Direct Support Professional - NADSP Credentialed

Delta Mission and Values

At Delta Community Supports, our mission is to enrich the lives of individuals and families through outstanding community-based supports and mutually rewarding relationships. We are guided by our core values of Customer Focus, Performance Excellence, and Learning and Growth, which shape everything we do and inspire us to deliver the highest quality of care and support every day.

Position Summary

Provides direct care and support to older adults, including individuals with disabilities and intellectual disabilities, in a program setting that supports their needs and interests. This position will be assigned to a Community Living Apartment (CLA) program. As a NADSP-Credentialed DSP, you must advance Delta’s mission and values. Reports to the Residential Lead or Program Supervisor 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Engage individuals in accordance with Delta’s mission.
• Utilize available program resources.
• Demonstrate ethical and professional conduct at all times.
• Participate in and promote continuous quality improvement projects and performance measures.
• Ensure the implementation of high-quality Individual Support Plans.
• Promote and follow Delta’s Risk Management Program to support the health and safety of individuals and employees.
• Engage individuals in meaningful activities at home and in the community.
• Maintain daily household operations, where applicable, including preparing nutritious meals according to prescribed diets and completing cleaning tasks in accordance with health, safety, and cleanliness standards.
• Assist individuals with daily living activities, including personal appearance, nutrition, recreation, and socialization.
• Promote community integration.
• Serve as a positive role model in personal appearance, emotional stability, and social behavior.
• Support individuals in working toward their outcomes and record progress data.
• Participate in the interdisciplinary process by helping assess individuals’ preferences, strengths, and needs; develop objectives and outcomes; evaluate progress toward independence; and ensure proper medication administration.
• Complete and submit required records and forms accurately and on time, where applicable, including physical examination forms, medical summaries, dental visit summaries, incident and unusual incident reports, individual financial ledgers, petty cash forms, and gas ledgers.
• Maintain accurate and timely communication logs, daily progress notes, data collection forms, medication logs, and outcome data.
• Communicate regularly with the supervisor.
• Secure the home and its contents according to established standards, where applicable.
• Maintain staff-to-individual ratios as specified in individuals’ Individual Support Plans (ISPs).
• Maintain regular attendance.
• Follow safety policies and procedures, including maintaining a safe and clean home environment where applicable, promptly reporting unsafe conditions, participating in activities that promote safety, following universal and health precautions, and completing required annual health and safety training.
• Complete fire drills.
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• Administer medications according to established procedures and report medication errors.
• Follow on-call policies and procedures, where applicable.
• Maintain approved-driver status.
• Attend meetings and visit individuals at their homes, schools, workplaces, and recreational sites.
• Perform other duties as directed to support individuals, the division, and Delta.
• Attend monthly staff meetings and all required training programs assigned by the supervisor.
• Transport individuals in personal or company vehicles as required.
• Cooperate with Department of Human Services staff, including ODP in Pennsylvania and DDD in New Jersey, during investigations or inspections.
• Cooperate with company and regulatory personnel during inspections or investigations.
• Cooperate with internal and external audits or investigations as a condition of continued employment.
• Complete all required paperwork accurately, including Critical Logs and Individual Habilitation Plan (IHP) data.
• Comply with Delta policies and applicable DDD licensing standards.

• Additional Responsibilities for Awake Overnight Shifts

  All overnight shifts are awake shifts

• Check each individual in their bedroom every 30 minutes.
• Clock into the Vista transfer program every hour.
• Complete the nightly tasks listed on the duty list. Each home may have additional assigned duties.
• Assist individuals with their morning routines, including personal hygiene, toileting, and brushing teeth.
• Help individuals dress appropriately for the weather.
• Prepare individuals for their day programs, as applicable.
• Assist individuals with making their beds and straightening their rooms.
• Prepare appropriate breakfasts and lunches for individuals who bring lunch to their programs.
• Secure the home and its contents according to established standards.

Requirements

• Successfully complete required background screenings and clearances, including FBI criminal history checks, ChildLine checks, drug testing, Pennsylvania criminal background checks, exclusion screening, and physical and tuberculosis screenings.
• Read, write, and speak English and perform arithmetic calculations.
• Demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills.
• Operate office equipment, including telephones, voicemail systems, copiers, fax machines, computers, and calculators.
• Work effectively with others and support their growth and development.
• Apply acquired knowledge of supervisory and administrative principles and methods.
• Operate vehicles with a valid driver’s license in accordance with applicable state laws, insurance requirements, and company policies and procedures.
• Assess information from individual plans to guide interactions.
• Frequently lift or exert up to 50 pounds of force.
• Day Program: Obtain CPR/First Aid certification, Medication Administration training, and Crisis Intervention training within the first 90 days of employment, and maintain the certifications and training thereafter.
• Community Living: Obtain CPR/First Aid certification, Medication Administration training, and Crisis Intervention training during New Employee Orientation (NEO), and maintain the certifications and training thereafter.

Position Qualifications

• NADSP Certification (DSP-I, DSP-II, or DSP-III).
• High school diploma or GED.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to complete assigned tasks and accept direction.
• Ability to resolve non-routine situations appropriately.
• Ability to manage multiple and competing priorities.
• Ability to travel locally within surrounding counties to provide direct support.