ABA Residential Counselor

General Responsibilities

The ABA Counselor-Residential is responsible for providing a home-like environment within a residential school for each student to support and provide educational instruction for individual growth, a sense of community and teaching in independent living skills.  He or she is responsible for teaching students functional living skills, socialization skills, recreational and leisure skills and functional communication skills.  These teaching objectives will be part of the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) and instruction in the residence will be the Residential ABA Counselor’s primary responsibility.

Melmark New England serves children, adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders, acquired brain injury, neurological diseases and disorders, comorbid mental health disorders and severe challenging behaviors.  Populations served are intensely physically challenging.  The ABA Counselor-Residential position requires that staff be aware that students who are served may exhibit aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior.  Students served may have had multiple treatment failures prior to this placement.  ABA Counselors are expected to implement highly technical clinical and teaching programs that require ABA Counselors to be constantly alert, attentive and ready to respond to student’s needs.

All employees must achieve satisfactory performance in orientation and onsite training before assuming full ability to complete essential functions. Failure to successfully pass orientation and onsite training can/will result in termination of employment.

All staff are expected to adhere to Melmark’s Code of Conduct and Standards of Professionalism included in the Employee Handbook.  It is the responsibility of each staff member to read and familiarize themselves with the contents of the Employee Handbook and ask questions relative to the application of these standards in the workplace if unclear to the employee.

Essential Functions

Reports on duty at assigned time; reports absence as far in advance as possible, but in no case later than normal reporting time.
If resigning from the position, all positions require a minimum of four weeks’ notice.  Melmark New England retains the right to refuse professional reference except as legally required to those employees who do not give proper notice.
Rotates schedule, including assistance on weekends and holidays per advanced request from direct supervisor.
Student Health and Safety

Achieves 80% or better on student appearance feedback tool one time per month.
Immediate nursing notification to Educational Coordinators of health issues appropriate to each child.  Completes student daily well body checks and discovery of bruise.
Completes proper administration and documentation of medications/treatments.
7.       Promotes safety of self and students through adherence of safety policies which may include body positioning, physical management techniques, Universal precautions and proper lifting of students.  Evacuates students properly during fire and emergency drills.

Uses and maintains student adaptive equipment and/ or augmentative devices needed for students.   Files an incident report immediately if any defects.
9.       Follows student mealtime procedures as specified in the student plan.

10.   Follow student toileting procedures as specified in the student plan.

11.   Maintains a clean environment by completing daily house cleaning checklists and overnight cleaning checklists.

12.   Assists with morning and afternoon transport by:

–          following all guidelines as designed for student behaviors

–          being on time for shifts

–          maintaining ratios in the van and van seating assignments

–          driving vehicle safely

–          maintaining van logs and gasoline, and cleaning van each outing or on transport

Clinical and Educational Skills

Implements student behavior protocols as evidenced by achieving satisfactory performance score on Behavior Management – Antecedent Feedback Tool.
Implements student behavior protocols as evidenced by achieving satisfactory performance score on Behavior Management-Consequence Feedback Tool.
Implements student behavior protocols as evidenced by achieving satisfactory performance score on Student Communication Modality Feedback Tool.
Implements student behavior protocols as evidenced by achieving satisfactory performance score on Supervised Activity Feedback Tool.
Implements student instructional protocols as evidenced by achieving satisfactory performance score on Instructional Feedback Tool .
Follows student specific daily block schedules as posted for the residence.
Completes Descriptive Analysis Tools as prescribed by student’s biweekly clinical meeting.
Remains calm, positive and composed during behavior management procedures.
Accurate data collection per target behavior and instruction.
Completes behavior and academic IOA measures as prescribed by policy.
Timely Completion of Incident and Physical Restraint reports per current guidelines and Self-Injury Trauma scale within 24 hours.
Case Management and Organizational Skills

Achieves satisfactory performance on case-management responsibilities checklist.
Completes assignments as delegated.
Achieves satisfactory performance on written clinical biweekly coversheet feedback tool.
Achieves satisfactory performance on written academic biweekly coversheet feedback tool.
Achieves satisfactory performance on graphing feedback tool.
Achieves satisfactory performance on parent contact skills.
All other reasonable duties as assigned by Supervisors.

Basic Qualifications

Education/Training:  Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Human Service Field, or Psychology.

Certifications/Licensure:  A valid US driver’s license and a minimum age of twenty-one (21) years old.  Must be capable of attaining approved Melmark driver status.  Must meet Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) background check requirements. Successful completion of employer provided certification in CPR, First Aid, Crisis Intervention, and Melmark’s Orientation Program and New Hire Onsite training program.

Skill(s):  Must demonstrate strong reading, written and oral language skills.  Strong teaching skills with emphasis on students who are emotionally, behaviorally, physically and/or developmentally challenged.  Experience or interest in the principles and application of Applied Behavior Analysis, curriculum and special education (Autism Spectrum Disorders).  Strong interpersonal skills are required.

Experience:  Prefer at least one (1) year experience with specialized populations.  Advanced skills in educational and clinical services will be required in this role.

Interrelationships:  Individuals served, families, program managers, and all other department staff.

Posted: 10/24/2022

Salary : $31,900 - $40,500