Direct Support Professional
About The Position
The Direct Support Professional counsels, assists, and trains individuals with developmental disabilities in personal care, travel, social, home-management, and life skills to maximize their functioning in the community. The role supports a comfortable and safe home environment, encourages individual growth and community inclusion, and provides ongoing oversight of individuals’ health and safety. The people supported range in age from childhood to adulthood. The position includes providing personal care, teaching and practicing household and community-living skills, documenting services, and performing advocacy responsibilities. The employee must complete core competency goals according to OPWDD timelines and obtain and maintain the required medication-administration certification during the probationary period.
Requirements
- High school diploma or General Education Degree (GED).
- At least one year of experience working with people with developmental disabilities; residential, health, or treatment-related experience is preferred.
- Valid New York State driver’s license.
- Complete and obtain certification in the OPWDD-approved Medication Administration Course (AMAP) during the probationary period and maintain AMAP certification.
- Ability and willingness to become First Aid and CPR certified.
- Ability and willingness to obtain certification in SCIPR Competencies and advance to Promote Competencies.
- Demonstrated written, verbal, and computational skills sufficient to document records in accordance with program standards.
- Ability to speak clearly and hear spoken words well.
- Near-vision ability to read printed and on-screen data and documents, including spreadsheets and reports.
- Ability to apply proper lifting techniques.
- Ability to physically restrain challenging behaviors.
Nice To Haves
- Specialized training in direct care provision.
- Experience working with people with developmental disabilities in a residential, health, or treatment-related setting.
Responsibilities
- Support a comfortable home environment for the individual.
- Work toward satisfactory completion of core competency goals according to OPWDD timeline requirements.
- Provide a safe and clean environment based on the individual’s skill level and risks, and support the safety of all individuals in everyday situations.
- Use verbal and physical means to create a positive environment that encourages and enables individual growth.
- Assist individuals in developing social skills that support integration and inclusion in their communities.
- Provide protective oversight while individuals engage in community activities.
- Continuously monitor each individual’s personal health, including during high-activity situations, personal care, meals, and community activities.
- Assist individuals in learning and practicing home-living skills, including household chores, cooking, laundry, and caring for clothing.
- Perform advocacy responsibilities while respecting the processes and people involved.
- Complete documentation related to essential functions and services for the individual.
- Provide physical care that may include bathing, feeding, changing clothes or diapers, and pushing wheelchairs.
- Physically restrain challenging behaviors when necessary, including aggression and self-injurious or destructive behaviors.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
