Direct Support Professional

Overview

Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) play a vital role in upholding our agency’s mission and core values through every interaction. They provide continuous support to individuals participating in Day Habilitation and ICF programs, ensuring a high quality of life and promoting independence. DSPs assist individuals with self-care, health, safety, socialization, and overall well-being. Support individuals in achieving their personal goals and enhancing their independence. Facilitate opportunities for personal growth, socialization, and skill-building in a community-based setting. Serve as second staff support by transporting participants to and from program sites, volunteer placements, and other community activities, fostering meaningful connections within the community.

DSPs embrace diversity in all its forms and strive to create an inclusive, welcoming environment where every individual feels valued. They demonstrate cultural awareness and actively support a culture of equity and inclusion.

Responsibilities

Primary duties and responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Ensures safety of program volunteers while at program site, agency locations, community volunteer jobs, and all other hubs sites
• Trains program volunteers to perform functional/meaningful and/or volunteer job tasks to the best of their abilities at primary agency, community volunteer jobs and other hub sites
• Acts as a second staff support transporting volunteers to and from primary site and all other agency, community volunteer jobs and additional hub site locations
• Acts as liaison between the volunteer’s job site staff and program volunteers.
• Prompts volunteers to interact appropriately with peers, and with all persons at primary site, and all other agencies, community volunteer jobs, and all other hub sites.
• Reports volunteers’ success/satisfaction and/or problems/concerns encountered during day activities to volunteer’s Site Manager. 
• Appropriately completes all required documentation. 
• Promotes and enforces all agency philosophies, including the guiding principles/POM and CQL at primary site and all other agency, community volunteer jobs, and all other hub sites 
• Ensures safety of program volunteers at all times and reports incidents to volunteer’s Site Manager, and/or AHRC management and/or the NYS Justice Center
• Monitors and attends all mandatory training, and personally ensures that their attendance is scheduled per deadlines. Accompanying certifications (CPR; SCIP; AMAP) are sustained and scheduled as per required timeframes 
• Performs additional related duties as requested by supervisor

Personal outcome measures’ training is required prior to completion of evaluations and assessments

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or Equivalent
• Good oral and written communication skills
• AMAP/First Aid/CPR/SCIP-R Training preferred
• Valid NYS Driver License
• Minimum one (1) year experience working with people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities preferred