RESIDENTIAL LIVING SPECIALIST (MENTAL HEALTH/DEAF LANGUAGE: SPECIALIST) (Code 04138D)

Code: 04138D State Competitive Range: H14 (FY 2027)

Salary: $48,271.77 - $69,861.07/year FY 2027 schedule (last updated 2026-07-27)

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 hospital, school, or institution, provides direct services for mentally disabled hearing impaired residents in areas of direct care, training, providing meals, recreation, education, social education, vocational education, and direct and indirect services in the areas of sanitation and cleaning, laundry, and supportive programming, on grounds and in community activities; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• These examples of work are to be performed by utilizing the language of the deaf, particularly American Sign Language.
• Assumes responsibility for physical, mental, and emotional well being of residents assigned to his/her care and reinforce treatment team efforts to establish adequate communications with hearing impaired clients.
• Maintains a continuous resident training program in a residential setting with particular emphasis on self help and, whenever possible, social development to limit of individual resident's ability.
• Trains and assists residents to function more independently and to develop skills in bathing, dressing, combing hair, trimming nails, brushing teeth, shaving, and giving whatever other assistance is required by residents to ensure adequate standards of personal hygiene.
• Prepares and serves meals to residents and feeds those unable to help themselves. Trains residents to prepare, serve, and feed themselves where applicable.
• Instructs residents in proper use of eating utensils.
• Prepares food for use in cooking process; as assigned, may assume responsibility for certain phases of the preparation and cooking process; instructs residents in these activities (food purchase, preparation, storage, menu planning, and so forth) where appropriate.
• Serves food from steam tables where necessary; arranges, prepares, and serves food trays when required; supervises, assists, and instructs residents in performance of these functions.
• Prepares and instructs residents in preparation of foods, salads, beverages, and desserts as required.
• Sets tables, changes linens, counts dishes, linen, and silverware, and trains residents in performance of these tasks.
• Inventories all supplies and monitors equipment within a residence.
• Washes dishes, pots, and pans, silverware, and other food preparation equipment, and instructs residents in proper and safe techniques of performing these duties.
• Polishes and washes various cooking and food preparation items, for example, milk containers, roasters, broilers, silverware, and so forth, and instructs residents regarding proper and safe methods of performing these tasks.
• Positions and places orthopedic hearing aides and support devices on residents and instructs residents to do this themselves where possible.
• Aids in development of and maintains an active recreation program, and participates in outdoor and indoor recreation activities with residents both on grounds and in community.
• Sees that proper measures are taken at all times to eliminate actual or potential hazards to safety and well being of residents.
• Ensures that special safety devices for the hearing impaired residents are kept in good working order and their use and warning systems are understood by all residents/clients.
• Sees that order is maintained among residents in unit and refers unusual or serious behavior/disciplinary problems to the appropriate supervisor.
• Escorts residents, when appropriate, to treatment facilities, church services, recreation or work areas, or any other locations that might be required.
• Aids nursing staff with simplified treatments and changes dressings as directed.
• Lifts residents onto and off of beds and stretchers, or into and out of wheelchairs as needed.
• As a member of a treatment team, provides input into development of Individual Treatment Plans for the residents assigned.
• Participates in therapeutic treatment activities such as community meetings, small groups, one-to-one activities and so forth.
• Performs housekeeping activities and, where needed, trains, assists, and/or supervises clients in performance of all types of housekeeping activities including bed making, mopping, sweeping, and scrubbing of walls and floors, waxing floors, cleaning of living quarters, lavatories and fixtures, eating areas; dusting, waxing and polishing furniture; collecting and properly disposing of waste papers, trash and other refuse, cleaning windows, screens, shades and blinds, vacuuming carpets, replacing light bulbs and fuses, maintaining running inventories and sufficient stock of housekeeping supplies, for example, soap, toilet paper, towels, cleaning solutions, and so forth.
• Operates and trains residents in operation of dishwasher, irons, vacuum cleaners, scrubber, and similar equipment necessary for upkeep of physical plant, furniture, and fixtures.
• Sees that residents are properly dressed and that their clothing is cleaned and repaired as needed; sorts, and counts laundry, properly storing that which has been cleaned; washes clothes, towels, and flatware as required and in accordance with manufacturer's care label instructions. Trains and assists residents to perform these tasks where needed.
• Serves special diets in accord with prescribed instruction regarding portion control and types of food.
• Maintains a sanitary and healthful environment within residence; keeps residence neat and clean, free of garbage and clutter. Stores perishable food in covered containers (labeled and dated) under refrigeration, and discards it at appropriate time.
• Checks daily to ensure that refrigerator is clean and functioning at proper temperature. Participates in inservice training and continuing education.
• Prepares factual reports.
• Organizes work and develops effective work methods.
• Keeps required records with accuracy and with 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 mentally disturbed, hearing impaired in either a residential or community setting or other setting providing care to hearing impaired persons.

SPECIAL SKILL Applicants must be able to communicate effectively in the language of the deaf, particularly American Sign Language, sufficiently to perform the duties of this position.

SPECIAL

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 the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of communications systems employed by hearing impaired persons.
• Knowledge of physical, mental, and emotional needs of mentally disturbed persons, and of procedures and methods required to provide for such needs.
• Knowledge of techniques used in training individuals with varying degrees of mental disability and/or physical handicaps in areas of self care and socially accepted behavior to limits of individual's potential.
• Knowledge of clients rights.
• Knowledge of preparation of food for cooking.
• Knowledge of proper methods and 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 and methods of inspecting and determining when cleaning and maintenance work should be done and materials needed.
• Knowledge of problems encountered and materials, tools, and procedures used in washing, waxing, vacuuming, and polishing wood, tile, cement, linoleum, and other floors and woodwork, furniture, and fixtures. Knowledge of proper use and minor adjustment of sweepers, vacuum cleaners, floor waxers and polishers, and other equipment.
• Ability to communicate and relate to hearing impaired persons in daily living experience.
• Ability to organize assigned cottage training work, analyze problems, and develop appropriate work methods.
• Ability to relate to cottage residents in a manner which will encourage their cooperation and potential development.
• Ability to perform uncomplicated subprofessional nursing care or other special care prescribed for individual residents.
• Ability to provide positive therapeutic support through use of communication skills.
• Ability to assist with and participate in outdoor and indoor recreation activities.
• Ability to bathe, dress, and provide other assistance required by residents to maintain established standards of personal hygiene.
• Ability to feed residents who present serious feeding problems.
• Ability to properly lift and handle residents with severe physical handicaps.
• Ability to understand, remember, and carry out oral and written instructions and assignments, and to organize work in an efficient manner.
• Ability to work effectively with associates, superiors, families, and residents.
• Ability to serve food from steam tables or other utensils efficiently.
• Ability to appropriately prepare and serve food.
• Ability to wait on tables and to deliver trays.
• Ability to perform and take lead in manual work involved in washing dishes, pots and pans, in polishing silverware and metal equipment, in keeping ranges, and broiler, roaster, and other equipment clean and polished, and to scrub and wax floors, halls, and other areas.
• Ability to operate and supervise operation of laundry equipment, including washers and tumblers.
• Ability to keep an assigned unit or 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 and report potentially hazardous conditions.
• Ability to select and use appropriate washing soaps and 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 accurate factual reports. Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by 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.
• Ability to communicate in sign language and AMSLAN.
• 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.
• CODES: 14/H14- CAH 9/12/98

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.

Appointees for Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf must successfully pass a screening process administered by the school's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Committee.