Direct Support Professional
About The Position
The Advanced Direct Support Professional provides day-to-day direct care and specialized behavioral support to individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, and complex behavioral needs. The role supports individuals who may experience significant behavioral challenges, mental health concerns, aggression, self-injurious behavior, or other behaviors that could present risks to themselves or others. The employee implements each individual’s Behavioral Support Plan, Individual Support Plan, crisis plan, and other clinical recommendations as written, and works collaboratively with residential leadership, clinical staff, medical personnel, and other interdisciplinary team members to identify and address clinical or behavioral concerns. The position also helps individuals safely access and participate in their communities while protecting the health and safety of individuals, staff, and community members. BrightPath provides crisis and de-escalation training.
Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- At least one year of direct support experience working with individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, complex behavioral needs, aggression, self-injurious behavior, or significant mental health needs.
- Demonstrated experience implementing Behavioral Support Plans and collecting behavioral data.
- Demonstrated competency in crisis prevention, verbal de-escalation, and approved physical restraint or physical intervention techniques.
- Ability to maintain composure and make appropriate decisions during behavioral emergencies.
Responsibilities
- Provide day-to-day direct care and supervision based on each individual’s assessed needs.
- Assist individuals with personal hygiene, bathing, dressing, toileting, meal preparation, housekeeping, medication administration, transportation, and other activities of daily living.
- Promote dignity, respect, choice, independence, privacy, and meaningful community inclusion.
- Provide the level of supervision required by individual plans, assessments, and identified risks.
- Maintain professional boundaries while developing supportive and therapeutic relationships.
- Recognize and respond appropriately to changes in an individual’s mood, behavior, physical health, mental health, or functioning.
- Administer medication accurately as taught through the PA DHS Medication Administration course.
- Review, understand, and implement each individual’s Behavioral Support Plan exactly as written.
- Follow the proactive strategies, reinforcement procedures, coping strategies, replacement-skill programs, crisis procedures, and safety protocols identified in each plan.
- Implement behavioral interventions consistently across shifts, environments, and community settings; do not use unauthorized, unapproved, or inconsistent interventions.
- Collect accurate behavioral data and complete required documentation within established timeframes.
- Identify potential patterns, triggers, environmental concerns, or changes in presentation and communicate observations to appropriate clinical and operational team members.
- Support individuals in practicing coping skills, emotional regulation techniques, communication strategies, and replacement behaviors.
- Immediately report concerns about the effectiveness, safety, or implementation of a Behavioral Support Plan.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Education Level
High school or GED
