Independence Empowerment Center

9001 Digges Road, Suite 103, Manassas VA 20110

703-257-5400, 703-257-5043 (fax)

Website: ieccil.org

                Elderly and Disabled Consumer Directed Waiver Service Facilitator

Service Facilitator for Consumer Directed (CD) Medicaid Waiver Services.  The Service Facilitator is responsible for supporting individuals and family/caregiver by ensuring the development and monitoring of the Consumer-Directed Services Plan of Care, providing employee management training, and completing ongoing review activities as required by Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) for consumer-directed personal care and respite services.

CD Service Facilitator must possess a minimum of an undergraduate degree in a human services field or be a RN currently licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Service Facilitator must be 18 years of age or older. In addition, the CD Service Facilitator must have two years of satisfactory experience in the human services field working with persons with severe disabilities or the elderly. The CD Service Facilitator must possess a combination of work experience and relevant education that indicates possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities.

a. Knowledge of:

(1) Types of functional limitations and health problems that are common to different disability types and the aging process, as well as strategies to reduce limitations and health problems;

(2) Physical assistance typically required by people with severe physical disabilities or elderly persons, such as transferring, bathing techniques, bowel and bladder care, and the approximate time those activities normally take;

(3) Equipment and environmental modifications that are commonly used and required by people with physical disabilities or elderly persons, which reduce the need for human help and improve safety;

(4) Various long-term care program requirements, including nursing home and assisted living facility placement criteria, Medicaid waiver services, and other federal, state, and local resources that provide personal assistance and respite services;

(5) DMAS consumer-directed personal care aide and respite services program requirements, as well as the administrative duties for which the individual will be responsible;

(6) Conducting assessments (including environmental, psychosocial, and functional factors) and their uses in care planning;

(7) Interviewing techniques;

(8) The recipient’s right to make decisions about, direct the provisions of, and control his or her services, including hiring, training, managing, approving time sheets, and firing a personal care aide;

(9) The principles of human behavior and interpersonal relationships; and

(10) General principles of record documentation.

b. Skills in:

(1) Negotiating with individuals and service providers;

(2) Observing, recording, and reporting behaviors;

(3) Identifying, developing, and providing services to persons with severe disabilities or elderly persons; and

(4) Identifying services within the established services system to meet the recipient’s needs.

c. Ability to:

(1) Report findings of the assessment or onsite visit, either in writing or in an alternative format for persons who have print impairments;

(2) Demonstrate a positive regard for individuals and their families;

(3) Be persistent and remain objective;

(4) Work independently, performing position duties under general

         supervision;

(5) Communicate effectively both orally and in writing; and

(6) Develop a rapport and communicate with different types of persons from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Full-time, 40 hours per week. Occasional night/weekend work.  Computer literacy important.  Driver’s license and/or reliable transportation necessary.  Familiarity/personal experience with or sensitivity to people with disabilities essential.  Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.  EOE. Salary starts between $27,000 and $30,000 with benefits including health/vision/dental and vacation. Retirement plan begins after one year of employment. Respond with a resume and a letter of interest  by January 30th to Dr. Lopez, Independence Empowerment Center, 9001 Digges Rd, Suite 103, Manassas, VA 20110.  Fax: 703-257-5043.   E-mail mlopez@ieccil.org

These scholarships are part of Through the Looking Glass’ National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families. There are separate eligibility requirements for high school seniors and for college students:

1. High School Seniors. To be eligible, a student must be a high school graduate (or graduating senior) by Summer 2012, planning to attend a two-year or four-year college in Fall 2012 in pursuit of an AA, BA or BS degree, and have at least one parent with a disability.

2. College Students. To be eligible, a student must be currently enrolled in a two-year or four-year college in Fall 2012 in pursuit of an AA, BA or BS degree, be 21 years of age or younger as of March 5, 2012, and have at least one parent with a disability.

All application materials must be postmarked by March 5, 2012. Individuals may submit only one application per award period. Also see Scholarships: Frequently Asked Questions

Selection criteria for all scholarships include academic performance, community activities and service, letter of recommendation and an essay describing the experience of growing up with a parent with a disability.

Five of the fifteen 2012 scholarships will also consider extreme financial hardship (poverty level) in addition to the above criteria. Please read the Financial Need section on the Application Form if you wish to be considered for one of the five scholarships that also consider financial need.

These Scholarships are also part of a research study on young adult children of parents with disabilities.  As explained in the Consent Form below, you may be willing to participate in an optional survey about young adult children of parents with disabilities. The additional information you submit on this survey will not affect your scholarship chances and will not be disclosed to anyone outside the project researchers; all identifying information will be removed.  If you consent to participate in this optional survey, we will email you the surveyafter we have received your completed application. Thus far, over 1,000 students have taken this confidential survey. Please consider contributing to this important national study as your responses will really help us out!

If you have previously applied for this scholarship and still meet eligibility requirements, you may apply for the 2012 scholarships. Please note that you must complete the new 2012 application form. Also, although we will accept previously submitted essays, we encourage everyone to submit original essays.

Download Application Procedures and Application Form (PDF)

Call for Stories: ASAN Investigating Use of Personality Tests

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is investigating employers' use of personality tests to screen job applicants as part of applications for employment and the broader hiring process. These tests may unfairlyscreen out qualified Autistic applicants and those with other hidden disabilities through the use of subjective questions unrelated to job performance.

If you live in the United States and have recently been turned down for a job that used personality tests as part of the application process, please contact Samantha Crane at samanthac@bazelon.org and Melody Latimer at mlatimer@autisticadvocacy.org. Please include the name of the employer, the approximate date on which you applied for the job and any additional information you feel may be relevant.