Intervention Support Paraprofessional

Easterseals Serving Chicagoland and Greater Rockford•Chicago, IL

8h•Onsite

About The Position

EMBRACING ABILITIES. EXPANDING POSSIBILITIES. At Easterseals of Chicagoland and Greater Rockford, we are committed to two – often interconnecting - pillars of work… early learning and disability. Through these pillars, we transform the lives of early learners and individuals of all abilities through access to expert educational, family, and community support. As an affiliate of America’s largest nonprofit healthcare organization, we have proudly served the communities and families of Chicagoland and Greater Rockford since 1936. For more information about our organization, please visit us online at www.eastersealschicago.org. Under the direction of the Child Services Senior Manager, the Intervention Support Paraprofessional supports Early Learning Services sites throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs by supporting the full inclusion of children with disabilities, suspected disabilities, and challenging behavior in Easterseals Early Learning services in compliance with the Head Start Program Performance Standards, the Head Start Act, and the Illinois State Board of Education requirements. The Intervention Support Paraprofessional implements program objectives as part of a teaching team, providing support to teachers with all classroom activities. This includes but is not limited to, implementing curriculum, supervising children, communicating with parents, and providing a healthy and safe environment for children. The Intervention Support Paraprofessional supports classrooms that have children with suspected or diagnosed developmental disabilities and could possibly travel to multiple sites each day. This role is ideal for someone who has respect for children and families with diverse values and cultures and is passionate about supporting positive social, emotional, and behavioral changes in students, providing supportive interventions to students and families, and ensuring all student learning outcomes are successfully met. This position is headquartered at Easterseals Chicago Location at 1939 W 13th Street, Chicago, IL 60608.

Requirements

Minimum High School Diploma with CDA aa
Associate or higher preferred.
Paraprofessional licensure is required upon hire.
Gateways ECE Level 1 Credential required within 90 days of employment.
Experience working with children 0-5 years old who have special needs, trauma, and significant behaviors, 3+ years preferred.
Experience using the Creative Curriculum.
Experience using Pyramid model.
Experience using PECS and other visuals
Microsoft Office Suite or related software including Microsoft Teams.
Valid driver’s license
Auto insurance
Reliable vehicle
Ability to multi-task in a high-stress environment.
Ability to interact with diverse personalities.
Ability to problem solve.
Basic competency with office equipment including laptops and other portable devices.
Completion of a minimum of 15 hours of continuing education per year.
Willing to work flexible hours to accommodate the needs of the families.
ADA: Easterseals will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Unless exempted by the Americans with Disabilities Act, all persons hired for this position are required to possess the ability to perform the physical tasks necessary to treat clients, i.e., bending, floor-sitting, etc., as well as to have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds frequently.

Nice To Haves

Associate or higher preferred.
Experience working with children 0-5 years old who have special needs, trauma, and significant behaviors, 3+ years preferred.

Responsibilities

Support the implementation of safety and action plans through direct support, modeling, data collection, and observation.
Travel to centers immediately to support child crisis situations
Assist in the assessment of child crisis situations using the established protocol and documents
Assist in the stabilization of the classroom during the crisis by providing direct support and coverage for teachers to step out as needed
Assist in the monitoring of plans and fidelity of practices
Work as a classroom team to support the full inclusion of children with identified crisis needs
Create visuals and other materials for the child as needed and describe in child plans
Update Child Plus notes weekly to detail child progress, next steps, etc
Support in researching community resources to benefit children
Follow through with activities, and materials, in alignment with the child’s safety plan, action, plan IEP/IFSP etc
Read and demonstrate knowledge of children’s IFSP/IEPs.
Collect behavior data as requested
Follow through with teacher/clinical /administrative recommendations
Participate in all scheduled team meetings about children on caseload
Ensure active supervision when in classrooms
Participate in monthly training and reflective supervision.
Participate in all scheduled in-house trainings throughout the school year
Attend parent meetings as necessary.
Travel daily to other Easterseals sites or community partners to support children on caseload
All other duties as assigned.