Personal Care Paraprofessional (Special Education)

Personal Care Paraprofessional (Special Education)

POSITION TITLE:  Special Education Paraprofessional 

FLSA: Non-Exempt

REPORTS TO: Principal and Special Education Supervisor

LENGTH OF CONTRACT: 180 days

JOB DESCRIPTION 

Responsible for promoting the health and care of students with special needs.  Administer medications as required and attend to health needs as they arise.  Duties may include cleaning, toileting, dressing, laundering, grooming, mobility and ambulation needs.  Perform other clerical duties as necessary.  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Assist all students with physical care needs as required.
2. Physically assist students and staff in all crisis situations as the need arises.
3. Escort all students with cognitive disabilities or physical care needs to and from the nurse.
4. Help with loading and unloading students from the school bus each morning and afternoon.
5. Work as a team member with other professionals.
6. Attend training workshops and IEP meetings as needed.
7. Document when medication is dispensed, if required.  Dispensing of medications by State Law only and supervised by RN. 
8. Maintain accurate documentation of student health care needs in order to verify course of action and how the situation was handled.
9. Keep accurate logs of personal care duties performed throughout the day for Medicaid reimbursement.
10. Perform any other related duties as required or assigned. 

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty mentioned satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience in working with children
• Equivalent of four years in high school or GED, as well as Paraprofessional test passed (457)  or college hours (60)
• Forty hours of personal care training to include the modules required by the ADE, CPR and yearly training as required by the district. 

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Ability to read and understand documents such as policy manuals, safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals.  The ability to write routine reports or correspondence.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure. Use whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.  Ability to compute rate, ratio, percent and to interpret bar graphs.

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Ability to use common sense understanding in order to carry out detailed written or oral instructions.  Ability to deal with problems involving a few known variables in situations of a routine nature. 

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Under general supervision where standard practice enables the employee to proceed alone on routine work, referring all questionable cases to the supervisor.

PLANNING

Considerable responsibility with regard to general assignments in planning time, method, manner, and/or sequence of performance of own work; may also occasionally assist in the planning of work assignments performed by others within a limited area of operation. 

MENTAL DEMAND

Operations requiring close and continuous attention for control of operations.  Operations require intermittent direct thinking to determine or select the most applicable way of handling situations regarding the organization’s administration and operation; also to determine or select material and equipment where highly variable sequences are involved.

ANALYTICAL ABILITY / PROBLEM SOLVING

Fairly broad activities using moderately structured procedures with only generally guided supervision.  

USE OF MACHINES, EQUIPMENTS AND/OR COMPUTERS

Regular use of complex machines and equipment.  (computer, fax, laminator, copier, printer or iPad)

PUBLIC CONTACT

Frequent contacts with the general public, patrons, or other outside representatives, wherein the manner of handling these contacts has a bearing on the organization’s position and operation.  Employee must adhere to the district’s confidentiality statement.

EMPLOYEE CONTACT

Contacts of considerable importance within the department or office, such as those required in coordination of effort or frequent contacts with other departments or offices, generally in the normal course of performing duties.  Requires tact in discussing problems and presenting data and making recommendations, but responsibility for action and decisions revert to others.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Required training will include the special education modules, CPR and practical training with a RN. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Star City School District is committed to having an academic and work environment in which all students and employees are treated with respect and dignity.  Harassment of any type will not be tolerated.  All employees will follow all State and Federal Laws including, but not limited to, HIPAA and FERPA laws. 

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

The following physical activities described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and expectations.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands and fingers, talk, and hear.  They are required to frequently stand, walk, reach stoop, kneel, or crouch; occasionally lift and/or move 100 pounds; frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision; distance vision; color vision; peripheral vision; and depth perception. 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

The following work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outdoor weather conditions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.