State of Maryland

A Direct Care Assistant II is the full performance level of work assisting in the care, treatment, habilitation or rehabilitation of patients and/or clients that are aged, physically ill, have behavioral health diagnoses, or have intellectual or developmental disabilities in State treatment facilities or community based programs. Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from nursing staff or other designated healthcare administrator. Employees may be assigned to day, evening, night or rotating shifts which may include holidays and weekends. Employees are subject to call-in and overtime based on staffing needs. The work involves the lifting and positioning of patients/clients and the lifting of wheelchairs and other heavy objects.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology. The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Direct Care Trainee, Direct Care Assistant I and Direct Care Assistant II levels are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees. The Direct Care Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision. The Direct Care Assistant I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed. The Direct Care Assistant II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Observes, reports, and records information related to patients or clients behavior and appearances into clinical records;

Provides activities of daily living including nourishment, personal hygiene, and grooming;

Lifts and positions patients/clients;

Carries out procedures for the safety of oneself and patients or clients who may pose a danger to themselves and others;

Interacts with and encourages patients/clients to participate in prescribed activities;

Reports and corrects, if possible, safety hazards in buildings and patient or client areas;

Attends and participates in team meetings where individual program plans (IPP), goals and treatment strategies are set or modified, in-service and other training courses;

Provides guidance, advice and training to lower-level direct care staff;

Attends to patient or client infections and disposes of infectious waste;

Drives or escorts patients or clients to daily activities;

Collects patient specimens, charts, x-rays and other data and delivers them to appropriate locations on and off the facility;

Takes and records vital signs, disposes of soiled laundry and cleans accidental spillage;

Assists licensed staff in carrying out prescribed treatment programs;

Completes records describing clients' behavior, physical limitations and skill levels;

Performs other related duties.

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.