RESIDENTIAL LIVING SPECIALIST
To land Residential Living Specialist in New Jersey you go through the competitive route: you sit an announced exam and the score puts you on the eligible list agencies hire from.
The one gate is 2 years of relevant experience. The FY 2027 range lands between $48,272 and $69,861, and state payroll currently lists about 129 people in the title, most of them at Health and Senior Services.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
See every real route in, and where to apply. One agency employs it. We don't track live vacancies.
See where to apply for this title →Who employs this title
Residential Living Specialist appears on the State payroll at one department, Department of Health.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Department of Health | 129 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 129 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $67,499. The agencies employing the most are:
- Health and Senior Services (129)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under direction of a supervisory official in a small Intermediate Care Facility Unit for the developmentally disabled in the Department of Human Services and Department of Health, acts as a parent surrogate to clients of that unit providing direct services in the areas of direct care, training, feeding, recreation, education, social education, vocational education, and direct/indirect services in the areas of sanitation and cleaning, laundry, and supportive programming, on the grounds and in community activities; does other related duties.
Examples of work
- Organizes assigned work and develops effective work methods.
- Assumes responsibility for the physical, mental, and emotional well being of assigned clients.
- Prepares and serves meals to clients, feeds those unable to help themselves, and trains clients to serve and feed themselves where applicable.
- Bathes, dresses, combs hair, trims nails, brushes teeth, shaves, and provides whatever other assistance is required by clients to ensure adequate standards of personal hygiene; trains clients where applicable to develop these skills so that they can function independently in these areas.
- Maintains a continuous client training program in the cottage setting with particular emphasis on self help and, whenever possible, social development to the limit of the individual client's ability.
- Positions and places orthopedic and support devices on clients.
- Assists in the development of and maintains an active recreation program and participates in outdoor and indoor recreation activities with clients.
- Ensures that proper measures are taken at all times to eliminate actual/potential hazards to client safety.
- Ensures that order is maintained among clients in the unit and refers unusual or serious behavior and disciplinary problems to the supervisory official.
- Escorts clients to treatment facilities, church services, recreation or work areas, or any other locations that might be required.
- May assist nursing staff with simplified treatments and changes dressings as directed.
- Lifts patients onto and off of beds/stretchers or into and out of wheelchairs.
- Provides input into the development of Individual Habilitation Plans for assigned clients.
- Performs housekeeping activities such as: bed making, mopping/sweeping/scrubbing walls and floors, waxing floors, cleaning living quarters/lavatories/fixtures/eating areas, dusting/waxing/polishing furniture. collecting/disposing of waste papers/trash/other refuse, cleaning windows/screens/shades/blinds, vacuuming carpets, replacing light bulbs/fuses, maintaining running inventories and sufficient stock of housekeeping supplies (soap, toilet paper, towels, cleaning solutions), and where appropriate trains clients to perform these housekeeping functions on their own.
- Operates dishwasher, irons, vacuum cleaners, scrubber, and similar equipment necessary for upkeep of the physical plant, furniture, and fixtures; where appropriate to clients' level of functioning, instructs them in the safe/proper operation of this equipment.
- Ensures that clients are properly dressed and that their clothing is cleaned/repaired; sorts/counts laundry, properly storing that which has been cleaned; washes clothes/towels/flatware in accord with manufacturer's care label instructions while training clients to perform these tasks.
- Serves special diets in accord with prescribed instruction such as portion control and types of food.
- Instructs residents in proper use of eating utensils.
- Prepares vegetables/fruits for use in the cooking process, may assume responsibility for certain phases of the preparation and cooking process, and instructs clients in these activities where appropriate.
- Serves food from steam tables, arranges/prepares/serves food trays, and instructs clients in performance of these functions.
- Prepares and instructs clients in the preparation of foods, salads, beverages, and desserts.
- Sets tables, changes linens, counts dishes/linen/silverware, and trains clients in performance of these tasks.
- Washes dishes/pots/pans/silverware/other food preparation equipment, and instructs clients in proper/safe techniques of performing these duties.
- Polishes and washes cooking and food preparation items such as milk containers, roasters, broilers, and silverware, and instruct clients regarding proper/safe methods of performing these tasks.
- Prepares reports.
- Maintains records with accuracy and attention to detail.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information system used by the agency, office, or related units.
Experience
Two (2) years of experience in the direct care of the developmentally disabled in either a residential or community setting.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of the physical/mental/emotional needs of developmentally disabled persons and of the procedures/methods required to provide for such needs.
- Knowledge of techniques used in training individuals with varying degrees of developmental disabilities and physical handicaps in areas of self care and of socially accepted behavior to the limits of the individual's potentialities.
- Knowledge of clients'rights.
- Knowledge of the preparation of vegetables/fruits for cooking.
- Knowledge of methods/materials used in cleaning, polishing, and in maintaining kitchen, storage, and food service areas in a clean, sanitary, orderly, and safe condition.
- Knowledge of problems/methods of inspecting and determining the cleaning and maintenance work to be done and the materials needed.
- Knowledge of routines/methods effective in cleaning and maintenance work.
- Knowledge of problems encountered and materials/tools/procedures used in washing, waxing, vacuuming, and polishing wood/tile/cement/linoleum/other floors and woodwork, furniture, and fixtures.
- Knowledge of use and minor adjustment of sweepers, vacuum cleaners, floor waxers/polishers, and other equipment.
- Knowledge of general safety precautions to be observed.
- Knowledge of the use of laundry soaps, detergents, bleaches, and other compounds.
- Knowledge of and skill in operation and maintenance of washers, dryers, presses, and other laundry equipment.
- Knowledge of the preparation and use of types of laundering compounds and solutions.
- Ability to organize assigned cottage-training work, analyze problems, and develop appropriate work methods.
- Ability to assume the role of parent substitute and relate to cottage clients in a manner which will encourage their cooperation and potential development.
- Ability to perform uncomplicated subprofessional nursing care, physiotherapy, or other special care prescribed for individual clients.
- Ability to assist with and participate in outdoor/indoor recreation activities.
- Ability to bathe, dress, and provide other assistance required by clients to maintain prescribed standards of personal hygiene.
- Ability to feed clients who present serious feeding problems.
- Ability to properly lift and handle clients with severe physical handicaps.
- Ability to understand, remember, and carry out oral and written instructions/assignments, and to organize work in an efficient manner.
- Ability to work effectively with associates, supervisory officials, and clients.
- Ability to serve food from steam tables or other utensils efficiently.
- Ability to prepare trays and to set tables.
- Ability to wait on tables and to deliver trays.
- Ability to do and take the lead in manual work involved in washing dishes/pots/pans, in polishing silverware and metal equipment, in keeping ranges/broiler/roaster/other equipment clean and polished, and in scrubbing/waxing floors, halls, and other areas.
- Ability to clean/wash windows, blinds, blackboards, and floors, to dust desks/chairs/tables/other furniture, to wax/polish floors, to clean/wash toilets/sinks/other lavatory fixtures, and to do other work involved in cleaning living quarters, cafeterias, classrooms, and other buildings.
- Ability to keep an assigned building/ward/unit/area in a clean, sanitary, and orderly condition.
- Ability to obtain, store, safeguard, and properly use equipment, materials, and supplies.
- Ability to observe safety precautions and to recognize/report potentially hazardous conditions.
- Ability to operate and supervise operation of laundry equipment including washers, extractors, tumblers, and presses.
- Ability to select washing soaps/detergents/bleaches/rinses and water temperatures for specific types of laundry.
- Ability to instruct clients in inspecting, working, sorting, checking, folding, and distribution of laundry.
- Ability to prepare reports.
- Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.