Lead Autism Program Technician

Position Summary

The Lead Autism Program Technician (LAPT) provides supervision and coordination for the Autism Program Technicians (APT) at Pasadena Villas Smoky Mountain Lodge, Stables location. Position provides orientation, training, coaching and guidance to all APT in an engaging and therapeutic milieu. Position coordinates staff schedules, to include client transportation.

Relationships and Contacts

Within the organization: Initiates and maintains strong professional relationships with peers, immediate supervisor, and leadership throughout the organization.

Outside the organization: Initiates and maintains strong professional relationships with clients and families, clinical providers, referral partners and vendors, as needed.

Position Responsibilities

Essential Responsibilities

1. Supervision and Staffing
   1. Hire, train and supervise all APT on shift.
   2. Oversight of payroll; approve timecards for processing, address punch change requests, missing punch requests, vacation/sick/floating holiday requests.
   3. Creates 90 day and annual reviews for all associates APT. Must submit all reviews before scheduled deadline for Director approval.
2. Client interactions and engagement
   1. Selects appropriate interventions to meet the clinical needs of individual residents.
   2. Implement interventions to address resident/family concerns
   3. Actively participates and engages clients in the milieu and outside activities throughout the workday, often in a variety of group settings.
   4. Prompts clients to complete ADLs, including clean room, hygiene, laundry, etc., and completes regular room hygiene checks.
   5. Prompts clients to attend all meals in a timely manner and provides supervision and structure at mealtimes as appropriate.
   6. Models effective table manners and small talk during mealtimes, focusing on engaging all residents.
3. Therapeutically interacts with the resident in one-to-one situations, community, and group meetings, maintaining appropriate boundaries and modeling appropriate social behavior.
4. Recognizes residents level of psychosocial and psychosexual development and modifies approaches accordingly to include recognizing mood changes and developing coping skills.
5. Documents in accordance with policies and procedures services provided, incident reports, shift reports, or department reports in a timely and accurate manner.
6. Demonstrates effective verbal intervention skills in managing escalating residents and involving other staff as needed. Adheres to CPI criteria.
7. Follows through with clinical precautions effectively, including Q15s and visuals.
8. Transport residents to appointments, supporting resident while regulating in community.
9. Identifies and recognizes triggers for escalation with each resident, and utilize de-escalation techniques, focusing on prevention of crisis.
10. Supports medication compliance and management.
11. Schedule resident medical appointments, as needed.
12. Order and maintain office supplies.
13. Ensure the milieu is managed efficiently and effectively.
14. Facilitate after hours admissions, as needed.
15. Provide on-call leadership for APT, as needed.

Additional Responsibilities

1. Complies with the facility safety procedures as outlined in the policy and procedure manual. Assumes assigned role in fire drills, evacuation procedures, and internal/external disaster plan.
2. Can be relied upon to be at work as scheduled and is rarely absent from work, notifying the supervisor if absent.
3. Reads, understands, and adheres to all company policy statements on ethics, conduct, and conflict of interests.
4. Adheres to facility policies, procedures, rules, and regulations, implementing regularly.
5. Attends all supervisory trainings within assigned time frames as required by the facility.
6. Facilitates monthly APT meetings.
7. Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience

• High school graduate or equivalent combination of education and/or work experience. Bachelors degree strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 3-5 experience in a direct care role in a behavioral healthcare setting working with adults.
• Minimum of 1-2 years in a supervisory/managerial role.
• Requires valid State Drivers License and current CPR certification.

Physical Requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to communicate with peers/public, clients and/or vendors
• Tolerant to various noise levels: noise level in the work environment varies may be very quiet to moderate
• Job performance will require the ability to move throughout the building as well as sit or remain stationary for extended periods of time
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to talk or hear, sit, stand, walk, reach, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, taste, or smell.
• Ability to move up to 25 pounds

Skill Competencies

• Excellent verbal and written skills
• Demonstrates a high level of follow through
• Demonstrates commitment to the mission, vision, and values of Renaissance Health Care, Smoky Mountain Lodge.

Renaissance Health Care, provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment. Renaissance Health Care, Pasadena Villa reserves the rights to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the organization desires. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities. This job description is not an employment contract, implied or otherwise. The employment relationship remains At-Will.