The Programming Supervisor provides and oversees person-centered training, active treatment, direct care, and medication support for residents of an Intermediate Care Facility. The primary responsibility of this position is to help residents develop, improve, and maintain skills identified in their Individual Program Plans.
The Programming Supervisor works directly with residents on functional, adaptive, communication, social, self-care, safety, recreational, and community-living skills. The position monitors resident progress, reviews program documentation, and coordinates services with the QIDP, nursing department, direct-care employees, therapists, families, and other interdisciplinary team members.
The employee must maintain current CNA certification and current CMA or ACMA certification. CNA and medication-related responsibilities must remain within the employee’s training, certifications, endorsements, delegated authority, and legally authorized scope of practice.
-
Provide individualized training and active treatment according to each resident’s Individual Program Plan.
-
Help residents develop and maintain functional, adaptive, communication, social, self-care, safety, and community-living skills.
-
Teach skills related to personal hygiene, grooming, dressing, dining, housekeeping, laundry, money management, communication, recreation, and community participation.
-
Implement residents’ measurable training objectives consistently and as written.
-
Use approved teaching techniques, task analysis, prompting levels, visual supports, modeling, repetition, positive reinforcement, and adaptive equipment.
-
Encourage residents to complete tasks as independently as possible.
-
Provide only the level of assistance needed for residents to participate safely and successfully.
-
Create opportunities for residents to practice skills during normal daily routines.
-
Provide meaningful, age-appropriate, and person-centered activities based on resident choices, interests, abilities, and goals.
-
Promote self-determination, independence, inclusion, productivity, and meaningful participation.
-
Adapt teaching approaches as directed to accommodate residents’ communication, medical, physical, behavioral, sensory, and learning needs.
-
Follow approved behavior-support strategies and positive intervention techniques.
-
Do not use unauthorized restrictions, punishment, or interventions.
-
Do not independently change an Individual Program Plan, behavior-support plan, or training objective without proper interdisciplinary-team authorization.
-
Coordinate the daily delivery of resident programming and active-treatment services.
-
Prepare program schedules, activity calendars, teaching materials, visual supports, supplies, and data sheets.
-
Assign resident programming activities and help ensure appropriate resident coverage.
-
Observe programming to verify that residents receive scheduled services and opportunities to practice their goals.
-
Help ensure approved programs are implemented consistently across daily routines and shifts.
-
Provide employees with resident-specific direction regarding approved Individual Program Plans and support procedures.
-
Redirect or correct improper program implementation and report ongoing concerns to the QIDP or Program Director.
-
Coordinate programming with nursing, residential, dietary, therapy, transportation, and administrative departments.
-
Ensure that programming accommodates residents’ medical, dietary, mobility, communication, behavioral, and safety needs.
-
Provide direct programming and resident coverage when operational or staffing needs require it.
-
Maintain organized, clean, safe, and accessible programming areas.
-
Monitor program supplies and request replacement materials or equipment as needed.
-
Collect and accurately record data for each resident’s program objectives.
-
Document resident participation, responses, prompting levels, assistance provided, refusals, progress, and barriers.
-
Complete progress notes, participation records, program summaries, activity logs, and other required documentation.
-
Review program documentation for accuracy, completeness, and consistency.
-
Ensure program records are completed within required timeframes.
-
Monitor residents’ progress toward established goals.
-
Promptly report progress, regression, loss of skills, barriers, or significant changes to the QIDP and interdisciplinary team.
-
Recommend interdisciplinary review when a resident achieves an objective, is not making expected progress, or experiences a significant change.
-
Assist the QIDP and interdisciplinary team with resident reviews, functional assessments, and program planning.
-
Participate in interdisciplinary meetings and provide relevant observations and data.
-
Maintain records securely and protect resident confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA and facility policy.
-
Plan and conduct individual and group activities based on residents’ preferences, abilities, and Individual Program Plans.
-
Develop and maintain monthly activity calendars and program schedules.
