The ABA Counselor-Residential is responsible for providing a home-like environment within a residential school for each student to support and provide educational instruction for individual growth, a sense of community and teaching in independent living skills. He or she is responsible for teaching students functional living skills, socialization skills, recreational and leisure skills and functional communication skills. These teaching objectives will be part of the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) and instruction in the residence will be the Residential ABA Counselor’s primary responsibility.

Melmark New England serves children, adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders, acquired brain injury, neurological diseases and disorders, comorbid mental health disorders and severe challenging behaviors. The ABA Counselor-Residential position requires that staff be aware that students who are served may exhibit aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior. ABA Counselors are expected to implement highly technical clinical and teaching programs that require ABA Counselors to be constantly alert, attentive and ready to respond to student’s needs.

Essential Functions

• Reports on duty at assigned time; reports absence as far in advance as possible, but in no case later than normal reporting time.
• Rotates schedule, including assistance on weekends and holidays per advanced request from direct supervisor.

Student Health and Safety

• Achieves 80% or better on student appearance feedback tool one time per month.
• Immediate nursing notification to Educational Coordinators of health issues appropriate to each child. Completes student daily well body checks and discovery of bruise.
• Completes proper administration and documentation of medications/treatments.
• Promotes safety of self and students through adherence of safety policies which may include body positioning, physical management techniques, Universal precautions and proper lifting of students. Evacuates students properly during fire and emergency drills.
• Uses and maintains student adaptive equipment and/ or augmentative devices needed for students. Files an incident report immediately if any defects.
• Follows student mealtime and toileting procedures as specified in the student plan.
• Maintains a clean environment by completing daily house cleaning checklists and overnight cleaning checklists.
• Assists with morning and afternoon

Clinical and Educational Skills

• Implements student behavior protocols as evidenced by achieving satisfactory performance score on all Melmark Feedback Tools.
• Follows student specific daily block schedules as posted for the residence.
• Completes Descriptive Analysis Tools as prescribed by student’s biweekly clinical meeting.
• Remains calm, positive and composed during behavior management procedures.
• Accurate data collection per target behavior and instruction.
• Completes behavior and academic IOA measures as prescribed by policy.
• Timely Completion of Incident and Physical Restraint reports per current guidelines and Self-Injury Trauma scale within 24 hours.

Case Management and Organizational Skills

• Achieves satisfactory performance on case-management responsibilities checklist.
• Achieves satisfactory performance on written clinical and academic biweekly cover sheet feedback tool.
• Achieves satisfactory performance on graphing feedback Tool.
• Achieves satisfactory performance on parent contact skills.
• All other reasonable duties as assigned by Supervisors.

Education/Training:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Human Service Field, or Psychology.
• Certifications/Licensure: A valid US driver’s license and a minimum age of twenty-one (21) years old. Must be capable of attaining approved Melmark driver status. Must meet Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) background check requirements. Successful completion of employer provided certification in CPR, First Aid, Crisis Intervention, and Melmark’s Orientation Program and New Hire Onsite training program.

Experience:

• Prefer at least one (1) year experience with specialized populations. Advanced skills in educational and clinical services will be required in this role.
• Interrelationships: Individuals served, families, program managers, and all other department staff.

If you want to make a difference in others' lives, are committed to professional growth and development, are committed to excellence and would like to be part of the exceptional group of people whom we are proud to call Melmark employees, apply now!

• Must demonstrate strong reading, written and oral language skills.
• Strong teaching skills with emphasis on students who are emotionally, behaviorally, physically and/or developmentally challenged.
• Experience or interest in the principles and application of Applied Behavior Analysis, curriculum and special education (Autism Spectrum Disorders).
• Strong interpersonal skills are required.

Melmark is a multi-state human service provider with premier private special education schools, professional development, training, and research centers. We are committed to enhancing the lives of individuals with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families by providing exceptional evidence-based and applied behavior analytic services to every individual, every day.