SSA Job Preview

Service and Support Administrators assist people with developmental disabilities by connecting them to provider agencies, community resources, and funding sources to achieve their life goals. This is accomplished through a person-centered planning process, which involves developing tailored service and support plans with the active participation of the person served and their support network. SSAs help people advocate for themselves, and they also advocate on behalf of the person when needed. For example, an SSA might help someone select appropriate providers for direct care, housing, or education, and then help to develop and confirm the person’s available resources, scheduling, and goals in collaboration with the chosen provider.

SSAs act as the primary point of contact for coordinating the services outlined in a person’s plan, which includes facilitating all relevant meetings and training providers on the person’s service plan. SSAs have an average caseload of 30-45 people. SSAs will monitor the person’s plan progress, ensuring their health and safety are maintained through the implemented supports. Additionally, SSAs are responsible for authoring the service delivery plan on an annual basis and revising it as necessary to ensure it reflects the person’s current situation.

SSAs ensure that services are not only delivered effectively but also properly documented and billed, supporting the financial sustainability of the programs and services provided to individuals with developmental disabilities. Part of an SSA’s duties might involve assisting an individual or their family in completing the required documentation for Medicaid waiver funding enrollment or continuation. SSAs educate families and individuals about waiver benefits and budgets and help optimize the use of available funding by ensuring all available resources are identified and utilized effectively. They explore and secure additional funding sources when available, maximizing the financial support for individuals. This also entails keeping detailed case notes of services provided, which are essential for agency billing and reimbursement.

Due to the nature of the work, SSAs can utilize hybrid-remote scheduling when possible. On average, an SSA spends about 30% of their work time in the field, typically conducting face-to-face meetings with people on their caseload. At HCDDS, we empower the people we serve to choose how they would like to meet with their Service and Support Administrator. This means that if someone prefers in-home visits, their SSA will travel to their residence.

Working in-home exposes an SSA to various environments, including travel to areas with higher safety concerns and residences with cleanliness issues or pest challenges. To ensure our case managers are well-prepared for these situations, we provide inclusive safety training and encourage practices such as notifying coworkers if they ever feel unsafe. While encountering such circumstances is rare, we want all new SSAs to know that exposure to these conditions is possible.

In addition to their core responsibilities, SSAs may receive notifications during scheduled hours or from on-call colleagues regarding emergency situations experienced by individuals. In response, SSAs prioritize the immediate safety of the individual and develop plans for resolution or future prevention.

Our SSAs collaborate with various providers to coordinate services for the individuals on their caseload. This often involves facilitating meetings, which can sometimes be adversarial. The primary goal of the SSA is to deliver exemplary customer service while prioritizing the best interests of the individuals they support. Creativity in resolving issues and finding solutions that best support the individual is essential.

We work with individuals from all walks of life. Each SSA caseload typically includes one or two individuals who exhibit more challenging behaviors. These challenges may lead to increased contact, higher demands, frequent changes to an individual’s support plan, legal involvement, health and safety emergencies, and other unpredictable events. SSAs must understand that setting respectful boundaries is essential. SSAs are encouraged to collaborate with their supervisor to develop a support plan that addresses challenging behaviors and establishes appropriate boundaries with the individual.

SSAs are hourly, classified employees who work 36.25 hours per week, averaging 7.25 hours per day during the workweek. Shifts typically fall within the business hours of Monday – Friday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm but may vary based on the needs of the individuals supported. SSAs have the flexibility to schedule meetings independently but are always encouraged to prioritize the preferences and needs of the individuals they serve. Subject to supervisor approval, SSAs may utilize flexible and condensed scheduling.

SSAs may participate in an on-call team to field emergency calls after hours. If on-call, SSAs are paid a stipend that varies based on their priority level within the available on-call staff. The on-call schedule is confirmed up to a year in advance to guarantee continuous coverage. Calls may come at any hour, meaning on-call staff are expected to keep their work phone close and respond immediately to all inquiries.

For a full list of benefit offerings, visit the Hamilton County Employee Benefits Page.

Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services is committed to providing comprehensive and interactive competency-based training to new and current team members. At the end of the 3-month training period, all SSAs are equipped to have passed their required training and demonstrate competency in their role. We also recognize that it is normal to have many questions as a new SSA. Staff will have ample opportunity to ask questions and continue to deepen their understanding of the SSA role through regular one-on-one meetings with their supervisor, consistent communication with their teammates and team lead, and continual professional development opportunities.

In addition to their initial training, all professionals involved in coordinating or contributing to individual service plans are required to maintain professional certification. Certification involves initial training during onboarding to ensure competency, with opportunities provided for continuing education during work hours to maintain current certification status.