LifeNet Partner

Home & Community-Based Support Professional / Life Net 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 Life Net 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 Life Net Support Partner is a key member of Life Net, 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 Life Net adult (typically within ~60 minutes of AANE's office in Watertown), to carry out activities aligned with the adult's Life Net Support Plan
• Work closely with Clinical Case Manager(s) to implement each adult's strengths-based Life Net 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 Life Net adult, while setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries
• Carefully observe the status of, and changes in, a Life Net 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 Life Net adults to encourage social engagement and peer-to-peer relationships
• Track time, mileage, and case notes in the secure Life Net case management system
• Manage a Google Calendar 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 Life Net 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…