Personal Service Worker

Personal Service Worker (PSW) for 15 year old special needs girl

Location: Lake Oswego

Hours: Saturdays (morning or afternoons) and/or Sunday afternoons during the school year (hours can flex as needed); holiday vacations (if students are interested and available); and/or summers (can be full-time during summer months if desired)

Ideal Candidate: Student who is interested in social work, counseling/therapy, OT/PT, teaching or psychology

Pay: $16-20/hour



Our family is looking to hire a 1:1 ‘aide’ to work with our 15-year old daughter during the summer months and occasionally on weekends/holiday breaks during the school year. Although we are the employer, payment is made through the State of OR/Clackamas County and requires background check and a short online training program (paid). Great opportunity for someone looking for more ‘hands on’ experience with special needs kiddos and great for resume-building experience. 



Responsibilities: PSWs help our daughter organize her day (or time they’re together), practice skills (everyday living, shopping, cooking), work on reading and Barton drills (for dyslexia), working on projects (like reorganizing her room), homework during school year, etc. This allows dad to work from home during the summer months when she’s out of school and allows mom to work at the hospital where she’s a full-time Chaplain including Saturdays. During the school year, it can sometimes offer a break to us individually or as a couple for a few hours during the day or an evening out.



Background: Our daughter was adopted from foster care as a newborn but was drug and alcohol impacted at birth. She’s enrolled in regular high school classes as a freshman but is part of the local ACCESS program for kiddos on the spectrum. Although technically not autistic, she benefits from behavioral therapy, executive functioning supports and other scaffolding the program offers. Despite being impacted by ADHD, dyslexia and anxiety, she’s highly functioning and performing grade-level work.  But she does benefit from someone to guide her, help structure her time/activities, engage with her (but not parent), etc. She can be left alone for hours at a time but would fill that time with just spinning in her chair listening to music or watching TV. In the past, PSWs have organized field trips, library/museum visits, baking and cooking (including purchasing ingredients at the store), exercise or swimming sessions at our local gym, games/puzzles, sewing, etc—and sometimes even providing overnight ‘respite’ care (all hours are paid).



Happy to share more details with interested candidates and also put you in touch with other students who have worked as PSWs with our daughter.

Email: kbirchard@pointb.com

https://www.clackamas.us/socialservices/ddprovider.html#personalsupportworker