Direct Support Professional/DECATUR
About The Position
The Direct Support Professional provides support to individuals with disabilities, empowering them to lead self-directed lives and develop or maintain skills that enhance their quality of life. The role supports the agency’s mission to help people be happy, healthy, and safe while enjoying life to the fullest extent possible. Work takes place primarily in a home environment and also in community settings, workplaces, and outdoor activities. The position supports individuals with personal care, daily routines, and outcomes identified in their Individual Support Plans. It promotes dignity, choice, independence, community integration, meaningful relationships, and participation in preferred activities. The role also includes transportation, meal preparation, teaching daily living skills, documenting progress and shift notes in an electronic records system, medication storage and administration, household tasks, and protecting confidentiality. Employees attend assigned training and meetings and may be asked to perform other duties. The position may require additional hours over 40 per week.
Requirements
- Must be at least 21 years old.
- Must be able to read and write effectively.
- ECF staff must have a high school diploma or GED.
- Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record throughout employment.
- Must meet state and local requirements for criminal background, sexual offender, abuse registry, drug, and felony offender checks.
- Must meet all training requirements and keep training current.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills.
- Effective organizational skills and ability to complete heavy workloads within established time frames, including with frequent interruptions or distractions.
- Effective interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships and interact appropriately in different contexts.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality concerning clients and employees.
- Ability to perform a variety of duties and adapt to changing tasks, technologies, techniques, environmental factors, physical demands, and work situations.
- Must provide medical records required by governing entities and agency policy; examples include TB skin tests and Hepatitis B and flu vaccinations.
- Ability to stand or walk for prolonged periods; sit for short or long periods; and occasionally stoop, kneel, crouch, and reach.
- Ability to drive or travel for short periods to transport individuals and attend appointments, outings, meetings, and training.
- Full range of body movements and ability to perform CPR compressions, abdominal thrusts, CPI techniques, and pursue a person on foot when needed to prevent injury; ability to bend, reach, crouch, stoop, and climb when needed.
- Command of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste; vision sufficient for close and distant viewing, depth perception, shifting focus between documents and a computer or tablet, and operating a vehicle; ability to talk and listen for prolonged periods.
- Ability to lift more than 50 pounds to assist with transfers and repositioning of individuals requiring total care.
- Must maintain valid Medication Certification throughout employment.
- Must maintain valid CPR/First Aid Certification throughout employment.
- Must maintain valid CPI training throughout employment if required.
- Valid automobile insurance is required at homes where the agency does not provide a vehicle; proof must be presented before transfer to such a home, and the agency may request proof regardless of location or vehicle availability.
Responsibilities
- Support individuals with personal care, daily routines, and goals and outcomes in their Individual Support Plans.
- Respect each person’s dignity and choices, empower self-direction, and connect them with preferred activities and experiences.
- Provide person-centered support for community integration, relationships, personal goals, and connection to community life.
- Safely transport and accompany individuals to events, job sites, medical appointments, and community outings using agency vehicles, personal vehicles, or public transportation; arrange alternate transportation when needed for safety.
- Ensure appropriate use of individuals’ and agency resources, including funds, vehicles, buildings, utilities, telephones, equipment, food, and supplies.
- Attend assigned training and meetings.
- Prepare meals according to scheduled menus.
- Perform daily living activities or teach individuals to perform them, supporting independence and personal skills.
- Work toward and document progress on individual outcomes, including completing required daily shift notes in the electronic records system.
- Follow customer service standards when communicating with individuals, families, conservators, vendors, ISCs, case managers, and others.
- Oversee medication storage and administration.
- Assist with personal grooming as desired by the individual and support independence with grooming activities where possible.
- Assist individuals with keeping the house clean and doing laundry as desired by the individual.
- Protect the confidentiality of individuals supported.
- Perform other duties as assigned by supervisors, managers, or authorized staff.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
