Direct Support Professional

Birch Family Services; New York (NY); On-site; USD 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A community support organization in New York is seeking dedicated individuals to support individuals with developmental disabilities. The role involves providing personal care, assisting in social skills, and ensuring a safe living environment. Candidates must have a high school diploma and ideally, a year of experience in a similar setting. Required certifications include First Aid and CPR. This position requires a compassionate approach to help clients thrive within their community.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1-year experience working with developmental disabilities in a residential or health setting.
• Must maintain certification in OPWDD Approved Medication Administration Course (AMAP).
• Ability and willingness to obtain SCIPR Competencies certification.

Responsibilities

• Support individuals in gaining independence and developing life skills.
• Ensure a safe environment for individuals during activities.
• Assist in monitoring individual health and personal care.

Skills

Specialized training in direct care provision

Ability to perform First Aid and CPR

Competency in written, verbal and computational skills

Physical care for clients

Education

High School diploma or GED

Job description

To counsel, assist and train individuals with developmental disabilities in the areas of personal care, travel skills, social skills, home management and life skills in order to maximize their functioning in the community.

Specialized Knowledge, Licenses, etc

• Specialized training in direct care provision preferred.
• Must complete and obtain certification in OPWDD Approved Medication Administration Course (AMAP) during probationary period and maintain AMAP certification.
• Ability and willingness to be First Aid and CPR certified.
• Ability and willingness to obtain certification in SCIPR Competencies and advance to Promote

Competencies

• Demonstrated competency in written, verbal and computational skills to document records in accordance with program standards.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to speak clearly and hear the spoken word well.
• Regularly required to utilize near vision ability to read data and documents, including spreadsheets and reports, in printed form and on computer screens.
• Regularly required to provide physical care for clients and individuals, which may include, but is not limited to bathing, feeding, changing clothes or diapers and pushing wheelchairs.
• Ability to physically restrain challenging behaviors that include aggression, self-injurious, and destructive behaviors.
• Ability to apply proper lifting techniques.

Work Environment

• Noise level is consistent with levels usually present in an office, education, group home, residential, rehabilitation, industrial, workshop or health related environment.
• Hazards present are consistent with those common to an office, education, rehabilitation, industrial, workshop or health related environment.
• Working with individuals whose age ranges from childhood to adulthood.

Essential Functions

Support the individual by supporting a comfortable home environment. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Work towards the satisfactory completion of each of the core competency goals according to the OPWDD timeline requirements.
• Provide safe and clean environment for the individual based on skill level and risks and support the safety of all individuals in everyday situations.
• Use verbal and physical means to create a positive environment that will encourage and enable individual growth.
• Assist the individual in the development of social skills that will help the individual become integrated/ included in his or her community.
• Perform protective oversight while engaging in community activities.
• Monitor each individual’s personal health on a continuous basis (during situations of high activity, while bathing/showering/swimming, in the morning and the evening, at meals, while in the community, at all times).
• Assist individuals in learning and practicing skills necessary for home living (indoor household chores such as, but not limited to, cooking, sweeping, dusting, bed-making, vacuuming, and dish-washing, laundry, folding and storing clothes, etc.).
• Perform advocate responsibilities, while demonstrating respect for the processes and people involved.
• Responsible for all documentation related to the essential function and services for the individual.

Qualifications

Education

• High School diploma or General Education Degree (GED).

Experience

• Minimum 1-year experience working with developmentally disabled population preferably in a residential, health or treatment related setting preferred.

Valid NYS Driver’s License required.