Direct Support Professional (DSP)

Are you looking for:
•a sense of fulfillment in daily work life?
•opportunities to positively impact the lives of others?
•genuinely supportive leadership and co-workers?
•schedules/shifts that fit your needs?
•a company that invests in training, so you are prepared to do the job?
•great pay, benefits, and promotion opportunities?
And you don’t mind being challenged by:
•providing a variety of supports based on a variety of individual needs.
•maintaining a professional level of patience and cool-headedness when presented with challenges.
•supporting up to 4 persons served at a time.

Work with individuals who have developmental disabilities in our Day Program or Residential Program assisting them in maximizing individual strengths, interests, and abilities to create THEIR meaningful life. Support may occur in their home or in the community, and may include providing personal care, assistance with daily living activities, teaching/developing skills, assisting in communication and self-expression, and ultimately supporting the person in meeting his or her own goals.

Job Title: Direct Support Professional (DSP)

Reports To: Program Supervisor/Director

Summary:

Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) summarize, objectively describe and document the events in the course of the day with each person served. DSP’s work with individuals who have developmental disabilities in the day program. DSPs assist person served to become more integrated in their communities by maximizing individual strengths, interests, and abilities. The aim is for the person served to direct their own activities that create a meaningful life including contributing to the community and developing relationships. Support may occur in a variety of settings and may include providing personal care, assistance with daily living activities, job coaching, teaching/developing skills, advocating with person served, assisting in communication and self-expression, and ultimately supporting the person in meeting his or her own goals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Achieving outcomes that characterize a high quality of life.

• Listen carefully and communicate respectfully and clearly with the persons served that you support.
• Support individual choice, understanding and learning new skills.
• Understand, follow through, and document support plans, goals, activities, progress, etc.
• Support person served with daily living skills and individual support needs.
• Facilitate activities that provide person served with social capital and connections to the community.
• Assist in planning and structuring activities.

Engage in respectful communication.

• Use person-first or preferred language.
• Maintain confidentiality, privacy, and integrity.
• Talk with person served and include them in all aspects of their lives.

Encourage healthy behaviors (both physical and mental).

• Understand and follow supports for optimal health.
• Administer medications accurately and reliably.
• Ensure that person served are free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• Complete needed reporting and documentation.

Provide safeguards and appropriate leadership skills in challenging situations.

• Use positive behavioral techniques to avoid challenging situations and promote respect and dignity.
• Be a safe and conscientious driver.
• Know the proper techniques and be able to respond to emergencies such as accidents, fires, tornados, or other situations.

Complete documentation accurately and on time.

• Person-centered, accurate, legible, and object
• Specific terminology that excludes technical terms, slang, abbreviations, etc.
• Documentation describes who/what/where/when and how in third person without conclusions or opinions.
• Document to reflect the plans and goals of person served.
• Document with understanding it is subject to review by licensing and funding agencies and could be subpoenaed for legal action.
• Completed within 24 hours of occurrence.

Representing SCDDB in a positive manner

• Uphold agency values.
• Understand and follow agency systems and protocols.
• Follow agency policies and procedures.
• Communicate positively and clearly with your supervisor and coworkers.
• Meet and maintain established timelines and deadlines.
• Maintain satisfactory attendance, staff meetings, and other assigned agency functions.
• Complete needed trainings within established timeline.
• Complete duties assigned by supervisor or designee.

Qualifications:

• High School diploma or GED
• Ability to pass criminal/registry background checks.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Class E driver’s License.
• Ability to pass and maintain required trainings such as CPR/First Aid, Medication Administration and Positive Behavioral Support Training
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Ability to perform each essential duty and responsibility.
• Exceptional teamwork and problem-solving ability.

Working Conditions: DSPs work in a changing environment that adjusts to the needs of the persons served in program services. The environment may be fast paced with interruptions, distractions, and deadlines. DSPs need to be flexible and be able to adjust to changing needs or activities. Depending on the needs of the individuals, the work can be physically demanding including transferring or supporting people with mobility needs, lifting, or moving items up to 50 lbs., walking or standing for extended periods of time or providing support through CPR/First Aid, behavioral support, and other interventions.  DSPs must be able to adhere to processes and procedures and complete in a timely manner.

To apply or ask questions, email your resume to rbraker@stoneddboard.com.

Tagged as: day services, residential services