Direct Support Professional I

About the Role

The Direct Support Professional I partners with a team of skilled professionals and families to provide services that are family-driven, youth-guided, trauma-informed, and culturally competent to help youth reach their full potential. This role creates a safe, nurturing, and peaceful environment that provides opportunities for the successful development of life skills and social skills for youth and families receiving services.

Responsibilities

• Provide supervision and care to individuals served, assisting with their daily living skills according to established program standards and follow all applicable safety and mandated reporting protocols.
• Develop, implement, monitor, and report on treatment objectives and modalities that support individuals' goals.
• Assess the effectiveness of individual care plans (e.g., behavior, safety, treatment, and routine support plan).
• Build professional relationships with peers that support individual development and success.
• Provide purposeful activities based on the individual’s current developmental level to foster skill development, preparing them for transitions and community interactions.
• Monitor individuals' emotional and behavioral status and document accordingly.
• Partner with the family-driven treatment team to ensure all decisions are made in the best interest of the youth.
• Complete all required documentation according to established policies and regulations.
• Follow established procedures for passing/administering medications to individuals receiving services.
• Maintain daily communication with appropriate staff to ensure relevant behaviors and/or concerns are shared to support client needs, including timely documentation and notifications to families and funders.
• Recognize escalated youth behavior and effectively apply crisis prevention and intervention through verbal and non-verbal de-escalation skills to reduce risk, which may include protective interventions and physical restraints.
• Promote participant learning through reflective practice in collaboration with the treatment team to ensure lasting outcomes.
• Execute a wide variety of support tasks, including transporting for medical appointments, housekeeping duties, administration of medication, and managing petty cash.
• Participate in staff training initiatives.
• Transport youth as required.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Successful completion of Approved Medication Administrative Personnel (AMAP) training within 1 year to meet the health needs of individuals in care.
• CPR certification required or obtained within 60 days of hire.
• Unrestricted, valid NYS driver’s license for a minimum of 1 year with a clean driving record and minimum insurance coverage that meets agency standards preferred.

Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrate emotional competence and good judgment to build productive, engaged relationships with children, youth, staff, and families while implementing required rules, expectations, and routines.
• Ability to complete all required documentation in a timely fashion according to established policies and regulations.
• Ability to recognize and address escalating and dysregulated youth behavior, utilizing training in behavior management and Strategies for Crisis Intervention and Prevention (SCIP), including physical interventions (holds).
• Demonstrate problem-solving and conflict resolution skills with self and others.
• Understand the importance of effective communication at all levels and recognize issues requiring notification and communication to others.
• Ability to meet the highest standard for ethical and professional conduct toward all.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Must be able to work a variable schedule, including evenings and weekends.
• Occasional sitting (up to 4 hours), standing (up to 1 hour), walking (up to 2.5 hours), and driving (up to 8 hours).
• Continuous balancing (up to 8 hours).
• Occasional balancing, bending, stooping, climbing, kneeling, pushing, pulling, reaching forward or down, reaching overhead, running, and twisting (up to 2.5 hours).
• Weekly lifting up to 50 lbs. (community-based staff may be required to lift an empty wheelchair weighing up to 50 lbs.); 10-15 lbs. on a daily basis.
• Weekly carrying up to 55 lbs. approximately 10-100 ft.; 10-15 lbs. on a daily basis.
• Manual dexterity required, including frequent ability to grasp in both hands and continuous use of fine manipulation skills (approximately 1-2.5 hours).
• Occasional exposure to changes in temperature, dust, fumes, gases, or chemicals. Protective clothing or equipment required: close-toed shoes, protective shields, universal precaution PPE, and gloves for toileting and food preparation.
• Ability to change positions as needed.
• May be required to physically restrain clients weighing between 50 and 300 lbs. and guide them safely to the floor using SCIP-approved techniques. In some circumstances, restraints can last up to 15 minutes and may require repetition as necessary.

Pay

$19.50 minimum pay rate, $24.00 maximum pay rate, based on experience. This pay rate may include a Regional and/or Department premium.