Residential Direct Support Professional

What does a Residential Direct Support Professional do?

As a Residential Direct Support Professional (DSP) you will develop relationships with adults with an intellectual and/or developmental disability where they live, work, or in other community settings, to promote their emotional, physical, and personal well-being, and keeping patients safe from potential health hazards in their surrounding environment. In this caregiver role, you will:

• Assist individuals in the development of appropriate life skills necessary to reach their highest level of potential including interaction with others, cooking, housekeeping, money management, personal hygiene, etc.
• Support the individuals' preferences and ensure their interests are honored.
• Actively search for opportunities for those you serve to experience life in their homes and communities based on their hobbies and interests.
• Help individuals reach their goals to be more independent by offering prompting guidance, instruction/education, and role modeling.
• Encouraging client engagement in social networks and communities
  • Helping plan client appointments and organizing a schedule. Scheduling medical appointments, adding them to the calendar, tracking, reminding, and following up with aftercare instructions and additional appointments.  
• Shopping for groceries and preparing meals that meet specific client dietary needs.
• Using creative thinking for accommodations to help people with disabilities be more independent. 
  • Completion of daily documentation including goals worked on how, data documentation of behavior, environment and stimuli. Ensuring documentation of activities, shift duty sheets, daily summaries etc, are being completed per MAS policy and ODP standards. 
  • Being an active participant during monthly meetings for DSP Team Leads, and any other required training/meetings. 
• Organizing/providing transportation to/from outings and medical appointments.
• Providing caregiving and support with activities of daily living, may include:
  1. Medication administration hygiene, cleaning, shopping, driving, prompting, documentation, budgeting, reporting, use of technology, mobility assistance, wound care
• Accessing food through resources 
• Other duties as assigned. 

Residential Direct Support Professional skills 

Residential Direct Support Professionals demonstrate a variety of professional skills and qualifications, which can include:

•  Attention to detail, especially when adhering to specific protocols and rules while carefully following instructions to care for the needs of the client. 
• Integrity to ensure clients feel safe and comfortable when tending to personal activities such as helping them bathe, budgeting, Cleaning, driving, and modeling. 
•  Trustworthiness and dependability so clients and their families feel comfortable relying on them
• Interpersonal skills when working with clients, including having compassion and being sensitive to their emotional needs when they are in extreme distress or pain. Having patience and appropriate self-regulation. 
•  Ability to take directions and use communication skills to accurately and professionally document/communication interactions, concerns, incidents, and completion of tasks/assignments/trainings.
• Attending necessary monthly and regulatory/required training in regard to client care needs and compliance. 
• Submitting required annual and personal documentation as needed, per regulation to maintain compliance. 
• Strong computer and technical skills (MS Word, Excel, and Outlook). Must have the ability to learn other computer software programs as required by assigned tasks. Knowledge of EVV, Therap, and ADP programs are helpful.

Residential Direct Support Professional education and training requirements

Qualifications:

• 18 or older.
• Education- High School Diploma or GED.
• Completion of Background checks as outlined per state regulations.
• Driver’s background check 
• Willingness to accompany those you serve into the community and provide support and assistance in interactions while maintaining sensitivity to the civil and human rights and dignity of the individual.
• Valid driver's license and the willingness to transport individuals in personal or Aegis vehicles, including passenger vans.
• Willingness and ability to work in and travel to an identified individual’s, group, of community homes.
• Ability to work flexible hours as needed.
• Fulltime positions work 2 weekends a month 
• Fulltime positions available to work some/rotation of holidays as need (with holiday pay)

Physical/Mental Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. To perform this job successfully, the employee is frequently required to be physically active. Daily movements include the 

• Ability to sit, stand, squat, bend, and pivot
• Ability to climb stairs in excess of 3 floors at a time
• Stamina to walk for 30 minutes
• Lift objects weighing over 30 pounds
• Tolerate exposure to standard scents and chemicals such as laundry detergent, bleach, cleaning supplies, etc
• Ability to work with individuals that may need assistance to bear weight and assist individuals to an upright position
• Ability to perform CPR
• Participate in and receive certification in Ukeru Training 

Other Skills and Abilities

• Safe Driving 
• Attending meetings on and offsite 
• Communication via mobile devices/ Computer/Cellphone applications  

Work Environment
 The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing their essential functions 

• Employees work within the community, consumers' homes, and office environments. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions
• Medical settings where exposure to germs may be elevated

Reports to: Residential Directors and Supervisors