About this role

Job Title: Direct Support Professional

Department: Varies

Reports To: Manager

FLSA Status: Nonexempt

Prepared By: HIT, Inc. Admin. Department

Prepared Date: 10/19/2010

Revised Date: 06/04/2024

SUMMARY OF WORK:

Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) provide direct service to the people living at residential sites. This position's primary responsibility is to ensure that active treatment is provided to the people served consistently in accordance with Individual Service Plans. This position is also responsible for ensuring that household duties are completed to maintain a safe and clean environment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Individual Programming

- Possess a thorough knowledge of each Individual Service Plan (ISP).

- Implement all Individual Service Plans (ISP) according to written techniques and in naturally occurring situations.

- Record data accurately and consistently for all individual's programs.

- Implement all behavior programs consistently and accurately.

- Assist in the completion of residential and vocational assessments.

Individual Services

Provide assistance to the people served as identified in their Individual Service Plans for such things as hygiene, grooming, bathing, dressing, eating, medication administration, etc.

As designated, provide transportation for people to work, social and recreational activities or any other community activities.

As designated, provide medication administration to people following all agency policies and procedures.

Accompany people to a variety of community activities and provide support and supervision as needed.

Ensure people served receive supervision as identified in their Individual Service Plans.

Ensure food is served appropriately to all people (i.e. following menus, diets, sanitation regulations, etc.)

As assigned, provide people with meaningful, functional and age-appropriate activities. Activities may include personal care, social skills, safety, rights, physical therapy and adaptive equipment programming.

Maintenance

Assist in maintaining the site in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner.

Submit Maintenance Requests and report any necessary maintenance/repairs to the appropriate person.

Record Keeping

Complete reports in a timely manner (i.e. General Event Reports (GER), fire drills, maintenance requests, vehicle accidents, staff accidents, etc.).

Communicate with the work site or school personnel via the established protocol.

In-service

Attend and participate in scheduled site staff meetings and mandatory agency staff meetings.

Complete modules, practicums and all classes as scheduled.

Participate in required training, workshops and in-services.

General

- Possess a working knowledge of agency expectations, policies, procedures and standards.

- Possess a working knowledge of requirements for state licensure and other certifications.

- Meet certification requirements to become a Medication Technician.

- Work cooperatively by communicating information about individual's needs, performance or progress in an accurate, timely manner.

- Notify the supervisor or manager on call immediately if unable to report to work as scheduled and assist in finding your own replacement.

- Ensure all emergencies are handled according to policies and procedures and ensure that all individual's needs are met on that shift.

- Advocate for people served.

- Immediately report any incidents of abuse/neglect/exploitation by following agency policies and procedures.

- Treat all people with dignity and respect.

- Assist parents, families and visitors to feel welcome and comfortable at the site.

- Assist in integrating the site into the community by being sensitive to concerns expressed by neighbors and addressing concerns with the appropriate supervisory staff.

- Abide by the agency's confidentiality agreement regarding people served and the agency.

- Must be willing to work a variety of shifts including early mornings, days, evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.

- Follow proper chain of command protocols when addressing concerns, questions and suggestions.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

None

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE

Must have knowledge and skills necessary to perform ordinary household functions.

Must possess good observation skills and relate observations accurately, both verbally and in writing.

Must have the knowledge and skills necessary to perform basic computer operations.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Requires knowledge and skill equivalent to the completion of a high school diploma. Preference is given to those with work experience in developmental disabilities.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Will meet and maintain the required certifications to become a medication technician and CPR, First Aid and DD certified as required for the position.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence.

Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to the people served and employees.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add and subtract two-digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10's and 100's.

Ability to perform these operations using units of American money and weight measurement, volume, and distance.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee regularly is required to sit, climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk and hear. The employee is regularly required to taste or smell. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to adjust focus. For specific lifting, pushing, and pulling requirements, please see the attached Job Function Description.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts. The employee may also encounter people who exhibit verbal and physical aggression. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Some people communicate via vocalizations. At times, there may be several people in a small setting, all communicating simultaneously, increasing the noise level beyond moderate. The employee is frequently exposed to outside weather conditions.

Qualifications