Care Companion to Adults with Developmental Disabilities in Intentional Community

We should let you know right away that L'Arche is not an ordinary job. In order to experience the rewards of experiencing a L’Arche community, a Care Companion, or more commonly called a L'Arche Assistant must be passionate about intentional community and sharing life with adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Sharing in L'Arche community life as an Assistant is an experience that offers a profound grasp on what it means to be human—to build meaningful relationships, to inspire equality, and to welcome others just as they are. Assistants are asked to celebrate the big and small moments of daily life together.

As a candidate for employment, one is not required to have any previous experience with people with an intellectual or developmental disability, being a Home Care Aid, or community living. For many people, L’Arche is their first experience of these things.

During the first months, an assistant learns about the values, philosophy, and way of life at L'Arche, undergoes extensive training to become Home Care Aide certified (all training paid for by L’Arche), and develops relationships with the people in their home, gradually taking on more responsibilities. Many assistants have found that their time in L'Arche has been one of the most formative of their life.

Description:

This is a full-time position to live and work in the L’Arche homes in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. We also occasionally hire part time assistants (20 hrs/week). Assistants build relationships of mutual care and support with people with disabilities (Core Members), while providing direct care support, such as assisting with activities of daily living, meal preparation, transportation, medication management, and the documentation associated with those activities. An Assistant must be able to respond to the particular needs of the community, to be able to carry out the responsibilities assigned by the Residential Manager, be accountable and provide a strong model of appropriate behavior. The responsibilities of an Assistant include care-giving, helping to create a home environment, building community and being an accompanier to those with disabilities.

Qualifications:

A L’Arche Seattle assistant must feel a call to live in community with people with a developmental disability and have a desire to serve as a caregiver and companion. No prior experience working with people with disabilities is required.

An Assistant must:

• Be over 18 years of age
• Have at least a high school education (or equivalent)
• Be able to speak and write English
• Be a mature individual who is able to deal with tension and conflict and abide by the community’s conflict resolution policy
• Be willing to learn to take responsibility for one's self and behave appropriately. An assistant must
• Be able to pass the Home Care Aide certification with support and training from L'Arche
• Be able to perform (or quickly learn to develop a competence) in a wide range of areas including household planning and chores, individual programming with documentation and personal time management
• Be willing to carry responsibility and maintain professional confidentiality with regard to other people.
• Assistants are asked to make a year’s commitment to the community after completing a 3 month probationary period.

Expectations:

• Openness to the calls of personal and professional growth
• A community-oriented mindset
• Emotional maturity
• Sharing holidays (religious and federal) and other community events and celebrations with the community, particularly in the first year of working in the community
• Personal vacations taken within the first year that overlap with a Formation session must be cleared by the Community Life Coordinator
• Participation in the annual community retreat over Memorial Day weekend
• Modeling of healthy emotional and physical boundaries
• Willingness and flexibility to meet the community’s scheduling needs, including split shift days and overnight duties
• Preparation for the Home Care Aide exam, with support and resources from L’Arche

Specific Responsibilities:

Community responsibilities

• Attend all required meetings
• Help plan and attend seasonal holidays and community gatherings
• Help plan and attend celebrations for birthdays and days of importance to community members
• Play an active role in developing supportive relationships with families, neighbors, local support systems
• Extend a warm welcome to visitors including community members, families and neighbors
• Model cooperative living (as a housemate and co-worker)
• Model a positive attitude (as a housemate and co-worker)
• Support all 3 homes and Core Members in the community at the direction of community leadership
• Be respectful of the history and traditions of the L'Arche Seattle community

Direct Care Responsibilities:

• Form a mutual relationship with Core Members based on respect and care
• Assist Core Members with medication, carrying out health care plans as prescribed by medical professionals, responding to health concerns, accompanying Core Members to medical appointments
• Assist with personal hygiene (bathing, oral hygiene, hair maintenance, nail care)
• Assist Core Members with personal care (helping in the bathroom, changing disposable underwear, getting dressed)
• Assist Core Members with budgeting/financial goals
• Accompany Core Members with memory loss through their daily routines
• Transfer Core Members in wheelchairs
• Assist Core Members to eat
• Shop with Core Members for personal care items
• Uphold Core Member privacy and confidentiality by following HIPAA guidelines
• Maintain an orientation towards individual growth and skill development, and support the development of programs as necessary
• Ensure that Core Members can make and carry out their own individual plans.

Home Management Responsibilities:

• Completing assigned housekeeping chores (cleaning bathrooms, kitchen, dishes, floors, laundry, yard work, sanitization and infection control)
• Ensuring homes safety and cleanliness are up to the standards indicated in the Washington Administrative Code
• Help maintain required documentation in the home (medical, financial, operational)
• Plan and prepare balanced meals
• Operate safely all community vehicles and assist in their upkeep
• Maintain homes’ monthly maintenance and emergency supply checklists
• Know home’s evacuation plan and participate in fire drills
• Create a positive and welcoming environment for Core Members and Assistants

The application process may include, but is not limited to: a screening meeting, filling out a full application, providing professional and personal references, staying with the community as a guest for a few days, a virtual or in person interview, a criminal background check, and proof of vaccination.

L’Arche Seattle reserves the right to change your responsibilities to meet the changing needs of Core Members and the community, including your primary residential assignment. You will also be responsible for other related tasks as may be assigned by the Community Leader/Executive Director and/or L’Arche Coordinators or House Leaders.