direct support professional

residential staff

mentor

assistant supervisor

home manager

MOKA

You can expect to be fairly busy on a typical day at work with tasks to complete within both a residential setting as well as out in the community.  This job requires a lot of patience and will certainly teach you to have more than you did before.  Communicating with management can be challenging.  It is common for lower level employees to feel ignored by management.  This workplace attracts a variety of employees from differing backgrounds, there is definitely potential to learn from co-workers.  The job can frequently become chaotic and physically, emotionally, and mentally demanding.  The deficits pertaining to management and the stressful atmosphere pale in comparison overall to the rewards achieved through providing supports to the individuals.  By helping others to achieve their goals and to learn and grow, there is a sense of joy attained that can not be expressed through words.

MOKA as a program was an extremely enriching experience. I learned so much about myself and about the field and I’m grateful for the trainings and the information the BCBAs provided. They were extremely willing to help you and provide trainings on things you were struggling with. 

HOWEVER, management is severely lacking. There is a complete lack of communication between management, and techs. Management consistently fails to inform techs of shifts they are picking up, changes in session start and end times, parents running late, etc.  This reflects extremely poorly on techs who have to face upset parents when we are tardy, or no-show. Techs are consistently stuck taking the fall for management’s mistakes. “Part time” workers are completely overworked, with management rarely ever there to offer lunch or bathroom breaks. This is such an enriching place to work with such amazing coworkers; it’s a shame to watch them leave over a poor boss. 

There never really is a typical day. Working with people can keep your schedule flexible. In my ten years with MOKA I have learned many things. I have become a better leader, learning to keep a positive perspective and open mind. Actively listening to others point of view and being able to openly discuss situations. Management is open and helpful. My co workers are the greatest and make work easy. The hardest part of my job is the on call piece. I carry a cell phone for work that I have 15 minutes to respond to. Calls can vary from call ins, medical emergencies for individuals, questions from the staff. If there is a call in I have 15 minutes to find coverage or I go in to fill the shift. The best part of the job is working with the individuals and seeing the positive impact that being present creates and my coworkers!

The individuals you work with and clients you have are great. But the structure of the autism program is constantly crumbling in some way or another. They lack a support role for managers/BCBAS/BCABAs and they drown in paperwork with insurance/Medicaid instead of supervising sessions and helping stay on top of programs (like most behavioral therapy programs in the area I’ve found).  Pay is not good enough here and most behavior tech positions at other companies due to low Medicaid reimbursements for therapy and also many cancelled sessions.  They are all beginning to hire people without degrees for the work as a result of not being able to offer those with degrees enough for their education. Although here you can attain benefits and pto, whereas the other companies I’ve done this work for try to make sure you’re never actually eligible.

I began working a a job coach for individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illness. It was my responsibility to work along side an individual and assist them in learning their job duties and provide accommodations as needed to assist them in completing their tasks. With my willingness to learn a take on more responsibility, I was promoted to a job developer. I was responsible for assisting individuals obtaining and maintaining competitive employment within the community. I was also responsible for hiring, training and scheduling of job coaches as needed. My biggest accomplishment was establishing five janitorial enclaves through partnerships with private cleaning firms within the community.

I worked this job for 31+ years. It was very rewarding and I learned a lot. I was a supervisor to between 1 and 3 homes for developing disabled people. I was on the safety committee, quality assurance committee, fish training committee and I trained CPR and First Aide. Most of the time I worked there it was good but the bigger they got they lost some of the caring where I felt it should be. I worked 24 hours a day 7 days a week as I was on call. The most enjoyable was making a good life for people who had problems. The most difficult was when we lost a client by them passing away. I enjoyed this job but it was very stressful and it was time to find something different.

I begin my shift by checking in with the staff and finding out how the individuals day went. I then begin bed checks and checking our individuals, making sure they are comfortable, toileting, and readjusting them. I then begin cleaning the home and checking on the individuals periodically. I pass medications and give showers, hygiene, cook meals, and transport them to day programs. 
I get along with all staff, communication and acceptance is vital. The hardest part of my job is trying to comfort and care for someone without a voice. I have to really watch body language and all nonverbal cues to gather information. My greatest joy is when I do break through and I make someones day.

During 2nd shift, I had to go on transport with residents to pick up their roommate at day program and or work. When I got back to the residence, I had to pass medicine in a timely manner and food prep for dinner. I would interact positively with individuals throughout most of the shift. I had to update notes periodically throughout the day. 

Some homes you work by yourself & can be hard to manage 3-4 individuals. Other homes you work with another staff member. The hardest part of the job can be managing episodes of individuals. 

MOKA is a very good company, that values open communication, and education in your chosen field. The management is qualified, efficient, and helpful, and they have a good hiring process which typically results in qualified co-workers. Their training process is good, and they are willing to give you extra training and other opportunities to learn and advance your career. The job is rewarding, even if there are difficult or boring days. The company, being non-profit, and in the social work field, does not pay a huge amount, but it is competitive for the field, and the company works to make sure that employees know that they are appreciated in other ways.

I interned at MOKA for a three-month period during the course of my Associate's Degree, and I enjoyed it immensely. The employees are all very kind and work as a team to give everybody there a great experience. The individuals who use MOKA's services also have a tendency to grow on you and warm your heart.

The only downside for those who work there would be the amount of driving that comes with the job. Anywhere from half the day to the entire day is spent on the road. Winter weather conditions or inexperience with navigation can make transporting the individuals nerve-wracking at times.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Direct support professional 2 salaries reported	$18.32 per hour
Residential staff 187 salaries reported	$17.09 per hour
Mentor 9 salaries reported	$18.05 per hour
Assistant supervisor 26 salaries reported	$18.39 per hour
Home manager 10 salaries reported	$22.88 per hour

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