Direct Support Professional

YAI • West Milford, NJ

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Direct Support Professional (DSP) plays a crucial role in assisting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to maximize their strengths, interests, and abilities. This position upholds personal rights, provides emotional support, and builds positive relationships through patience and tolerance. The DSP supports individuals in meeting personal goals, engages in respectful communication using person-first language, and encourages social connections within the community. Key responsibilities include ensuring the overall supervision, protection, and care of individuals, maintaining program guidelines, facilitating learning in fire safety, and escalating potential harm. The DSP ensures health, wellness, and safety by providing appropriate supervision, managing crisis situations, and adhering to policies and regulations. Support is provided in various settings according to individualized service and behavior support plans, utilizing support skills for individuals with varying needs and adhering to DDD Standards. The DSP ensures the implementation of person-centered, individualized plans, including Behavior Support Plans (BSPs), Individualized Service Plans (ISPs), and Staff Action and/or Life Plans. Maintaining a clean, safe, and therapeutic environment, utilizing safe handling procedures, and implementing infection control protocols are also essential. The role involves assisting with personal care, ADLs, teaching habilitative skills, supporting advocacy, communication, self-expression, dispute resolution, and ethical decision-making. Meal preparation, transportation for activities and appointments, and assisting with purchases and fund safeguarding are also part of the role. Medication administration, inventory, and scheduling medical appointments are critical duties. The DSP will operate agency vehicles, develop understanding of specialized clinical knowledge for specific needs, implement Behavior Support Plans, collect and summarize behavioral data, and report changes in behavior. Communication with circles of support, teamwork, and completion of necessary trainings and certifications are vital. Daily review of communication logs, electronic health records, and other documentation ensures compliance and accurate record-keeping. Foundational teaching skills and understanding behavior as communication are employed. Maintenance, upkeep, and safety concerns are reported to supervisors. Consultation with leadership and participation in team meetings are expected. The DSP utilizes approved YAI and NJ DDD training techniques for emergency interventions and may provide support across various settings and programs, including off-site locations. Participation in treatment plan development and compliance with all regulatory requirements, including HIPAA, are mandatory. Performs all other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• HS diploma or its educational equivalent.
• Must hold or obtain and maintain valid Driver’s License with no more than five (5) points.
• Ability to meet essential physical demands of position including frequent walking, sitting, standing, bending, twisting, stooping, kneeling, crouching, pushing, pulling and reaching with hands and arms; use hands to handle, finger or feel objects, tools or controls; assisting with lifting/moving individuals of any weight with assistance of mechanical lifts or other equipment and/or pushing individuals in wheelchairs; lifting and/or moving up to 25 pounds on occasion; having the physical capacity to work with and implement emergency interventions as per the person’s Behavior Support Plan if/as needed, including lifting/moving individuals of any weight with or without assistance of equipment and/or other staff.
• Effective written and oral communication skills including the ability to appropriately document services provided for billing and tracking purposes.
• Enthusiasm for working with people with I/DD, willingness to take initiative and ability to demonstrate positivity, patience and empathy and compassion in all interactions.
• Ability and willingness to assist with a variety of supports and ADLs as requested, including regular exposure to and handling of various bodily fluids.
• Basic computer skills – including email, utilizing Workday and related systems (DA, etc.) to complete tasks.
• Must hold or obtain and maintain certifications and trainings as required by program assignment and persons supported including, but not limited to Non-Crisis Invention training, American Heart Association CPR/First Aid certification, NJ Medication Administration certification and Positive Behavior Supports training as scheduled by supervisor or designee, within 120 days of appointment.
• Ability to develop and maintain professional relationships in alignment with YAI’s mission and vision.
• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations and work in a high energy, fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work beyond regularly scheduled hours/shift and/or to report to work as scheduled on holidays, in inclement weather or during other emergencies to maintain minimum coverage requirements of program, unless otherwise authorized.

Nice To Haves

• Work or life experience supporting people with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
• Knowledge of intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), clinical syndromes and/or I/DD with cooccurring behavioral/mental health needs.

