Staff Duties

Direct Care staff are responsible for the day‐to‐day delivery of services, ranging from ongoing support services like cooking and self‐cares to working on specific goals.

Direct Care staff responsibilities vary greatly in connection with which individuals they work with. Some individuals require constant supervision and complete personal care assistance and some only require verbal reminders to complete their daily tasks. Staff are expected to be dependable and care for the individuals with patience and attention to their individual needs and wants. Staff are assigned based on the needs and the preferences of the members, their work availability, and personality to ensure a good fit.

Day Habilitation Direct Care staff directly deliver services as described in an individual’s service plan. Each staff member is responsible for all of their assigned groups’ needs, assistance with activities of daily living, and in house activities, goal work, and community outings.

Facilitators are responsible for ensuring that the day‐to‐day routines of the location are running smoothly. They often work with individuals to develop individualized menus and grocery lists, community outings, activities, shop for supplies and groceries, assist with bill paying and banking, track necessary documentation of services, and provide oversight to Direct Care staff.

The Facilitator is in regular contact with the Service Coordinator with updates on the roommates and the status of the location.

The Day Habilitation Facilitators provide Direct Care support, schedule and plan in‐house activities and community outings for every member, implement individual service plans and goal work, supervise the staff, provide training to new and current staff, filing of paperwork, and completing daily documentation.

Service Coordinators (SC) are responsible for the overall coordination of RFYP services for each individual on their caseload. They are responsible for overseeing the implementation of the individual’s service plan, communication with family and/or guardians other providers, and medical team, scheduling of Direct Care staff, and supervision of Direct Care staff and Facilitators.

The Service Coordinator (SC) acts as a catalyst for the service delivery team to remain knowledgeable about the preferences, choices, and personal interests of the person served, family, guardian, and team and ensures the person served is an active participant in the service planning at all times. If requested by the member, guardian, and/or service team, the SC, Program Directors, and Executive Director are available to provide assistance, information, and/or referrals about resources available to assist with making financial, legal, residential, health care, or other major life decisions. RFYP comprehensive knowledge of resources available to the member and the family/guardians. RFYP will make arrangements with external resources to provide care options and settings that meet the needs of the persons served.

The SC receives input and feedback from the staff directly working with the member, other providers, and team members. The SC remains available to the member and IDT team for regular updates, interaction, and communication starting with the orientation to services through the entire duration of the service plan, including implementing referrals to other provides, transition plans and/or termination planning if needed. The SC will work cooperatively to reduce any disruption in the services for a member who is admitted temporarily to another setting outside of RFYP. Any service needed that RFYP cannot provide, a referral will be made to the appropriate agency or medical provider ensure needed services are received for the member and/or guardian/family including medical and services.

The Executive Director exercises general oversight in the areas of service delivery, strategic planning, communication with the Board of Directors, employment issues, and overall functioning of the agency.

The Human Resources Director oversees the employment and training of all RFYP personnel. In addition, the HR Director ensures that RFYP employment policies and procedures are in compliance with all accreditors.

There are three Program Directors. One Program Director supervises the medical team and oversees health and safety. The other Program Director oversees the SCL program and supervises SCL Service Coordinators. The last Program Director oversees the Day Habilitation and Quality Assurance team.  

The Financial Director oversees the agency finances, payroll, and payee services. Member Financial Assistants are supervised by the Financial Director.

The Medical Team schedules and accompanies individuals to their medical appointments, works with all staff in all programs to deliver appropriate health care treatment and training. The medical team is involved in ongoing medical care to the extent required by the individual and service planning team. This involvement ranges from monitoring only medication distribution to attending and tracking all medical appointments. They oversee medication distribution, use of medical equipment, and communication with medical service providers and families/guardians to ensure the highest quality services.

The Medical Team is available to members, guardians, and families for training and advocacy on health care related issues, medications, local physicians, specialty clinics, health care resources, insurance issues, etc. Guardians are welcome to accompany the Medical Team Assistant to appointments or call with any questions or concerns. A member of the medical team also participates in the after‐hours on‐call rotation from Friday at 5pm to Monday at 8am.

Members, guardians, and families have full access to the nurse, in addition to having access to the RFYP Medical Team. The nurse is responsible for leading all of the medical trainings, continuous follow up on health issues, make recommendations on any health related concerns, assist with cares of the members, and oversee the administration of medications. The nurse supervises the Medical Team staff and collaborates with all RFYP staff to ensure the highest quality medically related services for the members. Additional individualized direct services and/or referrals that are available to members, guardians, and families are:

• Education on end of life support services including Hospice services
• Supports to deal with grief and loss
• Provision of medical supports to promote continuous care across all programming and environments to ensure community involvement
• Support for families including those who may themselves have special needs related to aging
• Advocacy for physical and psychological needs
• Healthcare funding needs and resources

Our Member Financial Assistants work with individuals to manage their money, balance their checkbooks, and assure that they are meeting the requirements of Social Security, Medicaid, Iowa City Housing Authority, and other benefits. They assist with securing and maintaining benefits for which they are eligible.