Direct Support Professional

The Jewish Board • New York, NY

4d • $18

About The Position

The Direct Support Professional works with clients in a residential treatment setting, implementing the parts of each treatment plan related to day-to-day care and independent living skills. The role provides therapeutic support, serves as a positive role model, and is fundamentally responsible for clients’ health and safety.

The position involves supervising personal hygiene, offering social guidance, helping clients use leisure time, and planning and preparing food. The Direct Support Professional develops and runs activities, accompanies clients on outings and appointments, and may provide one-to-one support to clients experiencing significant stress. The role also includes sharing observations with the treatment team and promptly reporting unusual issues to a supervisor.

The Direct Support Professional participates in team meetings, staff meetings, and training; completes timely documentation of resident interactions and progress; collaborates with a multidisciplinary team; and completes incident reports when appropriate. The work may involve travel in the community with residents using agency vehicles when authorized, physical activities with residents, and travel to offsite meetings or trainings.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Outlook, and Word.
• Aptitude for learning new systems and application software.
• Willingness to work with residents affected by trauma and mental health challenges.
• Compassion and respect for vulnerable individuals.
• Patience and understanding of the stabilization and recovery process.
• Excellent youth engagement skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to read paper and electronic documents and perform significant data entry.
• Manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination to travel independently using public transportation.

Nice To Haves

• Driver’s license; preferred but not required in all programs.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day care and supervision of clients, including personal hygiene, social guidance, leisure time, and food planning and preparation.
• Develop, supervise, and lead activity sessions.
• Accompany clients on trips and outings and supervise their activities.
• Provide one-to-one support to clients experiencing significant stress or assist with client management issues when needed.
• Accompany clients to medical, social, and other necessary appointments.
• Share experiences and observations of clients with the treatment team and promptly bring unusual issues to a supervisor’s attention.
• Cook or prepare meals for residents within the assigned division when required.
• Participate in weekly team meetings, regular staff meetings, and training; travel to offsite meetings and trainings when asked.
• Complete timely documentation of resident interactions, progress notes, and informational notes in electronic records.
• Coordinate and collaborate with the multidisciplinary team.
• Complete incident reports as appropriate following an incident.
• Perform other assigned duties.

What This Job Offers

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