Staff Members Hiring We work very hard to recruit and retain quality employees. These efforts have resulted in a low rate of employee turnover, a crucial component of quality care for those we support. In 2017, 40% of our employees have worked here for 5+ years and 21% have worked here for 10+ years. Hammer recruits employees largely by word of mouth. Many of our new employees have been referred to us by current and past employees, board members or through family members. We also advertise on the Internet, attend college job fairs and have job postings on college web sites. To apply, applicants go to hammer.org/ and submit their resume. The most qualified applicants are asked to come in for interviews. An applicant will go through more then one interview to assure the job is the best fit. Potential employees must pass a criminal background check. We also check driving records to make sure the potential employee is licensed to drive, their personal cars are insured and that they have a driving record that meets insurance and Hammer’s standards.
Staff Position Descriptions Below you will find a listing of Hammer’s Residential Support Positions and their acronyms Position/Title DSP Direct Support Professional
Role Direct support professionals make up the majority of our work force. They are the individuals who work most directly with the people we serve. They provide the necessary supports that enable individuals to live each day to its fullest.
APM Assistant Program Manager
Our APMs have duties very similar to those of the DSP. They also help the manager complete paperwork and other duties. Many of our APMs are also in charge of ordering supplies, food and medications for our homes. Our PMITs are individuals who have established themselves as candidates to work toward a house management position. Often starting as DSPs or APMs, these individuals have demonstrated the leadership and mission focus that we look for in our managers. Before becoming managers, PMITs complete our leadership training course and work under a seasoned manager to learn the intricacies of the job. Our PMs are responsible for the daily operations in our homes. In addition to supervising staff, overseeing staff scheduling, payroll, and evaluations, our managers also maintain each individual’s programs and documentation. They ensure that appointments, meetings and communications are completed in a timely manner.
PMIT Program Manager In Training
PM Program Manager
PD Program Director
The program directors are responsible for providing support and supervision for the house managers and the in-home staff for up to 8 homes. Additionally, the directors’ team works on internal improvement projects, completes licensing requirements and oversees internal committees.
Typical Interactions Families will see our DSPs each time they visit the home. DSPs would typically be able to answer daily routine questions, provide observations, and communicate information to the staff team or manager. APMs typically play a larger role in the family communication. In addition to the above interactions, our APMs often manage coordinating activities and scheduling appointments. Family members’ interactions with PMITs are typically quite similar to those of the APMs.
The program manager is the go to person for each home. They are usually the point of contact for individuals and their families for all types of communication. They will then provide answers or forward the inquiry to the right department for additional support. Our directors’ team is available to answer questions and field concerns. They would be the person to contact when the manager is on leave or unavailable. Additionally, our directors carry our emergency cell phone and assist the homes and families in emergencies.
Staff Training Once a new DSP, Assistant Program Manager, or Program Manager is hired, they start an intensive and ongoing training process. This training includes: •
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Five days of general orientation, including but not limited to: o Vulnerable adult/child protection laws o Hammer philosophy of service o Personnel policies o Individual’s rights o Medical issues o Life safety Medical training including but not limited to: o How to use Hammer’s medciation software to document administration o How to give medications correctly o How to handle medications safely OSHA Training CPR and First Aid Physical Intervention Alternative training Professionalism: Put the “P” in DSP Medication Administration Customer Service Specific house orientation
Once an employee has passed mandatory fingerprinting and tuberculosis test and completed the first days of orientation, they are able to begin training in the house with the manager and house staff. This training is more tailored to the specific home where they will be working and includes a review of the individual’s programming and health needs, important routines and interaction strategies. Also, under Hammer’s licensing requirements, any employee who works in a group home is required to attend a set number of additional training hours each year. These alternate classes include training in things like team building, medication administration, stress management and information on diagnosis and syndromes. Scheduling Open shifts: Each program manager fills the shifts in their own house. If there are still open shifts that need to be filled, the manager of support services helps with those shifts. There is a pool of staff at Hammer that are hired to fill in at houses when needed. There are also staff who work in a particular group home that pick up extra hours in various locations. Hammer also works with a couple of outside staffing agencies who fills shifts for Hammer as needed.
Staff Meetings Staff meetings are a critical time for the staff team to communicate with each other about the individuals they support and general household issues. Families will be invited to attend and be a part of the process of planning for the home and problem solving any issues that need attention. The following are the parameters for the staff meetings: • • •
Staff meetings are mandatory for all staff to attend. Families will be invited periodically to attend staff meetings to discuss issues related to their family member. Confidentiality of the people we support will be honored (sensitive topics such as behavior will be discussed at other times or at a planned time in the meeting with the people we support when family members are not present).
Managers’ Meetings In addition to the meetings listed above, Hammer’s management team meets monthly to discuss changes, updates, and internal issues. These meetings allow for Hammer’s administration to update the management team on policy changes while encouraging collaboration and connection between department directors.