Independent Living Instructor - San Ramon/Danville Area
Location: This position serves clients throughout Contra Costa County. The role is not limited to San Ramon, Danville, or Walnut Creek only.
Day Schedule — sessions are generally scheduled between 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
- Services are provided one-to-one on a weekly schedule, generally between 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Days and session length are based on each client's needs, and hours can vary. Availability across the week helps us match you with clients.
About the role
Inspired Living provides Independent Living Services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, building the skills that support independence. As an ILS Instructor, you are assigned a small number of clients and work with each of them one-on-one, teaching the skills they have chosen to work on. Sessions are individual rather than group based. The exception is occasional company client events, where staff and clients come together.
This is a teaching role, not a caregiving or companion role. You are not there to do things for the client. You are there to show them how, practice with them, and step back as they take it on themselves. Skill building is incremental. Instructors often teach and practice the same skill across many sessions before a client performs it independently.
Where you work and what you teach
Sessions take place in the client's home or out in the community, typically in blocks of several hours.
Skill areas commonly include:
- Cooking, meal planning, grocery shopping, and food safety
- Budgeting, banking, paying bills, and managing benefits
- Household routines, cleaning, and laundry
- Personal hygiene and health routines, including scheduling and attending medical appointments
- Using public transportation and getting around the community
- Communication, self-advocacy, and problem solving
- Building and maintaining safe relationships
Community outings are part of the work when they serve a goal: practicing a bus route, doing the week's shopping, going to the bank.
What the job asks of you
- Work independently. No supervisor is on site with you. You manage the session, your time, and your own judgment in the moment. You escalate to your ILS Manager when something is outside your scope.
- Document every session. Service notes and timesheets must be accurate and submitted on time.
- Show up consistently. Consistency and routine are central to the service. Clients depend on scheduled sessions taking place as planned.
- Drive. You travel to clients and transport them during sessions when authorized to do so.
- Communicate promptly.
Schedule changes, client concerns, safety issues, and incidents go to your ILS Manager right away.
Schedule and hours
Part-time. You must be available for at least three four-hour blocks per week, on at least three separate days, between 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
You have input into which blocks you take, and schedules are set around client availability. Assigned hours depend on current client assignments and can change when a client's needs, goals, or availability change. Hours are not guaranteed.
What you need
- High school diploma or GED
- At least six months of paid or volunteer experience supporting people with disabilities, or comparable human services experience
- Ability to communicate clearly in English, spoken and written
- Spanish proficiency preferred; required for some client assignments
- Valid California driver's license, a reliable vehicle, and current registration and insurance
- CPR and First Aid certification, or willingness to obtain it before your first client session
Employment offers are contingent on completion of a background check.
Essential functions
- Travel by vehicle to client homes and community locations, typically up to 30 minutes each way and occasionally longer depending on the assignment
- Operate a vehicle and transport clients safely
- Stand and walk for extended periods during sessions, including in homes, stores, transit, and other community settings
- Occasionally lift or carry up to 25 pounds, such as groceries, laundry, or supplies
- Read, write, and complete electronic documentation
- Communicate by phone, text, and email
If you need an accommodation to perform these functions or during the hiring process, let us know.
Compensation and benefits
- Mileage reimbursement in accordance with company policy
- Monthly phone stipend
- 401(k) with company match, subject to plan terms and eligibility
- Paid sick leave as provided under California law
- Discretionary bonus review twice per year; bonuses are not guaranteed and eligibility and amount are subject to company review and approval
- Employee perks and discounts
About us
Inspired Living provides Independent Living Services across California. We believe adults with developmental disabilities should be supported to make their own decisions, build their own skills, and live the lives they choose. Our instructors are the people who make that real, one session at a time.
Inspired Living is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
Employment with Inspired Living is at-will.