Michael Zabala
Port Jefferson Station,New York
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Direct Support Professional
Maryhaven Center of Hope
11.2019 - Current
- Maintained clean, safe, and well-organized patient environment.
- Documented progress notes thoroughly to track client achievements, concerns, or changes in behavior patterns that may need attention starting first from the classroom AC, and also from the clinical and management team as well.
- Assisted clients with daily living needs to maintain self-esteem and general wellness.
- Assisted with crisis intervention to de-escalate challenging behavior and maintain peaceful encounters.
- Enhanced quality of life for individuals with disabilities by providing compassionate and consistent direct support.
- Supported clients with personal care tasks, ensuring their dignity and privacy were maintained at all times.
- Assisted disabled clients to support independence and well-being.
- Maintained a safe and inclusive environment by addressing behavioral challenges with patience and understanding.
- Facilitated social outings and community integration activities, promoting inclusion and positive experiences for clients.
- Monitored clients to assess and report physical and behavioral changes to supervisors.
Child Care Worker
SCO Family Services
07.2020 - 05.2024
- Maintained a safe and clean environment for the children by adhering to health and safety protocols.
- Established rapport with parents during pick-up and drop-off times, fostering open lines of communication.
- Enhanced children''s social skills by facilitating group activities and promoting positive interactions.
- Observed play activities to identify positive behaviors and areas in need of improvement, implementing behavior redirection where appropriate.
- Sanitized dishes, tabletops, toys, and frequently touched surfaces to prevent spreading of germs.
- Enforced rules and managed behavior through developmentally appropriate discipline.
- Promoted good behavior with positive reinforcement methods.
- Managed daily routines, including meal preparation, ensuring a structured and nurturing environment for the children.
- Promoted language development by incorporating music, and conversation into daily activities.
- Assisted children with special needs by effectively implementing accommodations for their success in various tasks.
- Improved emotional well-being of children through providing consistent support and empathy in various situations.
- Prevented behavioral issues with proactive management strategies that encouraged self-regulation among the children.
- Fostered creativity in children through engaging in different activities.
- Facilitated outdoor playtime to promote physical activity while teaching essential coordination skills.
- Assisted in potty training and other daily hygiene activities to support child development.
- Prepared healthy foods and beverages for children based on optimal dietary guidelines and individual restrictions.
- Monitored children's activities to verify safety and wellbeing.
- Assisted other house staff with behavioral interventions when children were displaying challenging behavior.
Classroom Teacher's Aide
Maryhaven Center of Hope
01.2016 - 11.2019
- Supported classroom maintenance and upkeep, organizing books, and materials.
- Supported classroom activities, and reviewing work.
- Partnered with teacher to plan and implement lessons following student's goals, and objectives.
- Helped teacher prepare instructional material and displays.
- Developed and implemented strategies to improve student engagement.
- Demonstrated specific skills and activities for students to improve understanding and take excess workload off teachers.
- Helped teachers manage bus loading and unloading.
- Assisted with school field trips and special events.
- Assisted with behavioral challenges with the classroom staff and also assisting in behavioral interventions with other classroom staff during crisis situations.
- Reporting any concerns to the teacher, BIS and school principal when and if needed.
Direct Support Professional
Maryhaven Center of Hope
11.2005 - 12.2015
- Assisted clients with daily living needs to maintain self-esteem and general wellness.
- Maintained detailed documentation of client progress, daily activities, incidents, and relevant observations to ensure continuity of care.
- Improved client quality of life by providing assistance with daily living activities such as bathing, grooming, dressing, feeding, toileting assistance.
- Provided reliable transportation for clients to attend medical appointments, social outings, or other community-based events as needed.
- Maintained clean, safe, and well-organized patient environment.
- Documented progress notes thoroughly to track client achievements, concerns, or changes in behavior patterns that may need attention from the interdisciplinary team.
- Assisted with crisis intervention to de-escalate challenging behavior and maintain peaceful encounters.
- Enhanced quality of life for individuals with disabilities by providing compassionate and consistent direct support.
- Supported clients with personal care tasks, ensuring their dignity and privacy were maintained at all times.
- Participated in ongoing training opportunities to stay current on best practices in disability support services.
- Provided ongoing communication between clients, management so the management team could communicate concerns with client's families, and other service providers to enhance overall care.
- Assisted disabled clients to support independence and well-being.
- Maintained a safe and inclusive environment by addressing behavioral challenges with patience and understanding.
- Facilitated social outings and community integration activities, promoting inclusion and positive experiences for clients.
- Monitored clients to assess and report physical and behavioral changes to supervisors.
- Encouraged and supported clients to participate in recreational and leisure activities to promote social interactions and reduce loneliness.
- Addressed emergency situations calmly and effectively, prioritizing the safety of both clients and staff members involved.
- Promoted physical well-being by supporting clients in engaging in regular exercise routines or therapeutic activities suited to their abilities.
- Transported clients to medical and dental appointments to provide support.
- Advocated for clients'' rights within the broader community, raising awareness about issues affecting those with disabilities.
- Adapted support approaches based on individual client preferences, fostering increased trust and rapport over time.
- Helped organize recreational events that encouraged relationship building among clients and increased their sense of belonging within the dormitory residence setting.
- Maintaining open lines of communication about client progress and addressing any concerns promptly to management.
- Monitored and reported changes in clients' health and well-being, enabling timely interventions.
- Enhanced communication skills of non-verbal clients using alternative communication devices such as PECS boards.
- Improved clients' daily living skills with hands-on teaching and encouragement, promoting independence.
- Helped organize and participated in recreational activities, contributing to vibrant community life for residents.
- Trained new staff on best practices in direct support, elevating overall quality of care provided.
Porter Dishwasher
Maryhaven Center of Hope
08.2001 - 11.2005
- Communicated with coworkers and managers about completed duties.
- Maintained a strong work ethic and punctuality, consistently arriving on time and prepared for each shift.
- Maintained a clean and welcoming environment for staff and residents in the cafeteria.
- Cleaned and organized dishroom, cafeteria, Home Ec. Room as required. Took out garbage cleaning dishes during dinner time.
Timeline
Child Care Worker
SCO Family Services
07.2020 - 05.2024
Direct Support Professional
Maryhaven Center of Hope
11.2019 - Current
Classroom Teacher's Aide
Maryhaven Center of Hope
01.2016 - 11.2019
Direct Support Professional
Maryhaven Center of Hope
11.2005 - 12.2015
Porter Dishwasher
Maryhaven Center of Hope
08.2001 - 11.2005
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