A bachelor’s or higher-level degree in a Human Services field*and one year of direct care or clinical experience where your primary focus is providing services to people with developmental disabilities.
OR
Have permanent service as a Habilitation Specialist 1
OR
Eligible for 70.1 transfer to a Habilitation Specialist 1 title
*A degree in a human service field includes the professional disciplines of audiology, community mental health, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, rehabilitation counseling, vocational counseling, social work, speech/language pathology, and therapeutic recreation (including concentrations in art, creative arts, dance, drama, music, or physical education.) Also included are related academic disciplines associated with the study of human behavior (e.g., gerontology, human services, sociology, speech communication); or human skills development (e.g., counseling/guidance, education, human development.) Examples of non-qualifying degrees include but are not limited to criminal justice, political science, liberal arts, and business.
* QIDP (Qualified Intellectual Disorder Professional) designation requires one year’s experience working with
people with a developmental disability AND a bachelor’s degree or higher in a human services field (including,
but not limited to sociology, special education, rehabilitation counseling or psychology).
Duties Description The Habilitation Specialist 1 will be responsible for our individuals who have varying degrees of functioning levels and behavioral involvement. The HS1 will provide oversight for these homes and be based out of Evergreen IRA. These locations are subject to change.
The Habilitation Specialist 1’s duties will include, but are not limited to:
• Write, oversee implementation, and ensure data collection for Safeguard Summary Plans and Staff Action Plans.
• Train all IRA staff in implementation of SSPs and SAPs, data collection, and continuing notes to substantiate Res-Hab billing.
• Rectify Res-Hab billing issues with RSFO.
• Provide and/or ensure training of all IRA staff as needed in response to DQI audits, regulations, and their roles in Medicaid Compliance.
• Write, revise as needed, and oversee implementation of individuals’ annual Personal Expenditure Plans and ensure spending and documentation meets regulation and fulfills PEPs.
• Follow up with house managers and assist house managers in training and supervising direct care staff in the areas of individual care to ensure standards of care.
• Participate in DQI and Medicaid Compliance audits, implement and oversee implementation of corrective actions as needed under the oversight of TTL.
• Complete HCBS Satisfaction Surveys for all individuals on the caseload on an annual basis.
• Complete bed check assignment data entry for new individuals, review and revise as needed for all individuals at least annually or more often if necessary.
• Completion of E-scores.
• Responsible for training the direct care staff on the Life Plan, Staff Action Plan, and Safeguard Plan and to oversee that they are implementing the goals and safeguards correctly on a day-to-day basis.
• Other duties as assigned
Additional Comments • Employees on long term leave can bid on positions but must be able to report to work within fourteen (14) days and be able to perform the essential functions of their positions with or without reasonable accommodation (RA). If an employee believes that they need a reasonable accommodation, they should contact the NYS OPWDD Reasonable Accommodation Unit at (518) 486-7222 or e-mail at accommodationrequests@opwdd.ny.gov to obtain information and RA forms.
• Preference will be given to OPWDD employees impacted by closures. If you are being impacted by closure, please indicate this on your resume/cover letter.
• Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.
• In order to be eligible for appointment and to maintain employment, you cannot be listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of the Federal and/or State Medicaid and Medicare exclusion lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program). If you are appointed and subsequently listed as an excluded individual or entity on any of these lists (or excluded from any other Federal or Federally assisted program), you may be terminated from your employment.
• For CSEA positions: Local Bidding Agreements will be honored.
• If you are employed by state government, you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments have been made under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. For more information on PSLF, please visit www.studentAid.gov/publicservice.
• OPWDD IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
• OPWDD is committed to creating and sustaining a culture of inclusion. We believe that we are most effective in managing and improving our service system with a diverse team of employees. With such a large workforce, we rely on the collective individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression, ideas, and talent that our employees bring to their work. This speaks to our culture and is a key part of our successes. As we continuously recruit people for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that applicants bring in terms of their education, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.
NYS offers Incredible Benefits!
• Savings programs such as the U.S. Savings Bond and the College Savings Plan.
• Voluntary pre-tax savings programs such as Health Care Spending Account and the Dependent Care Advantage Account offer employees options to pay for uncovered health care expenses or dependent care expenses.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) an assessment and referral service that connects employees with local service providers and support services to address their personal needs.
• Life insurance and Disability insurance.
• The New York State Deferred Compensation Plan is a voluntary retirement plan that offers employees the option to invest a part of their salaries for retirement on a tax-deferred basis.
Paid Holidays and Leave
• Thirteen (13) paid holidays each year.
• Thirteen (13) days of paid vacation leave initially.
• Five (5) days paid personal leave each year.
• Thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave each year (PEF/CSEA), which may carry over from year to year.
• Up to three (3) days professional leave each year to participate in professional development events.
Health Care Coverage
Employees and their eligible dependents can choose from a variety of affordable health insurance programs. Employees are provided family dental and vision plans at no extra cost.
Retirement Program
Participate in The NYS Employees’ Retirement System (ERS), which is recognized as one of the best-managed and best-funded public retirement systems in the nation.
Professional Development and Education and Training
NYS offers training programs and tuition assistance to eligible employees to maintain and increase their professional skills and prepare them for promotional opportunities. For more information, please visit https://goer.ny.gov/training-and-professional-development.
Additionally, the Public Service Workshops Program (PSWP) offers certain professional training opportunities for PEF represented and M/C designated employees that may grant continuing education credits towards maintaining professional licensure. For more information, please visit https://oer.ny.gov/public-service-workshops-program-pswp.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
Name Taconic OPWDD
Telephone 845-877-6821 Ext. 3367
Fax 845-877-3851
Email Address opwdd.sm.Taconic.Human.Resources@opwdd.ny.gov
Address
Street Office of Human Resources Taconic OPWDD
25 Center Circle
City Wassaic
State NY
Zip Code 12592
Notes on Applying Interested candidates should submit a cover letter detailing how you meet the minimum qualifications, a current resume and
a copy of your bachelor’s degree to the Taconic DDSOO Human Resources Office. Please provide your social security number for service certification and transfer eligibility determination process. Also be sure to include the vacancy number and position title of this announcement on your resume.