PGH Activities Coordinator/Med Aide

About us: 

Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness (WVCW) is an innovative nonprofit providing comprehensive services to individuals impacted by mental health, addictions and developmental disabilities. We hire individuals that are skilled and motivated to meet our mission through outcome-based strategies that foster personal and community transformation.

What You Will Do:

Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness is seeking a highly compassionate individual who loves making a difference in the lives of individuals with serious and persistent mental illness in our residential facilities. In this vital role, you will be a part of a tight-knit team that works to ensure each and every person in our care lives their best life and reaches their goals. You will guide, provide services and support residents in developing skills to reach their full potential.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

It is a requirement that the standards and procedures for the medication aide position will be followed, as defined in the Oregon Administrative Rules, for the provision of care and services to residents with mental illness in a licensed adult residential treatment facility.

WVCW RTF ( Residential Treatment Facilities) Houses provide residential care: the provision of room and board; care and services that assist the resident's with ADL's; 24-hour supervision; awareness of the residents' general whereabouts; monitoring the activities of the resident while on the premises of the RTF as well as in the community to ensure their health, safety and wellbeing.

Applicants will understand and practice the basic concepts of the Recovery Model as it relates to the Mission Statement for Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness. Applicants will understand and practice resident centered care in a compassionate and hopeful manner.

Examples of work may include but are not limited to:

• Reads client support documents as needed upon reporting to work and make all appropriate entries during and before the conclusion of the shift
• Create a skill training plan to assist residents with activities of daily living like nutrition, personal hygiene and grooming, cleaning, community access, personal spending, socialization, recreation, skill acquisition, and self-expression
• Engage residents in social conversation, provide supportive listening, and encourage and/or set up community based activities
• Establish and maintain a positive working team environment with all registered nurses, providers, and residential facility staff and treat everyone with dignity and respect
• Implement one-on-one activities as stated in Resident Care Plans
• Participate fully in team meetings, training, and one-to-one supervision
• Provide feedback to oncoming staff regarding resident's interactions, activities, and behaviors at the end of your shift
• Report suspected changes in a resident condition and/or potential crisis situations to the registered nurse
• Remain alert and provide direct line-of-sight monitoring of residents as needed
• Administers prescribed medications, following physician's orders for all medications and/or procedures and treatments, and documents on medical charts and count sheets according to established procedures as delegated by the Head Nurse.
• Attending shift report; getting oriented to the resident's past and current needs.
• Staying awake and alert throughout the entire shift.
• Assisting residents of either gender in personal self-management activities including: eating, toileting, bathing, personal hygiene and grooming, cleaning, community access, personal spending, socialization, recreation, skill acquisition, and self-expression.
• Using the training and guidelines provided, transfer residents to and from wheelchairs, beds, chairs, toilets, or where mobility is a need.
• Assist in serving and preparation of meals in accordance with MD orders, menus and dining plans.
• Conducts evacuation/fire drills as assigned.
• Cueing and assisting residents in appropriate and safe behavior as outlined in the Residential Treatment Plan.
• Maintain clean, sanitary and safe conditions throughout the facility. This includes and is not limited to: sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, scrubbing, window washing, etc
• Provide timely and accurate documentation as required per OAR's and OSBN policies and procedures.
• Report any suspected violations of abuse or clients rights by another client or a staff member according to policies and OAR's regarding mandatory reporting. Such reporting is required for, but is not limited to, suspected incidents of physical assault, neglect of care, sexual exploitation or financial exploitation, which may also include borrowing or removing property from the home.
• Attends monthly staff meetings and training sessions as scheduled.
• Read and sign all required reading in a timely fashion.
• Ensure that cost effective practices are maintained in all areas of job description.
• Other duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL DEMAND:

This position requires an individual to be regularly available for work as scheduled. The position requires professional and personal skills to cope with stress associated with work involving a high degree of mental, emotional and physical demands. This position also requires the ability to bend, stoop, push and pull on an ongoing basis. This position may require an individual to lift and transfer clients using a two-person lifting technique. This position may involve working overtime, weekends, and evening or graveyard (awake) shifts. Infection control and universal precautions must be maintained to ensure disease will not be spread or contracted. Staff must be aware of their own voice level to ensure confidentiality and to decrease unwanted stimuli in the RTF.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Possess good communication skills, patience, and empathy and flexibility.
• Some knowledge of counseling techniques, theory and practices supporting mental health consumers is ideal.
• Possess the ability to interact and relate well to residents, staff, managers and other professionals with confidentiality, respect and dignity.
• The candidate must have the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; comprehend laws, administrative rules and regulations, and agency policies.
• Ability to appropriately deal with clients experiencing crisis situations.
• Must be able to be on feet 8 hours
• Must be able to lift 50 lbs
• Must be flexible in hours available to work
• Must be able to type and use computer

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:

• Possess a satisfactory equivalent combination of experience and training which demonstrates the ability to perform the above-described job duties.
• Have a valid Oregon driver's license
• Pass a criminal history background check.
• Valid CPR and Food Handler's card during entire time of employment
• Valid Driver's License
• Pass Criminal History Check

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The candidate must be willing to work a flexible work schedule depending on community and resident needs. Work is performed in both an office environment and a residential environment. The noise level is usually moderate, but occasionally may be exposed to loud noise such as raised voice levels and alarms. The position may be exposed to the everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as an office (i.e. moving mechanical parts, airborne particles, and electrical shock).

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness is an equal opportunity employer.