both indoor and outdoor settings and participate in field trips and fitness activities as needed.
• Able to assist with the restroom needs of participants.
• Must be physically able to stand, walk, and sit for extended periods, indoors and outdoors in all weather
• environments. Must be physically able to lift 40 pounds, transfer participants (on occasion up to 250 pounds)
• and assist participants with mobility.
• Must have the visual acuity to monitor participants and focus near and far.
• Per our licensure, Adult Day employees are required to become registered with the MO Family Care Safety Registry.
• Active registration must be maintained for continued employment at our center. American Red Cross CPR/First Aid
• certification, TB testing, and Hepatitis A vaccine are required in this role per licensure. The J provides training/re[1]certification, testing, and vaccine if employee does not already have. Position is subject to a pre-employment background check and physical.
• Per our licensure, Adult Day employees are required to become registered with the MO Family Care Safety Registry. Active registration must be maintained for continued employment at our center. American Red Cross CPR/First Aid certification, TB testing, and Hepatitis A vaccine are required in this role per licensure. The J provides training/re-certification, testing, and vaccine if employee does not already have.

To learn more about the Jewish Community Center, Adult Day at the J and all that we do, please visit our website: www.jccstl.org.

The J is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify program.