GENERAL SUMMARY
The Direct Support Professional provides instruction, support, and serves as a positive role model to individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, autism, acquired brain injury or other unique challenges. DSPs are expected to encourage development of life, social and recreational skills, community and health care access. Provides direct, active, and constructive interactions with individuals in collaboration with colleagues, supervisors, clinical staff, community members, and families.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS*
- Implements Individual Service Plan (ISP) objectives and behavior plans as required by Clinical team.
- Provides personal care assistance to supported individual(s).
- Provides assistance to individuals in preparing meals that are nutritious and in compliance with physician’s dietary orders.
- Provides one-on-one supervision to individual as assigned by the treatment goals, behavior plans and other relevant plans in a non-intrusive manner to ensure individual’s safety.
- With appropriate certification, administers medications and other specialized treatments in compliance with state and Agency guidelines.
- Remains awake and alert during overnight shifts unless authorized by management to sleep.
- Assists individuals with maintaining a clean and sanitary household.
- Assists individuals in attending medical appointments, as assigned by management. May cover off-site work shifts for hospital stays. Ensures health care practitioners complete required documentation.
- Provides assistance and support to individuals with scheduling and attending social and leisure activities.
- Assists individuals with attending religious faith workshops or services.
- Completes written reports including shift reports, program objective documentation, incident reports and other reports as directed by management.
- Maintains regular, open lines of communication and a positive rapport with co-workers, families, supervisors and Department of Developmental Services (DDS) or Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) representatives.
- Attends required meetings and trainings.
- Adheres to program routines and schedules to ensure the individual needs are met.
- Provides transportation to individuals to appointments and social activities utilizing the Agency assigned vehicle, when available.
- Assists individual supported in managing personal finances in full accordance with Agency policy and procedures and DDS regulations.
- Ensures basic human rights, well-being and safety of individuals is respected at all times.
- Adheres to all supervisory directives and follows all established protocols when providing one-on-one support to individuals.
- Serves as mandated reporter for suspected cases of abuse and/or neglect to the Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC) or Elder Abuse Hotline, as appropriate.
- Serves as a case manager for an assigned individual and is responsible for the oversight of specific documentation related to their assigned individual.
- Required to communicate weekly updates to identified parties (clinical, manager, administrative, etc
- Attends meetings with house manager and clinical team in relation to their assigned individual
- Has monthly check in’s with manager and clinical team to discuss assigned individuals progress and observations in addition to routine oversight
- Is required to respond to specific clinical tasks as requested
- Assist with staff training as directed or needed
- Assists in facilitating generalization of treatment across staff
- Responsible for facilitating additional requests as determined by the clinical department or house manager
- Serve as a model for staff in the home in regards to participant interactions, activity development and execution of behavior interventions
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Performs additional duties, as assigned.
COMPETENCIES
- Adaptability: Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; inspires others to be adaptable to change.
- Ethics, Values and Diversity: Promotes an appropriate and effective work environment and strives to ensure that the agency’s core values and beliefs are applied during all circumstances; genuinely cares about people; deals effectively with all races, nationalities, cultures, disabilities, ages, lifestyle choices and genders; supports equal and fair treatment and opportunity for all; adheres to and promotes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); advocates for the rights and interests of individuals with disabilities to maximize their potential in the programs and communities of their choice.
- Integrity and Trust: Is respectful, truthful, and transparent; keeps confidences; takes ownership and responsibility for decisions and outcomes.
- Problem Solving and Judgment: Probes all useful and constructive sources to find pertinent answers; can analyze issues, identify problems and work toward appropriate solutions; collaborates with others or as part of a team; displays willingness to make decisions; makes timely decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment.
- Oral and Written Communications: Speaks clearly, appropriately and effectively with a diverse group of individuals; is an active listener and gets clarification when necessary; participates constructively in meetings; is able to write clearly and succinctly; is able to communicate clearly in a variety of settings and situations. Is able to describe behavioral events in a neutral way, providing details without bias.
PREPARATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
- High school diploma or equivalent required.
- 1 year of direct care, CNA, or human services experience preferred.
- 1 year of direct care including behavioral interventions, physical behavior management and applied behavior analysis interventions is required
- Additional training in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, psychology or special education is required. Including but not limited to Registered Behavior Technician, ABA Therapist, or paraprofessional. Additional training and certification reviewed by the Clinical Director to determine if appropriate.
- Experience reading, interpreting and implementing interventions detailed in a behavior plan.
- Ability and willingness to provide hands-on personal care.
- Ability to remain calm and neutral in incidents of heightened behavioral presentation.
- Must be able to effectively communicate in both verbal and written form with coworkers and supported individuals and read fluently.
- Ability to relay anecdotal information and data in a professional manner to appropriate parties.
- Valid driver’s license in the state of Massachusetts required.
- Successful completion of all state and Agency mandated trainings required upon hire.
- Successful completion of Medication Administration Training certification required upon hire.
- Internal candidates required to participate in and demonstrate mastery of the CapeAbilities training plan if hired.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
- No supervisory responsibility
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Frequent standing, walking and bending.
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
- Ability to physically intervene in instances of extreme behavior that might jeopardize safety of individuals supported and staff.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to do this job. The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required.