What are the responsibilities and job description for the Community Living Counselor / Tailored Day Worker (Imperial Valley) position at Home of Guiding Hands?
Job Summary
Join us in making a difference at Home of Guiding Hands as we improve the quality of life for people with special needs. As a Life Skills Coach, you’ll help adults with disabilities build the skills needed to live on their own. A typical week might include supporting clients to pay bills, attend doctors’ appointments, go grocery shopping, prepare meals, and more. Gain great experience towards a career in social services!
What You'll Be Doing
Client Support & Service Delivery
What You'll Bring to the Table: Knowledge, Skills, and Education
Education & Eligibility
Innovation – We encourage creativity and innovation because we believe that by striving for more efficient and effective ways of doing things, we can achieve exceptional results. Our drive for success is shared by all. Our organization focuses on solutions and refuses to maintain the status quo. We challenge our team to be ahead of industry trends as we strive to lead and not follow.
Collaboration – We believe that working together collaboratively is the foundation of a culture that values teamwork, communication, and cooperation. This belief is central to every part of our business, both internally and externally, and strengthens our community.
Accountability – We take responsibility for our actions and for delivering on our commitments. We believe that by being transparent and accountable, we build trust and maintain the respect of our stakeholders.
Respect – We treat everyone with respect and dignity. We value inclusivity and believe that by upholding a culture of respect, we can foster a positive and supportive work environment. We treat others as we would want to be treated.
Empathy – We value empathy and understanding in all our interactions. We seek to understand the perspectives and needs of our colleagues, clients, and stakeholders to meet them with kindness and compassion.
Physical Requirements/Work Environment
The work environment for this position involves working with a variety of people in their homes and in the community. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to see, talk, hear, walk, bend, stoop, sit, stand, reach, and lift objects weighing up to ten pounds repeatedly during a shift.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Home of Guiding Hands is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression), age, marital status, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.
About HGH
Home of Guiding Hands is a non-profit organization that was established in 1967 by a small group of dedicated and ambitious community members. The Mission of HGH is "to improve the lives of those we serve". We support children and adults in San Diego and Imperial Counties with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome, epilepsy, autism, and cerebral palsy. We provide a full continuum of care including residential care in specialized group homes, independent living support, respite care, and adult foster home services. Additionally, we provide early childhood assessments and services, tailored day support, Life Planning workshops, county-wide transportation services, and on-site activities at our resource center.
To see all our available career opportunities please visit: https://www.guidinghands.org/careers/
Join us in making a difference at Home of Guiding Hands as we improve the quality of life for people with special needs. As a Life Skills Coach, you’ll help adults with disabilities build the skills needed to live on their own. A typical week might include supporting clients to pay bills, attend doctors’ appointments, go grocery shopping, prepare meals, and more. Gain great experience towards a career in social services!
What You'll Be Doing
Client Support & Service Delivery
- Schedule, plan, and conduct visits with assigned clients to support and carry out Individual Service Plan (ISP) goals.
- Travel throughout the assigned county (San Diego or Imperial) to complete sessions in family homes and other community-based locations.
- Provide individualized training in independent living skills, including budgeting and paying bills, grocery shopping, cooking and meal preparation, laundry, safety awareness, accessing medical and dental services, navigating government benefits, and building healthy relationships.
- Develop goals in collaboration with clients and actively support their progress toward independence.
- Schedule and attend ISP meetings and serve as a strong advocate for clients’ needs and preferences.
- Maintain ongoing communication with members of the interdisciplinary (ID) team to ensure coordinated, effective program services.
- Prepare, maintain, and update ISP reports on a semi-annual basis.
- Maintain all required client and program documentation in accordance with agency and regulatory standards.
What You'll Bring to the Table: Knowledge, Skills, and Education
Education & Eligibility
- High school diploma or GED required.
- Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of hire.
- Must obtain and maintain criminal record clearance through the Department of Justice (DOJ).
- Experience supporting individuals with special needs—through personal, volunteer, and/or paid roles—is preferred but not required.
- Experience navigating community resources such as Social Security, Section 8, Medi-Cal, Medicare, CalFresh, and WIC is a plus.
- Valid California driver’s license with a safe driving record and a minimum of two years of driving experience.
- Access to a safe and reliable vehicle for transporting clients.
- Ability to maintain current and adequate auto insurance coverage.
- Current CPR/First Aid certification required or willingness to obtain certification upon hire (training provided for new hires).
- Ability to proficiently read, write, speak, and understand English.
- Comfortable using technology, including accessing websites and apps, logging into web-based platforms, and submitting or receiving information online.
- Ability to independently send and receive email and text messages.
- Ability to build positive, respectful, and professional working relationships.
- Demonstrates sound judgment, strong decision-making skills, and professionalism in all interactions.
- Self-starter who works independently and follows through on assignments without constant supervision.
- Highly reliable, organized, and effective at managing time and prioritizing responsibilities.
- Ability to meet clients’ needs in an individualized, person-centered manner.
Innovation – We encourage creativity and innovation because we believe that by striving for more efficient and effective ways of doing things, we can achieve exceptional results. Our drive for success is shared by all. Our organization focuses on solutions and refuses to maintain the status quo. We challenge our team to be ahead of industry trends as we strive to lead and not follow.
Collaboration – We believe that working together collaboratively is the foundation of a culture that values teamwork, communication, and cooperation. This belief is central to every part of our business, both internally and externally, and strengthens our community.
Accountability – We take responsibility for our actions and for delivering on our commitments. We believe that by being transparent and accountable, we build trust and maintain the respect of our stakeholders.
Respect – We treat everyone with respect and dignity. We value inclusivity and believe that by upholding a culture of respect, we can foster a positive and supportive work environment. We treat others as we would want to be treated.
Empathy – We value empathy and understanding in all our interactions. We seek to understand the perspectives and needs of our colleagues, clients, and stakeholders to meet them with kindness and compassion.
Physical Requirements/Work Environment
The work environment for this position involves working with a variety of people in their homes and in the community. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to see, talk, hear, walk, bend, stoop, sit, stand, reach, and lift objects weighing up to ten pounds repeatedly during a shift.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Home of Guiding Hands is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression), age, marital status, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.
About HGH
Home of Guiding Hands is a non-profit organization that was established in 1967 by a small group of dedicated and ambitious community members. The Mission of HGH is "to improve the lives of those we serve". We support children and adults in San Diego and Imperial Counties with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome, epilepsy, autism, and cerebral palsy. We provide a full continuum of care including residential care in specialized group homes, independent living support, respite care, and adult foster home services. Additionally, we provide early childhood assessments and services, tailored day support, Life Planning workshops, county-wide transportation services, and on-site activities at our resource center.
To see all our available career opportunities please visit: https://www.guidinghands.org/careers/