NEUROAFFIRMING PROGRAM SPECIALIST

LEAPS Services; Palm Desert (CA); On-site; USD 58,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Competitive salary

Employee discounts

Opportunity for advancement

Paid time off

Training & development

Wellness resources

Job summary

LEAPS Services seeks a Neuroaffirming Program Specialist to deliver individualized, person-centered support across our programming and community settings. You will work with neurodivergent youth and adults, manage a small caseload, and collaborate with families and teams to advance goals.

This full-time, on-site role requires strong communication, documentation, and flexibility. A Bachelor's degree is required; a Master’s is preferred. Salary range $58,000–$72,000.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required.
• Master's degree preferred but not required.
• Five years of relevant professional experience recommended.

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized, person-centered, and neuroaffirming support across LEAPS programming.
• Develop skills in independence, communication, self-advocacy, and social development.
• Maintain and monitor progress, review goals, and document sessions.
• Collaborate with families and professionals to adapt programming.

Skills

Direct service

Communication

Caseload coordination

Documentation

Team collaboration

Creative problem solving

Flexibility

Education

Bachelor's degree from accredited college or university

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Benefits

• 401(k) matching
• Competitive salary
• Employee discounts
• Opportunity for advancement
• Paid time off
• Training & development
• Wellness resources
• 401(k)

About the Role

At LEAPS Services, our Specialists build relationships, create meaningful learning opportunities, support independence, collaborate with families, and take an active role in helping each self-advocate move toward individualized goals. This position combines direct service, caseload management, program implementation, community-based learning, family collaboration, progress monitoring, and professional documentation. This is an active role with significant responsibility. It requires creativity, organization, flexibility, initiative, strong communication, and the ability to think beyond the activity happening in front of you. For the right professional, it is also an opportunity to see the direct impact of thoughtful, individualized support.

Key Responsibilities

Individualized Support:

Provide individualized, person-centered, and neuroaffirming support across LEAPS programming, at the LEAPS Community Hub, and throughout community-based environments.

Use real-life experiences to intentionally develop skills related to:

• Independence and daily living
• Communication
• Self-advocacy
• Social development
• Emotional regulation
• Executive functioning
• Community access
• Functional academics
• Vocational readiness
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Personal responsibility
• Other individualized goals

Specialists are expected to actively teach, model, facilitate, coach, and create opportunities for independence rather than simply supervise or accompany self-advocates.

Caseload

Maintain an assigned caseload of approximately 5–7 self-advocates.

Caseload includes:

• Reviewing individualized goals
• Monitoring progress
• Reviewing session documentation
• Identifying patterns or changes
• Recognizing when progress has stalled
• Identifying emerging skills and opportunities
• Preparing meaningful activities connected to goals
• Communicating concerns early
• Collaborating on modifications to programming
• Following through on recommendations and action items

Who Will Thrive in This Position?

• Enjoys working directly with neurodivergent youth and adults
• Wants meaningful responsibility rather than a passive support role
• Can balance relationship-building with professional accountability
• Is comfortable working both independently and collaboratively
• Enjoys being active and working in community environments
• Can organize and manage multiple responsibilities
• Is creative and able to turn everyday experiences into learning opportunities
• Understands that progress is not always linear
• Can adapt when a plan isn't working
• Communicates professionally with families and team members
• Takes documentation seriously
• Is willing to receive feedback and continue developing professionally
• Can take initiative without needing constant direction
• Values autonomy, dignity, inclusion, and self-advocacy

Education & Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required.

Preferred undergraduate fields include, but are not limited to:

• Psychology
• Child Development
• Human Development
• Sociology
• Social Work
• Education
• Special Education
• Behavioral Science
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Communication Sciences
• Rehabilitation Services
• Family Studies
• Counseling or related human-services fields

Candidates with degrees in other disciplines may also be considered when they demonstrate substantial relevant professional experience working with neurodivergent individuals, individuals with developmental disabilities, or related populations.

Preferred Education

Master's degree preferred, but not required.

Relevant graduate degrees may include:

• Master of Social Work (MSW)
• Master's in Psychology
• Master's in Counseling
• Master's in Special Education
• Master's in Education
• Master's in Applied Behavior Analysis
• Master's in Human Development
• Master's in Rehabilitation Counseling
• Master's in Clinical Psychology
• Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy or related field
• Other closely related behavioral, educational, developmental, or human-services graduate programs

Graduate education is especially valued when combined with strong direct-service experience and demonstrated ability to translate professional knowledge into practical, neuroaffirming, person-centered support.

Professional Experience

Candidates should have a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience working with neurodivergent individuals, individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, behavioral health populations, or other related support environments.

Strong candidates will demonstrate experience in several of the following areas:

• Individualized direct support
• Social skills development
• Independent-living skill development
• Community-based programming
• Behavioral and emotional-regulation support
• Vocational or employment readiness
• Family and caregiver collaborationGoal development and progress monitoring
• Professional documentation
• Case or caseload coordination
• Group facilitation
• Neuroaffirming practices
• Supporting individuals with complex behavioral or communication needs

This is not considered an entry-level position. Candidates should be prepared to independently organize responsibilities, manage an assigned caseload, communicate professionally with families and team members, recognize when additional support is needed, and take ownership of appropriate follow-through.

Compensation

Salary Range: $58,000–$72,000 annually

This is a full-time salaried professional position.

Starting salary within the established range will be determined based on the candidate's combination of education, directly relevant experience, demonstrated professional competencies, caseload-management experience, specialized training, and the level of responsibility the candidate is prepared to assume upon hire.

A candidate meeting the minimum qualifications may typically enter toward the lower portion of the range, while candidates bringing advanced education, extensive directly related experience, specialized credentials, significant case-management experience, or demonstrated leadership within neurodevelopmental or behavioral services may be considered toward the higher portion of the range.

A master's degree is preferred and may be considered when determining placement within the salary range; however, education alone does not determine compensation. LEAPS will consider the candidate's complete professional background and demonstrated ability to successfully perform the responsibilities of the Neuroaffirming Program Specialist position.

Professional Expectations

Neuroaffirming Program Specialists are expected to demonstrate reliability, professionalism, initiative, organization, strong communication, appropriate professional boundaries, and consistent follow-through.

This is not an entry-level support position.

The Specialist is trusted with meaningful responsibility for the quality and continuity of services provided to their assigned caseload.

We expect Specialists to remain curious, prepared, engaged, accountable, collaborative, and willing to grow.