-
Coordinate recreational, educational, social, vocational, spiritual, and community activities.
-
Plan community outings and arrange required transportation, staffing, supplies, medications, emergency information, and adaptive equipment.
-
Encourage residents to make choices about activities and community participation.
-
Help residents use community resources and practice skills in natural settings.
-
Monitor residents throughout activities and community outings.
-
Evaluate activities using participation, resident feedback, program data, and observed outcomes.
-
Modify future activity plans as appropriate while remaining consistent with approved resident plans.
-
Assist residents with bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, eating, mobility, positioning, and other activities of daily living.
-
Measure, document, and report vital signs, weights, intake and output, and other authorized observations.
-
Assist with meals, hydration, appointments, transportation, activities, and community participation.
-
Follow dietary, swallowing, mobility, positioning, behavior-support, and safety instructions.
-
Use approved lifting, transferring, positioning, fall-prevention, and adaptive-equipment procedures.
-
Observe residents for changes in physical condition, behavior, appetite, mobility, skin integrity, sleep, or safety.
-
Promptly report changes and concerns to the licensed nurse or appropriate supervisor.
-
Maintain a clean, safe, comfortable, and respectful residential environment.
-
Protect residents’ privacy, dignity, rights, choices, preferences, and personal property.
-
Administer medications only as authorized by state law, current certification, specialized endorsements, licensed-nurse delegation, and facility policy.
-
Follow medication orders and the established rights of medication administration.
-
Compare medications with the Medication Administration Record before administration.
-
Document medication administration accurately and immediately after completion.
-
Document and report medication refusals, omissions, unavailable medications, errors, discrepancies, and resident responses.
-
Observe residents for possible side effects, adverse reactions, or changes in condition.
-
Immediately notify the licensed nurse of medication concerns or changes in resident condition.
-
Obtain and record authorized measurements, such as pulse, blood pressure, temperature, oxygen saturation, or blood glucose, when trained and permitted.
-
Maintain accurate medication counts and promptly report discrepancies.
-
Receive, store, secure, handle, and dispose of medications according to applicable requirements.
-
Keep medication carts and medication areas clean, organized, appropriately stocked, and secured.
-
Communicate medication refill and supply needs according to facility procedures.
-
Perform advanced medication duties only when covered by the employee’s current ACMA certification and specialized endorsements.
-
Request assistance from a licensed nurse whenever an order is unclear or a resident’s condition requires clinical evaluation.
-
Never conduct nursing assessments, make clinical judgments, change medication orders, or perform duties reserved for licensed nurses.
-
Treat every resident with dignity, respect, patience, and consideration.
-
Promote resident choice, privacy, independence, self-management, and community inclusion.
-
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
-
Protect residents from abuse, neglect, exploitation, mistreatment, and unnecessary restrictions.
-
Immediately report suspected or observed abuse, neglect, exploitation, mistreatment, injuries of unknown origin, or violations of resident rights.
-
Follow all mandated-reporting and incident-reporting requirements.
-
Maintain confidentiality regarding resident health, personal, financial, and program information.
-
Follow infection-prevention practices, standard precautions, hand-hygiene requirements, and personal protective equipment procedures.
-
Maintain safe, sanitary, organized, and accessible program and residential environments.
-
Inspect program materials and equipment and report damage or safety concerns.
-
Follow emergency-preparedness, evacuation, fire-safety, workplace-safety, and exposure-control procedures.
-
Respond promptly to medical emergencies, injuries, falls, behavioral crises, missing-resident situations, and unusual incidents.
-
Provide CPR, First Aid, and other authorized emergency assistance when trained and required.
-
Contact the licensed nurse, emergency services, or facility leadership according to established procedures.
-
Complete incident reports and other required documentation accurately and promptly.
-
Participate in program audits, medication reviews, quality-improvement activities, investigations, inspections, and regulatory surveys.
-
Review resident program areas and records to identify missing documentation or inconsistent implementation.
-
Report program, medication, resident-care, staffing, or safety concerns to the appropriate department leader.
