Group Leader (Queens/Brooklyn NY)

Eihab Human Services•Springfield Gardens, NY

20h

About The Position

The Group Leader (also referred to as the Group Team Leader) supports people with intellectual disabilities and mental health needs in achieving their goals, developing skills, and participating in meaningful daily activities. The role works with the Day Support Program and develops staff, ensuring activities, recreation, worksites, and community outings reflect individuals’ valued outcomes, choices, and desires. It maintains a safe, supportive, therapeutic environment that fosters growth, habilitation, and independent and self-help skills. The Group Leader plans, supervises, and coordinates activities and recreation, and maintains Day Program systems for programming, quality assurance, training, and billing. The role leads recreational programming and meaningful activities, oversees participant and community relations, volunteer activities, operations, and safety, and coordinates assigned community recreation programs. It also organizes systems and ensures staff use them appropriately.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Seven to ten years of work experience in OPWDD and serving people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Passion for and desire to collaborate with people with intellectual disabilities and other physical or mental disabilities.
Knowledge of basic human physical and psychological needs; simple health and safety precautions; simple nursing care procedures; first aid; behavior management; and personal and environmental hygiene.
Ability to write professional, objective progress and behavior reports.
Ability to use computers and other electronic equipment.
Ability to interact with individuals, community members, and treatment-team members.
Ability to read and comprehend technical training manuals and follow written and oral instructions.
Ability to learn basic operation and maintenance of adaptive equipment.
Ability to be supportive, patient, and a team player.
Ability to observe, record, and report individuals’ behavior, attitude, and physical condition effectively.
Ability to prioritize conflicting deadlines, cope with stress, meet deadlines, and respect line management.
Ability to read, comprehend, and follow individual safeguards and program protocols.
Ability to obtain First Aid/CPR certification and Medication Administration Training.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree in a human services-related field, or equivalent credits, with four to six years of OPWDD experience serving people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
SCIP, AMAP, and CPR/First Aid certifications.
Familiarity with OPWDD regulations.

Responsibilities

Ensure safety compliance for individuals and Direct Support Professionals in the Day Support setting, and ensure activities comply with applicable state and federal regulations and agency and program policies.
Monitor staff planning and coordination of services that build life skills and independence, increase social and community participation, support socially appropriate behaviors and community integration, and maintain health and safety skills.
Support Site Supervisors in understanding and implementing Direct Support Professional Core Competencies.
Cover Direct Support Professional duties when positions are vacant or staff are off.
Attend Day Habilitation and agency-wide management meetings and assist advocates in obtaining services outlined in individuals’ Day Habilitation plans.
Complete reports and ensure incidents are documented; coordinate with the Program Coordinator to identify staffing and training needs.
Train new hires and implement shadow-training and orientation procedures; coordinate staffing to meet regulatory ratios.
Plan, schedule, and administer new programs, clubs, groups, major events, recreational events, community inclusion, worksites, and other activities with program management.
Organize and monitor activity materials to ensure scheduled events and activities are available.
Ensure individuals have meals or snacks each day in accordance with prescribed diets, meal plans, restrictions, and documented safeguards.
Ensure each individual’s Day Habilitation documentation is completed and updated.
Conduct arrival and departure observations to ensure adequate supervision and compliance with safeguards and plans, and monitor interactions, activities, and responses to services.
Coordinate recreational program plans with program management and lead, schedule, and monitor staff implementing recreation, events, and community plans.
Train and orient staff to engage individuals in ways that support satisfaction and meaningful activities.
Direct and monitor day-to-day recreation programs, classes, events, facility and equipment operations, safety, and regulatory compliance.
Ensure activity equipment is available, secured, clean, maintained, and undamaged.
Promote and publicize recreation programs, including through focus groups, video plans and productions, announcements, or agency promotions.
Develop programs and services and serve as a liaison between Day Programs and participants, interested persons, employees, families, community members, and others.
Organize, lead, and promote activities such as arts, crafts, sports, games, hobbies, and volunteering.
Assign staff to tasks, groups, and activities in accordance with operational procedures.
Collaborate with agency personnel, community organizations, and other professionals to plan balanced recreational programs.
Provide monthly calendars of recreational, volunteer, and community events in accordance with program scheduling procedures.
Ensure activities and programming are driven by individual choice rather than program convenience; develop offerings based on research, community requests, and assessed community needs, and monitor program quality.
Find and maintain volunteer sites and monitor individuals and staff at assigned worksites; document individual worksite attendance daily.
Create a safe, supportive environment where individuals can learn skills for greater independence.
Ensure individuals receive habilitation services daily and monitor timely completion of habilitation documentation.
Develop and implement each individual’s monthly schedule, including recreation, volunteering, community outings, and in-program activities.
Perform other duties as assigned.