GENERAL SUMMARY The Community Resource Specialist provides instruction, support, and serves as a positive role model to individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, autism, acquired brain injury or other unique challenges. Provides support and assistance to program participants in the areas of pre-vocational/job preparation, socialization, community orientation/education, and wellness. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS* + Ensures and safeguards individual’s human dignity, rights and liberties. + Establishes and maintains a rapport with individuals. + Plans and oversees individual services including independent living, self-management in the community, social and independent living, and affective and behavioral development. + Assists individuals with making and expressing choices based on assessments. Creates goals and objectives in individual service plan (ISP) format. Plans program activities and supervises implementation. + Assists in development and expansion of opportunities for community integration. + Provides physical assistance to program participants, as needed, including, but not limited to, toileting. + Adheres to all funding source regulations and Agency policies and procedures. + Keeps management abreast of planned activities, as well as, any potential problems or needs of an individual that are not being met. + Establishes and maintains professional relationships with community contact, staff, supervisors and funding sources. + Attends all staff meetings, trainings and development activities, as required. + Serves as mandated reporter for suspected cases of abuse and/or neglect to the Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC). OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES + Performs additional duties, as assigned. COMPETENCIES + Adaptability: Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; inspires others to be adaptable to change. + Ethics, Values and Diversity: Promotes an appropriate and effective work environment and strives to ensure that the agency’s core values and beliefs are applied during all circumstances; genuinely cares about people; deals effectively with all races, nationalities, cultures, disabilities, ages, lifestyle choices and genders; supports equal and fair treatment and opportunity for all; adheres to and promotes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); advocates for the rights and interests of individuals with disabilities to maximize their potential in the programs and communities of their choice. + Integrity and Trust: Is respectful, truthful, and transparent; keeps confidences; takes ownership and responsibility for decisions and outcomes. + Problem Solving and Judgment: Probes all useful and constructive sources to find pertinent answers; can analyze issues, identify problems and work toward appropriate solutions; collaborates with others or as part of a team; displays willingness to make decisions; makes timely decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment. + Oral and Written Communications: Speaks clearly, appropriately and effectively with a diverse group of individuals; is an active listener and gets clarification when necessary; participates constructively in meetings; is able to write clearly and succinctly; is able to communicate clearly in a variety of settings and situations. PREPARATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES + Bachelor’s degree preferred. + Minimum 3 years prior experience working with adults with disabilities. + Ability to teach and model occupational tasks. + Must be able to effectively communicate in both verbal and written form with coworkers and supported individuals and read fluently. + Valid driver’s license in the state of Massachusetts required. + Successful completion of all state and Agency mandated trainings required upon hire. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY + No supervisory responsibility. WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS + Frequent walking, standing and bending. + Ability to lift a minimum of 25 pounds. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to do this job. The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required. *External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act must be able to perform the essential job functions (as listed) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by management on a case by case basis.