Direct Support Professional I

Hillside•Town of Orchard Park, NY

6d•$20 - $24

About The Position

The Direct Support Professional I works with a team of professionals and families to provide family-driven, youth-guided, trauma-informed, and culturally competent services. The role helps create a safe, nurturing, and peaceful environment where youth and families can develop life and social skills and reach their full potential. The position provides supervision and daily-living support, implements and monitors care plans and treatment objectives, documents individuals’ emotional and behavioral status, and collaborates with families and treatment teams. It also includes crisis prevention and intervention, medication administration, transportation, housekeeping, petty-cash management, and staff training. Employees may be assigned other duties. The position requires variable scheduling, including evenings and weekends, and may involve physical interventions and restraints using approved techniques. The stated pay range is $19.50–$24.00, based on experience; the rate may include a regional and/or department premium.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Complete Approved Medication Administrative Personnel (AMAP) training within one year.
CPR certification, either current or obtained within 60 days of hire.
Demonstrate emotional competence and good judgment in building productive relationships with children, youth, staff, and families while implementing rules, expectations, and routines.
Complete required documentation accurately and on time in accordance with policies and regulations.
Recognize and address escalating or dysregulated youth behavior and use training in behavior management and Strategies for Crisis Intervention and Prevention (SCIP), including physical interventions.
Demonstrate problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills.
Communicate effectively at all levels and recognize situations requiring notification or communication to others.
Maintain high standards of ethical and professional conduct.
Meet the physical demands of the role, including lifting and carrying, manual dexterity, driving, and potentially physically restraining clients weighing 50 to 300 pounds using approved techniques.

Nice To Haves

Unrestricted, valid New York State driver’s license held for at least one year, a clean driving record, and minimum insurance coverage meeting agency standards.

Responsibilities

Provide supervision and care to individuals, assist with daily living skills, and follow program standards, safety procedures, and mandated reporting protocols.
Develop, implement, monitor, and report on treatment objectives and modalities supporting individuals’ goals.
Assess the effectiveness of individual care plans, including behavior, safety, treatment, and routine support plans.
Build professional relationships with peers that support individual development and success.
Provide purposeful activities suited to individuals’ developmental levels to foster skills for transitions and community interactions.
Monitor individuals’ emotional and behavioral status and document observations.
Partner with the family-driven treatment team to ensure decisions are made in the youth’s best interests.
Complete required documentation according to policies and regulations.
Follow established procedures for passing and administering medications.
Communicate daily with appropriate staff about relevant behaviors and concerns, with timely documentation and notifications to families and funders.
Recognize escalating youth behavior and apply crisis-prevention and intervention methods, including verbal and non-verbal de-escalation and, when needed, protective interventions and physical restraints.
Promote participant learning through reflective practice in collaboration with the treatment team.
Perform support tasks, including transportation to medical appointments, housekeeping, medication administration, and petty-cash management.
Execute staff training initiatives.
Transport youth as required.
Perform other duties as assigned.