21991

Full Time (benefits eligible)

Day Shift

M-F 8am-4:30pm

High School/GED

Summary: The Care Specialist is responsible for direct services to consumers and ensuring that daily scheduled activities are carried out. The Care Specialist should, in his/her relationship with consumers and other staff, model healthy, functional behavior and coping skills. The Care Specialist strives to create safe, supportive environment in which consumers can learn the skills they need to function independently.

Responsibilities:

• Carries out specific shift duties as assigned by RRP Team Leader or Group Home Manager.
• Schedules appointment times for off-site psychiatric rehabilitation services with consumers using the consumer's Individual Rehabilitation Plan (IRP) as a guideline.  Supports these consumers in working toward achievement of IRP goals by offering training, assistance, and modeling with daily living skills to consumers (e.g., housekeeping, personal hygiene, nutrition, meal preparation, use of public transportation, and socialization skills) while fostering individual's development of his own skills and confidence. 
• Provides transportation for consumers to medical appointments, food shopping, and other destinations as necessary. Carries out all scheduled group and individual activities, including all appointments which are listed on Red Flag Sheets and the monthly appointments calendar.
• Monitors consumers' administration of medication and recording in Daily Medication Record; contacts the PRP Manager (Rehabilitation Manager in Montgomery County) regarding serious medication errors, such as an individual taking the wrong medication, or wrong dosage of medication.
• Provides back-up job coaching and other duties as assigned by the RRP Team Leader or Group Homes Manager to assist the Supported Employment Program.
• Enters required documentation of activities into the Electronic Health Record, the Daily Log, recreation activities log, visitations log, NA/AA attendance charts, Incident Reports, etc.
• Attends mandatory bi-weekly scheduled staff meetings.
• Takes phone messages appropriately and conveys them to person called.
• Represents the Independence Program in a positive and professional manner to consumers' families and outside organizations with whom Care Specialists come in contact in person or by telephone.
• Reports to PRP Manager (Rehabilitation Manager Montgomery County) noteworthy information about consumer behavior or mental status.
• Follows all policies and procedures as outlined in the Policies and Procedures Manual; complies with all state and county regulations regarding living programs and consumer rights.
• Responds appropriately to consumer medical emergencies and performs crisis intervention when necessary, including, but not limited to, providing emergency first aid and CPR.

Requires:

• College degree in the mental health field and at least 6 months of experience working with severe and persistent mentally ill consumers. In lieu of a degree, a high school diploma with completion of some college courses and a minimum of 3 years of experience working with severe and persistent mentally ill consumers will also be considered.
• Understanding of the mission of the Independence Program to foster learning of daily living skills and independence, and will be capable of teaching and modeling such skills to consumers. In this capacity, the Care Specialist must be able to perform the physical activities necessary to model the general housekeeping and other tasks of daily living (e.g., light-to-medium lifting, bending, stooping, climbing stairs).
• Solid communication skills, and have empathy toward chronically mentally ill consumers. 
• Must have a valid Maryland driver's license with three points or fewer and a driving record acceptable to Family Services, Inc. at the agency's sole discretion.