Responsibilities

• Assists individuals in maximizing their strengths, interests, and abilities, upholding their personal rights, displaying patience and tolerance while providing emotional support and building positive relationships.
• Supports people to meet personal goals that characterize quality of life, engages in respectful communications and conversations through person-first language, encourages socializing and facilitates activities that provide social capital and connections to the community.
• Responsible for the overall supervision, protection, and care of individuals at all times including maintenance of program guidelines for the protection of individuals, facilitating learning and training in fire safety and identifying and appropriately escalating signs of an individual’s potential harm to self or others.
• Ensures health, wellness and safety by providing appropriate supervision of the people we support and by managing crisis situations while adhering to applicable policies, procedures and regulations.
• Provides support in a variety of settings and in accordance with each person’s individualized service and behavior support plans, utilizing support skills for people with varying levels of need and demonstrating the DDD Standards.
• Ensures implementation of person-centered, individualized plans following levels of supervision and safeguards including Behavior Support Plans (BSPs), Individualized Service Plans (ISPs), Staff Action and/or Life Plans for all people we support, understanding the intentions and goals of the plans.
• Maintains a clean, safe and organized therapeutic environment.
• Utilizes safe and appropriate handing procedures when working with individuals and implements infection control protocols.
• Assists with a variety of tasks for people we support, as appropriate/authorized, including: Providing personal care and assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs) including intimate care and personal hygiene (e.g. bathing, dressing, and toileting), laundry and housekeeping.
• Teaching/developing habilitative and rehabilitative skills.
• Supporting person-centered advocacy with the individuals.
• Assisting in communication, self-expression and resolving disputes amongst individuals.
• Facilitating ethical decision making.
• Providing supervision for and/or planning and preparing balanced meals and snacks for people we support in accordance with dietary restrictions and guidelines of specific individuals, including for modified diets or liquid consistencies.
• Transporting and escorting individuals on recreational activities, medical appointments, home visits, volunteer and/or employment sites; actively participates in establishment and/or creation of schedules for, volunteer opportunities, community and/or therapeutic activities for program.
• Assisting people with making purchases, as well as safeguarding personal allowance funds and any additional funds provided.
• Ensures that medication is administered as prescribed, in accordance with applicable guidelines.
• Assists with medication inventory, including medication cabinet checks and over-the-counter (OTC) inventory, performing within applicable timeframes and reordering medication and/or supplies, as needed.
• Assists with scheduling of medical appointments for people supported and ensures that follow-up appointments are scheduled and attended in a timely manner.
• Appropriately utilizes petty cash and house funds, including store cards, obtaining and maintaining documentation or receipts for purchases in accordance with applicable rules in coordination with supervisor.
• Operates agency vehicle to transport individuals to and/or from programs, residences, community or other locations on a regular basis and updates related logs and maintenance sheets, coordinating appointments with supervisor.
• Develops an understanding of specialized clinical knowledge for person specific needs (supporting adults, challenging behaviors, autism spectrum disorders, complex medical needs).
• Implements Behavior Support Plan/Behavior Guidelines and Protocols as specified in applicable plans.
• Collects, records, and summarizes data on individuals’ observable behavior.
• Observes and reports any changes in behavior, or other signs and symptoms, to clinical and/or leadership team.
• Communicates by phone, email and/or in person with circles of support, including families and external providers, to provide updates and/or obtain information, as directed by clinical or program leadership.
• Serves as a member of a highly effective team (teamwork within the circle of support), providing feedback and communicating programmatic needs to members of team and maintaining a solution-oriented approach during conflicts.
• Completes and maintains all necessary trainings and certifications, including specialized trainings based on program and position to ensure compliance with YAI policies and all applicable rules or regulations and applies skills.
• Reviews communication logs daily and makes entries of events, progress notes, services and/or information; ensures all pertinent information is communicated between members of the team and/or shifts using prescribed in-house communication systems and collects and enters data as part of daily operations using an electronic health record and/or medication record (e.g. Digital Agency (DA)).
• Reviews and completes all other required paperwork and documentation to ensure compliance and/or billing completely, accurately and within appropriate timeframes (e.g., notifications, logging, incident reports, update files, maintenance requests, phone calls, and tracking of incidents).
• Uses foundational teaching skills (Explain, Model, Observe and Evaluate [EMOE], task analysis, essential skills, supports and modifications, etc.) and progressive teaching.
• Understands behavior as communication and employs person-centered thinking to support positive interactions and prevent further escalation.
• Reports maintenance, upkeep and safety concerns observed at YAI/NIPD-NJ facilities to Program Supervisor or appropriate designee.
• Consults with program leadership, clinical and other direct support staff to ensure streamlined and top-quality care for individuals and attends and actively participates in team meetings.
• Utilizes/demonstrates approved YAI and NJ DDD training techniques (i.e. verbal, environmental, and physical interventions, including take downs) to respond timely and appropriately to challenging and/or self-injurious behavior, ensuring the health and safety of the people we support, self and others.
• Regularly provides support and/or coverage in a variety of settings and programs across assigned region and/or service delivery settings, including assisting at off-site locations (e.g. hospital) based on needs of program and/or individuals supported and remaining on shift or reporting to another program to maintain minimum coverage levels.
• May participate in the development of treatment plans.
• Complies with all Federal, State, Local and other relevant regulatory agency requirements, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
• Performs all other duties, as assigned.

Benefits

• Consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam or disabled veteran.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED