Home & Community-Based Support Professional

Job Description

Job Description

Home & Community-Based Support Professional / LifeNet Support Partner

Organization and Department Description: The Association for Autism and Neurodiversity (AANE) is a non-profit human service organization that helps autistic adults or other individuals with neurodiverse profiles build meaningful, connected lives. We provide individuals, families, and professionals with information, education, community, support, and advocacy - all in an inclusive atmosphere of validation and respect. The LifeNet department aims to empower neurodiverse adults (often autistic individuals without intellectual disability) to pursue the lives they want. Our department’s offerings were started to help fill a gap in adult services for this population.

Job Description: The LifeNet Support Partner is a key member of LifeNet, AANE’s Clinical Case Management and Independent Living Support department for autistic adults. The Support Partner is responsible for working with clients in both 1:1 and group settings to facilitate activities toward their desired independent living priorities. The Support Partner works closely with other team members, especially Clinical Case Managers who oversee their work with shared clients. The Support Partner reports directly to a leadership team member (Program Director, Clinical Director, or Associate Director). All Support Partners are invited to bring their ideas to the team and the program, and following orientation and training, are offered ongoing professional development, individual, and group supervision.

Key Responsibilities:

• Travel to and perform scheduled in-person, home- and community-based visits with each assigned LifeNet adult (typically within ~60 minutes of AANE’s office in Watertown), to carry out activities aligned with the adult's LifeNet Support Plan

  • Please note: each visit is typically up to 2 hours each, and travel time is compensated/reimbursed in accordance with policy

• Work closely with Clinical Case Manager(s) to implement each adult’s strengths-based LifeNet Support Plan, which outlines specific independent living support activities in areas that include, but are not limited to:

  • home organization and housekeeping

  • meal prep, nutrition, and food safety

  • healthcare appointments and medication reminders

  • mail, bills, benefits, and money management

  • companionship and social engagement

  • recreation and exercise

  • personal hygiene and self-care

  • shopping and errands

  • travel and transportation support

• Build a professional, trusting relationship with each LifeNet adult, while setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries

• Carefully observe the status of, and changes in, a LifeNet adult’s personal health and living environment, and communicate issues back to the respective Clinical Case Manager

• Participate in regularly scheduled and ad hoc virtual meetings with colleagues from one’s home office (or AANE’s office in Watertown, if desired)

• Initiate and complete virtual support meetings with one or more adults when indicated

• Organize and facilitate in-person or virtual small-group social/recreational events for LifeNet adults to encourage social engagement and peer-to-peer relationships

• Track time, mileage, and case notes in the secure LifeNet case management system

• Manage a GoogleCalendar with accuracy for work commitments

• Effectively, professionally, and respectfully communicate with colleagues, clients, and other community members in both proactive and responsive contexts in person and via Zoom and Google video call, work email, work phone text messages, and work phone voice calls

• Perform additional duties as assigned, which may include researching resources, organizing client data, making telephone calls, planning events, drafting guidance for adults or staff in Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, or Excel, and others

Qualifications:

• Professional experience with providing in-person support to neurodiverse adults (or equivalent/transferable professional, personal and/or academic experience in human services contexts)

• Must have valid Massachusetts driver’s license, clean driving record, and a reliable vehicle (mileage reimbursed at federal rate)

• Ability to commute to multiple client homes within a ~1 hour radius of our Watertown, MA office daily (see mileage reimbursement and compensation policy)

• Openness and ability to, on any given day, engage in conversations or pursuits with LifeNet adults involving music, theater, dance, art, anime, comic books, animals, nature, sports, science, computers, history, mass transit, aviation, travel, TV shows, movies, games, and more

• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills

• Excellent organizational and time management skills

• Ability to exercise patience, persistence, flexibility, and problem-solving during independent work and work with colleagues and clients

• Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team, including the ability to ask for help when needed

• Ability to learn and use new technologies/apps in service of LifeNet adults, including but not limited to Zoom, GoogleSuite, Microsoft Word, etc.

• Must agree to state and federal background checks

Salary & benefits:

• Competitive salary ($25-26/hour, based on experience)

• Generous paid time off and paid holiday closures (eligible employees)

• Health and dental insurance, FSA/DCA (eligible employees)

• Mileage reimbursement

• IRA match after 1 year

• PSLF eligibility

• Weekly supervision + professional development

• Robust orientation and onboarding

AANE’s Commitment to Recruiting and Retaining Racially Diverse Professionals: As a global leader in promoting neurodiverse environments in all aspects of society, AANE is deeply committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the communities we serve and in our own workplace. We are dedicated to hiring and supporting a racially diverse team, and we encourage professionals of color to apply for this and other job opportunities with our organization. Please consider joining us

Equal Opportunity & Accessibility Statement: AANE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and respectful workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law.

AANE is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at [email protected]