Life Skills Instructional Assistant (2024-25 School Year)

This position now offers a new hourly rate of $17.45!

When you come to work at Monarch Center for Autism, you become an integral part of our dedicated and hardworking team of professionals that include Intervention Specialists, Associate Teachers, Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Behavior Specialists, Art Therapists, Music Therapist, Recreational Therapist, and Horticulture Therapist. Classroom teams are intentionally small, so students can receive one-on-one and small group instruction, within the confines of Monarch’s visual language immersion teaching Model. The Model combines concept-driven language instruction with visual supports, technology and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

Check out “Monarch Center for Autism Virtual Tour” on Vimeo! 

Position Summary: We are hiring a Life Skills Instructional Assistant to work directly with students in the school and community environments.  This position is based in the school building, with community-based instruction occurring throughout the school week.  The Life Skills Instructional Assistant is a dynamic position with daily responsibilities that range from educational aide in the classroom to job coach in the community. With guidance from the interdisciplinary team, the Life Skills Instructional Assistant teaches, motivates, and supports students as they develop skills needed for greater independence and community integration.

Responsibilities Include:

• Assist in teaching students in the areas of (but not limited to): activities of daily living, community and transportation safety, shopping and purchasing skills at community stores and restaurants, employability skills through unpaid job training at community job sites.
• Provide assistance and instruction to students about appropriate skills and behaviors needed for the workplace and community settings.
• Provide on-site training and guidance to students at community job sites.
• Monitor quality of student work to ensure workplace expectations are met.
• Maintain effective rapport with community job site partners.
• Transport students to and from community locations in Agency vehicles.
• Participate in quarterly trainings with the Monarch Transition Team to enhance student job training and community-based instruction.
• Assist in the teaching and behavior management of students in the classroom.
• Assist in the development and implementation of lesson plans and curriculum that align with student IEP and/or ISP goals and objectives.
• Help to develop instructional materials including visual supports. Help to plan and organize daily activities to optimize student learning.
• Collect data and complete student assessments including work task analyses.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of the clinical record through the timely completion of assigned documentation in accordance with applicable licensing and accreditation regulations and standards.

Qualifications Include:

• Bachelor’s or Associate’s Degree in a related field (Psychology, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Special Education, etc.) preferred. Minimum High School Diploma required.
• Experience working with children with autism preferred.          
• Experience working as a job coach preferred.
• Passion for helping others and making an impact in the lives of students with autism
• Basic knowledge of child and adolescent development, human sexuality, family dysfunction, psychology, sociology, behavior theory, and autism.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, problem solve, and manage work assignments in an efficient manner and within established time frames
• Ability to handle stressful situations by maintaining emotional control as well as remaining calm and professional while working with students who may become verbally and physically aggressive.
• Ability to work with diverse groups of people possessing various strengths and aptitudes.Ability to perform job responsibilities with a high degree of initiative and independent judgment.

Life at Bellefaire:

We value our employees and their commitment to our mission and offer competitive total rewards (benefits and compensation) options to our valued employees and their families, including domestic partners. Our rich options include:

• Dental, vision and medical insurance
• Defined benefit pension plan
• 403(b) plan
• Life insurance
• Paid long-term disability
• Generous paid time off and holidays

Other perks of working with us include:

• A friendly and appreciated staff
• Working with a team committed to the well-being of others
• A beautiful campus
• Career growth/numerous free CEU opportunities
• Staff recognition program
• A caring environment to work in!

Bellefaire JCB is an equal opportunity employer, and hires its employees without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

Bellefaire JCB is a partner agency of the Wingspan Care Group, a non-profit administrative service organization providing a united, community-based network of services so member agencies can focus on mission-related goals and operate in a more cost-effective and efficient manner.