General Description

At Shared Wellness, our philosophy is centered on creating a supportive and inclusive environment where individuals can thrive in both body and mind. We integrate traditional healthcare practices with innovative approaches to ensure that every person receives the care they need.

Our core principles—such as inclusivity, accessibility, cultural humility, and a commitment to compassion—guide everything we do. As part of the Shared Wellness team, you’ll help individuals on their unique journeys, empowering them to live balanced, healthy lives. You’ll work in a collaborative environment, providing support that respects each person’s strengths, goals, and cultural background.

The role of the Program Specialist is multifaceted. You are responsible for ensuring the health, wellness, and safety of individuals across multiple programs by managing health and safety protocols, coordinating medical care, and maintaining a homelike environment. This role involves supervising and leading staff, providing training and coaching, and facilitating team meetings to support individual goals. The Program Specialist must ensure timely and accurate reporting, adhere to legal and regulatory standards, and respond to crises effectively. Additionally, the role includes administrative duties such as developing staff schedules, collaborating with HR, and participating in the on-call rotation to provide comprehensive support and maintain program operations. We are seeking people who can lead by example and self-direct their time.

The work hours for this role may fall outside of 9am – 5pm, as it requires you to be flexible to meet the needs of the individuals you’re supporting, staff schedules, and after hour emergencies.

Role and Responsibilities

Program

• Manage Health and Safety: Ensure the well-being of all individuals on your caseload across multiple programs, prioritizing their health, wellness, and safety.
• Coordinate Medical Care: Schedule and oversee all medical appointments and follow-ups to ensure comprehensive care. Demonstrate initiative accessing internal and external resources to collaborate on care needs.
• Maintain Homelike Environment: Ensure everyone’s residence is safe, comfortable, and personalized to their preferences.
• Supervise and Lead Staff: Manage and supervise staff in accordance with Shared Wellness’ policies, procedures, and program needs. Offering coaching to enhance the skills of the DSPs, this will include instances that require conflict resolution and difficult conversations.
• Timely Reporting and Assessments: Keep all reports and assessments current, accurate, and compliant with requirements (not limited to: Program Books, Quarterly Reports, Annual Assessments, Lifetime Medical History, ISP, BSP, MARS, daily notes, monthly paperwork).
• Develop Supportive Teams: Facilitate the formation of teams dedicated to supporting each individual at home and in the community.
• Provide Training and Modeling: Train and model support strategies to ensure successful implementation.
• Delegate Responsibilities: Assign team roles to staff to ensure smooth operations and quality care.
• Adhere to Legal and Regulatory Standards: Understand and comply with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements under 6100, 6400, and 6500 regulations.
• Conduct Team Meetings: Facilitate monthly Circle meetings to support individual goals and progress. Conduct meetings with DSP teams to review announcements, discuss concerns and ensure policies and procedures are being followed.
• Implement Services According to ISP: Develop and execute services in alignment with Individualized Support Plans (ISP). Collaborating with SCO to ensure that the most relevant information is provided.
• Participate in Weekly Meetings: Attend and contribute to weekly Staff Meetings for Program Specialists.
• Respond to Crises: Address any crises that arise during working hours with prompt and effective solutions.
• Direct Support When Needed: Provide direct support to individuals when appropriate staffing is unavailable, or training is required.
• Support Relationships and Communication: Facilitate and nurture individual relationships and communication.
• Troubleshoot Program Activities: Address and resolve issues within program activities to ensure smooth operations.
• Other Duties as Assigned: Carry out additional program tasks as needed to support overall goals.

Administrative

• Develop and Manage Staff Schedules: Create weekly schedules for staff and ensure attendance on all shifts to maintain optimal coverage.
• Collaborate with HR: Partner with Human Resources to hire, manage, and, if necessary, terminate staff, ensuring a strong and ethical team.
• On-Call Rotation: Participate in the on-call rotation at least once every three months to provide support and address any issues that arise.
• Approve Staff Hours: Approve staff hours and punches daily in relation to payroll and billing processes to ensure accuracy and accountability.
• Ensure Training Compliance: Ensure staff meet all required training standards to maintain a high level of competency and performance.
• Enforce Policies and Procedures: Ensure staff follow organizational policies and procedures and provide disciplinary actions as needed to uphold standards.
• Utilize Relevant Software: Maintain a working knowledge of software required to sustain the implementation of policies and procedures.

Complete Additional Duties: Carry out all other duties as assigned to support the overall goals of the program.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

1. Master’s degree or above from an accredited college or university and 1 year work experience working directly with persons with ID and/or autism, OR ● 2. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and 2 years work experience working directly with persons with ID and/or autism, OR ● 3. An Associate’s degree or 60 credit hours from an accredited college or university and 4 years work experience working directly with persons with ID and/or autism, OR ● 4. A high school diploma or GED certificate and 6 years work experience working directly with persons with ID and/or autism.

Preferred Skills

• Communication Skills (written and verbal)
• Team Building Skills
• Supervisory/Management Skills
• ACRE Certification
• Organizational Skills and crisis response
• Knowledge of 6400 (CLA) and 6500 (Life Sharing) PA ODP Regulations