DESCRIPTION: The ILS Specialist is responsible for the supervision and training of clients in the following areas: nutrition, menu planning, meal preparation and clean up, shopping and budgeting. This position will also provide independent living skills training in the areas of personal hygiene, laundry, and housekeeping. Responsible for overall kitchen management.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Assign residents to household chores and implement method to check on completion. Teach residents how to complete chores and/or assign Mental Health Rehabilitation Workers to assist residents with chores.
Assist clients with moving personal belongings and possessions when moving to and from Sentinel House. Supervise readiness of bedrooms for new admits.
Assure that sidewalks and ramp to backyard are shoveled in a timely manner and treated with sand and/or salt as needed to assure safety. The landlord is responsible for removal of heavy snowfall.
Contribute to team effort to assure quality services.
Directly teach and supervise in independent living skills training relating to community living, particularly preparation, serving and clean-up of lunch and dinner meals, but also including shopping, budgeting, personal hygiene, housekeeping and leisure skills.
Document in client records as mandated by state statues.
Effectively communicate information throughout the agency.
Establish a therapeutic relationship with the clients.
Implement Individual Treatment Plans with individual clients.
Monitor clients self-administering medications when other staff are not available.
Overall management of the kitchen, including inventory and control of food and household supplies.
Plan, serve, and supervise clean up of nutritional lunch and dinner meals.
Research, purchase, and arrange repairs as needed of household equipment.
Respond to crisis situations in the kitchen at all times and in the facility when other staff are unavailable.

SUPERVISION: Supervised by the Treatment Director.

Qualifications Required:

1. Must minimally meet the qualifications including:

Is at least 21 years of age.
Has a high school diploma or equivalent.
Has successfully completed 30 hours of training during the past two years in all of the following areas: client rights, client -centered individual treatment planning, behavioral terminology, mental illness, co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse, psychotropic medications and side effects, functional assessment, local community resources, adult vulnerability, client confidentiality; and
Meets the qualifications in sub-item (i) or (ii):
Has earned an Associate of Arts degree in one of the behavioral sciences or human services OR who within the previous ten years has:
Three years of personal life experience with serious and persistent mental illness;
Three years of life experience as a primary caregiver to an adult with a serious mental illness or traumatic brain injury; or

Completed 4,000 hours of supervised paid work experience in the delivery of mental health services to adults with a serious mental illness or traumatic brain injury; or

Is fluent in the non-English language or competent in the culture of the ethnic group to which at least 20 percent of the mental health rehabilitation worker's clients belong and:
Receives during the first 2,000 hours of work, monthly documented individual clinical supervision by a mental health professional;
Has completed 18 hours of documented field supervision by a mental health professional or practitioner during the first 160 hours of contact work with recipients, and at least six hours of field supervision quarterly during the following year;
A mental health professional or practitioner has reviewed and co-signed charting of client contacts during field supervision
Completes 40 hours of additional continuing education on mental health topics during the first year of employment.
2. Knowledge and experience with duties of Mental Health Rehabilitation Worker.

3. Knowledge and experience in cooking and nutrition including ability to accommodate special dietary needs.

4. Must have valid State Driver's License, good driving record, acceptable level of auto insurance, and willing to use personal transportation and/or agency van for shopping.

5. Ability to handle confidential information responsibly.

6. Ability to effectively supervise residents in the facility.

7. Must be able to navigate up and down stairs quickly and to lift up to 35 pounds.

This job description can also be found in Word form here.

Social Service Network