-
Assist with developing corrective actions related to resident programming.
-
Follow all applicable federal, state, and local requirements and facility policies.
-
Attend required resident reviews, departmental meetings, safety meetings, and competency evaluations.
-
High school diploma or equivalent.
-
Current CNA certification in good standing.
-
Current CMA or ACMA certification in good standing.
-
Current specialized medication endorsements required for assigned advanced medication duties.
-
Current CPR and First Aid certification, or ability to obtain certification within the facility’s required timeframe.
-
Previous experience supporting individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
-
Previous experience in an ICF, residential program, health care facility, or similar setting.
-
Experience implementing Individual Program Plans and collecting program data.
-
Supervisory, lead-worker, or program-coordination experience preferred.
-
Ability to read and follow Individual Program Plans, behavior-support plans, medication orders, and health and safety instructions.
-
Ability to read medication labels and accurately complete Medication Administration Records.
-
Basic computer and electronic-documentation skills.
-
Valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record if resident transportation is an essential function.
-
Successful completion of required background checks, health screenings, orientation, and competency evaluations.
The Programming Supervisor must maintain the following credentials in good standing throughout employment:
-
Current CNA certification.
-
Current CMA or ACMA certification.
-
All specialized endorsements required for assigned medication duties.
-
CPR and First Aid certification when required.
-
Required continuing education and annual competency evaluations.
The employee must immediately report any expiration, restriction, suspension, investigation, or loss of a required certification. Failure to maintain required credentials may result in removal from affected duties or other action consistent with facility policy and applicable law.
-
Associate or bachelor’s degree in human services, psychology, social work, education, rehabilitation, health care, or a related field.
-
At least one year of ICF programming or active-treatment experience.
-
Experience coordinating services for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
-
Knowledge of person-centered planning, active treatment, positive behavior supports, medication safety, and data collection.
-
QIDP qualifications when required or preferred by the facility.
-
Knowledge of person-centered services and active-treatment principles.
-
Ability to teach residents with different abilities, communication methods, and learning needs.
-
Ability to implement individualized objectives and collect reliable program data.
-
Strong observation, organization, communication, documentation, and time-management skills.
-
Ability to recognize and report changes in resident condition or behavior.
-
Knowledge of medication-administration and infection-prevention practices.
-
Ability to maintain confidentiality, professional boundaries, and sound judgment.
-
Ability to manage competing priorities and respond calmly during emergencies.
-
Ability to collaborate with residents, families, guardians, employees, and interdisciplinary professionals.
-
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
-
Ability to sit, bend, kneel, reach, push, pull, and perform repetitive movements.
-
Ability to assist residents with mobility, positioning, and transfers using approved techniques and equipment.
-
Ability to lift the amount specified by facility policy, with assistance or mechanical equipment when appropriate.
-
Ability to participate in indoor, outdoor, and community-based activities.
-
Ability to respond promptly to resident needs and emergencies.
-
Ability to drive or ride in facility vehicles when required.
-
Ability to work around bodily fluids and potentially infectious materials while using required protective equipment.
-
Work assigned days, evenings, overnight shifts, weekends, holidays, or on-call hours based on resident and facility needs.
-
Maintain regular and reliable attendance.
-
Adjust the work schedule when necessary to observe and support programming on different shifts.
-
Remain available for emergency coverage or overtime when required and permitted by law.
-
Assist with resident transportation, activities, meals, housekeeping, laundry, supply stocking, and program-area organization when trained and assigned.
-
Provide CNA, CMA, or ACMA coverage when authorized and required.
-
Attend required meetings, training, emergency drills, competency evaluations, and continuing-education programs.
-
Support facility events, inspections, investigations, and quality-improvement projects.
-
Perform other duties as assigned by the Program Director, QIDP, Director of Nursing, Administrator, or authorized designee.
-
All additional duties must remain consistent with the employee’s training, certifications, endorsements, delegated authority, resident plans, scope of practice, facility policies, and applicable laws and regulations.
