07/31/1999 20131

DORMITORY COUNSELOR SUPERVISOR

DEFINITION: This is responsible guidance work of a supervisory nature involving directing student residential life programs for the care, custody, and supervision of deaf or hard of hearing children, teenagers, and young adults at Scranton State School for the Deaf or students at the Hiram G. Andrews Center.

An employee in this class supervises Dormitory Counselors in the residential care, custody, and training of students with specialized educational needs and/or physical, mental, emotional, social adjustment disabilities. Employees are responsible for the management of student living quarters and serve as liason between the Dormitory Counselors and other institutional personnel providing services to students. Employees must exercise mature judgment in handling challenging and difficult behavior problems, including controlling and retaining students. Supervision includes assigning and reviewing of work, evaluating employee performance, resolving complaints or grievances, and insuring the training of staff. The work is performed under the general supervision of the Residential Program Supervisor or Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor and reviewed through conferences and reports.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Supervises the Dormitory Counselors in residential life/dormitory operations and in the care, custody, training and supervision of the daily activities of children, teenagers, young adults or adults, including eating, playing, working and studying.

Advises the Dormitory Counselors on difficult behavior and disciplinary problems and, in more serious situations, deals with the problem personally.

Trains Dormitory Counselors in the principles and practices of effective training, care, custody, and supervision of children, teenagers, young adults or adults.

Serves as liaison between the residential life staff and doctors, socialworkers, teachers, and other institutional personnel in working out problems involving affected areas.

Functions as part of the comprehensive rehabilitation team or multi-disciplinary reevaluation team in coordinating and planning for special needs of students as identified in the Individualized Written Rehabilitation Plan or the students' Individualized Educational Plan.

Prepares reports on the behavior of children, teenagers, young adults or adults and their status and progress.

Discusses with parents more serious or continued discipline problems.

Maintains safety aspects of residential life by recognizing conditions which are or could be safety hazards; trains and supervises fire drill teams; holds fire drills and other safety programs as prescribed.

Develops and implements quality assurance and residential living student satisfaction evaluation and reporting system.

Plans and organizes work, assigns work, determines work priority, and reviews work performance of staff supervised.

Develops, through individual and group conferences and training activities, the efficiency and skill of staff supervised.

Initiates corrective disciplinary action for minor misconduct by subordinate employees and recommends major corrective disciplinary actions or dismissals.

Receives grievances or complaints, conducts initial investigation into causes and conditions, discuses with employee and resolves or recommends response to grievance or complaint.

Prepares and signs employee performance evaluation reports.

Interviews prospective employees and recommends employee selection.

Approves or disapproves leave requests.

Interprets rules, regulations, policies, procedures, standards, and objectives of program functions.

Plans, organizes, and directs the management of the living quarters.

Plans dormitory room and modification needs.

Inspects the living quarters regularly for order and cleanliness, and general effectiveness of residential living.

Teaches children, teenagers, young adults or adults personal hygiene, acceptable manners, and work and study habits.

Maintains order and discipline.

Accompanies students on field trips, community events and recreational activities off campus.

Employees in this class may participate in the performance of their subordinates' work consistent with operational or organizational requirements.

Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of individual and group behavior of deaf or hard of hearing children, teenagers, young adults in residential life/dormitory operations, including students with mental, emotional, and social adjustment disabilities, and their emotional growth and development.

Knowledge of principles and methods of supervision and in-service training of children, teenagers, young adults or adults.

Knowledge of methods and practices of advising, guiding, counseling and disciplining children, teenagers, young adults or adults.

Knowledge of individual and group behavior of children, teenagers, young adults or adults especially those in a group residential/living environment.

Knowledge of child, teenager, young adult, or adult growth, development, behavior and learning theories, and how these theories pertain to students.

Knowledge of health needs and personal hygiene of children, teenagers, young adults or adults.

Knowledge of physical education techniques and their therapeutic value in an institutional care program.

Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and supervise work assignments and recreational activities of children, teenagers, young adults or adults.

Ability to counsel, guide, and supervise children, teenagers, young adults or adults in matters of behavior, socialization, recreation, and discipline.

Ability to understand the social, behavioral and developmental needs and problems of children, teenagers, young adults or adults to deal effectively with serious behavior problems.

Ability to establish and maintain the confidence of children, teenagers, young adults, or adults, and their parents, and work effectively with them to aid in the constructive use of their capabilities and in adjusting to and coping with special problems.

Ability to learn to plan, organize, and assign work to subordinates.

Ability to learn to evaluate employee performance and prepare Employee Performance Evaluation Reports.

Ability to read and learn to interpret collective bargaining contracts applicable to the work performed by the unit.

Ability to communicate ideas and concepts orally and in writing.

Ability to communicate at all times in American Sign Language (SSSD only).

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, parents, other staff, professionals, and the interested public.

Ability to act quickly and with mature judgment in meeting emergencies.

Ability to maintain discipline and order.

Ability to exercise caution and judgment in responding to, intervening with, and/or physically restraining/controlling children, teenagers, and adults threatening or showing behaviors that are potentially harmful to themselves or others.

Ability to apply lifting techniques to assist children, teenagers, and adults, when they prepare to use physical aids such as wheelchairs, walkers, braces, and crutches.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: One year of experience as a Dormitory Counselor;

                                                                                                                                              or

Four years of experience in the care, custody, training, supervision, leadership, and personal guidance of children, teenagers, young adults or adults who are deaf or have multiple disabilities in organized educational, recreational, physical, or related programs; and possession of a high school diploma or G.E.D. certificate;

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Any equivalent combination of experience and training that included one (1) year of experience in the care, custody, training, supervision, leadership, and personal guidance of children, teenagers, young adults or adults who are deaf or have multiple disabilities in organized educational, recreational, physical, or related programs.

FOR SCRANTON STATE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF POSITIONS:

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Demonstrated ability to communicate through American Sign Language and American Manual Alphabet at the intermediate sign communication level as determined by the Sign Communication Proficiency Interview evaluation.