Direct Support Specialist- Full Time

The Primary Support Professional (Residential) works in the homes of people receiving residential services. He/she works in collaboration with the Program Coordinator to ensure the satisfactory implementation of the Individual Support Plan (ISP). The Primary Support Professional provides support services to clients served and coordinates the day to day activities as outlined within the ISP.

Essential Job Functions:

• Works in the home or community with assigned clients, as designated by the Program Coordinator and/or the Regional Director.
• Participates in Individual Support Plan meetings when possible and in RN visits or service monitoring visits.
• Trains staff in each client’s medical needs, personal preferences and compliance..
• Assures that staff are knowledgeable of client’s medications and any potential side effects by ensuring professional communication with direct support staff after changes.
• Oversees daily residential daily notes, goals, and health tracking.
• Reviews physical condition of home to ensure the health, safety and cleanliness standards are met and maintained. This includes ensuring food is properly stored and not expired.
• Ensures safety kits including First Aid Kit, “Grab and Go” Kit, Blood Borne Pathogen Kit and Emergency Preparedness Kit are present and complete.
• Reviews MARS for signatures, errors, etc. per shift.
• Completes event reports in accordance with state guidelines.
• Schedules staff or covers shifts for personnel who are sick or must be absent from the work site.
• Tracks mileage being used in home to ensure we are staying within mileage budget for each client.
• Participates in the development of positive behavioral support if needed.
• Primary staff are responsible for taking clients to all required medical appointments.
• Ensure a receipt is maintained for each purchase made from client’s money and recorded on appropriate ledger.
• Ensure money counts are being completed at each shift change by staff.
• Collaborate with Program Coordinator on follow-up to monthly RN visits, trainings for special diets and adaptive equipment, annual paperwork signed by guardians and follow-up from Quality Management
• Ensures safety drills are done on each shift according to the Individual Safety Plan.
• Ensure staff are trained in special diets and adaptive equipment.
• Ensure daily exceptions are documented and submitted to the Program Coordinator at the end of each month.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to communicate effectively before groups of residents, employees of the organization, family members and other contacts in the community. Must use person-centered language with individuals and families.
• Ability to apply common-sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Must have a reliable means of communication;
• Must possess skills to read and understand written materials;
• Must possess skills to write clearly and legibly;

Experience and Education Qualifications:

• Must be 18 years of age; must have a high school diploma or GED.
• One year experience in the field of intellectual/developmental disabilities or in lieu of experience, must successfully complete training in the Missouri Quality Outcomes approved by the Division of DD regional office.

Supervisory Requirements:

None

Employment Requirements:

• Successful completion of background check including criminal record, driving record and abuse/neglect.
• Completion of New Hire Orientation at the beginning of employment.
• All training requirements including Relias Learning at the beginning of employment and annually thereafter.
• Must have appropriate, reliable transportation, proof of insurance, and a valid driver’s license and registration.
• Must have working air conditioner and heater in any vehicle used to transport clients.

Physical Requirements:

• The physical demands vary depending on the support required by the client. While performing the duties of this job, the associate at times will be required to stoop, bend, use fine motor skills in extremities for cooking, cleaning, medication administration and operation of a vehicle, etc. The associate may occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds.
• Must be physically able to perform CPR (as instructed in the CPR manual) and First Aid.
• May be required to assist with physical transfers or lifting, depending on the needed support of the clients.