The Program Coordinator is responsible for planning, coordinating, and facilitating a diverse range of meaningful, engaging, and person-centered activities for participants in Sunnyside Community Services’ Social Adult Day Program. The program serves older adults living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
The position requires strong organizational skills, creativity, initiative, and the ability to develop meaningful activities that promote cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being.
The position works closely with the Program Director, program staff, Home Health Aides, volunteers, caregivers, and community partners to ensure activities are responsive to participants’ abilities, interests, cultural backgrounds, and changing needs.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Activity Planning and Facilitation
- Develop and maintain a structured, diverse, and engaging monthly calendar.
- Plan activities in advance, ensuring appropriate preparation, materials, supplies, and staffing.
- Adapt activities to participant’s cognitive, physical, functional, cultural, and individual needs.
- Evaluate participant ‘s engagement and modify programming as needed.
- Coordinate special events, community outings, entertainment, and volunteer-supported activities.
Dementia-Informed Engagement
- Provide person-centric, respectful, and dementia-informed engagement.
- Promote dignity, independence, choice, and respect in all interactions with participants.
- Recognize and appropriately respond to changes in behavior, mood, communication, and engagement.
- Create activities that support participants’ remaining strengths and abilities rather than focusing on limitations.
- Incorporate participant’s interests, preferences, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds into programming.
Participant Safety and Well-Being
- Ensure activity spaces are organized to support participant safety, accessibility, and engagement.
- Follow organizational safety, emergency, infection control, and regulatory requirements.
- Maintain appropriate awareness and supervision of participants during scheduled activities.
- Immediately report changes in a participant’s behavior, condition, functioning, or safety concerns to the Program Director or appropriate staff.
- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and protect participant confidentiality.
Documentation and Program Quality
- Maintain accurate records of activities conducted and participant engagement as required by the program. Contribute to the patient care plans and activity-related goals as assigned.
- Assist the Program Director with program evaluations, satisfaction initiatives, audits, and other quality-improvement activities related to recreational programming.
Teamwork and Communication
- Work collaboratively with the Program Director and Social Adult Day team to support the overall operation of the program.
- Participate in staff meetings, trainings, case discussions, and program planning meetings as required.
- Communicate respectfully and effectively with participants, family caregivers, staff, volunteers, and community partners.
- Provide guidance and direction to volunteers assisting with recreational activities.
- Collaborate with other Sunnyside Community Services programs to identify opportunities for joint activities, education, special events, and intergenerational programming.
Qualifications
- Associate degree or higher in recreation, therapeutic recreation, social work, gerontology, human services, psychology, education, or a related field preferred. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- Minimum of one to two years of experience working with older adults, preferably in a Social Adult Day, adult day services, senior center, memory care, dementia care, or similar setting.
- Knowledge of person-centered and dementia-informed approaches to engagement. Experience working with individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia strongly preferred.
- Ability to work effectively and compassionately with older adults, family caregivers, staff, and volunteers.
- Ability to adapt activities for participants with different cognitive, physical, communication, and functional abilities.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, organizational, and time-management skills.
- Ability to respond calmly and appropriately to challenging situations.
- Experience in planning and facilitating group activities is strongly preferred.
- Basic computer skills and ability to maintain required program documentation.
- Bilingual or multilingual skills are a plus.
Salary Range: $41,000 – $43,000 annually (30 hrs. weekly)
Program: Sunnyside Community Services Social Adult Day Program
Reports To: Program Director
SCS Offers an Excellent Benefits Package:
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution, flexible spending account and transit program, Employee Assistance Program, 20 days of paid vacation and 12 paid sick days per year, 10 paid holidays, six personal/floating days, life insurance, and long-term disability.
How To Apply:
Send cover letter and resume to mvitale@scsny.org. Please indicate “Program Coordinator – Your Name” in the email subject line.
All positions at Sunnyside Community Services are filled without regard to race/color, religion/creed, national origin, age, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, pregnancy-related condition or lactation, military/veteran status, marital status, familial status, caregiver status, sexual or reproductive health decisions, height, weight, status as a victim of domestic violence/stalking/ sex offenses, predisposing genetic characteristic, immigration or citizenship status, prior arrest or conviction record, credit history, salary history, unemployment status, pre-employment marijuana testing, union affiliation/activity, or for reporting or opposing discrimination on these bases or for reporting or opposing violations of workplace health and safety, pay equity or practices, or for participating in any internal or any legally protected status listed in the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL). All are encouraged to apply.
Sunnyside Community Services strives to address, explore, and educate all our stakeholders about the diversity of human experience and to advance and integrate racial equity and social justice into all organizational policies and programs. We believe that everyone, regardless of who they are or what they do for the organization, should feel equally involved and supported.
Sunnyside Community Services represents a commitment to considering the whole person and how systemic barriers and access to opportunities can affect their well-being.
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer