Direct Support Professional: Day Program

Access Services; Allentown (Lehigh County); On-site; USD 34,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k match

20 Days PTO

Employee Assistance Program

Referral Bonuses

Job summary

Access Services is hiring a Direct Support Professional in Allentown, PA, to provide personalized supports to adults with developmental disabilities. You'll implement the Individual Support Plan for participants, promote independence in daily activities, and ensure a nurturing environment.

This full-time role offers competitive pay starting at $17/hour and an extensive benefits package including health insurance, paid time off, and tuition reimbursement.

Qualifications

• One year direct care experience preferred.
• Ability and readiness to provide personal care as needed.
• Must clear background checks and physical examination.

Responsibilities

• Implement the Individual Support Plan for participants.
• Record daily service notes and documentation as assigned.
• Facilitate individual’s inclusion in community activities.

Skills

Ability to teach basic daily living skills

Ability to establish effective working relationships

Ability to exercise good judgment

Proficiency in workplace applications

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

We are hiring a dedicated and caring Direct Support Professional to join our Day Program team in Allentown, PA!

As a Direct Support Professional in our Day Program, you will have the opportunity to provide personalized supports to adults with developmental disabilities/Autism who attend our life enrichment day programs. Our quality-focused support staff work with the individuals’ goals and help those individuals maintain or increase their independence and live their best lives.

Work Schedule:

Weekdays 8:00AM-4:00PM (full-time role set at program location in Allentown)

Key Responsibilities:

• Caregivers and Direct Support Professionals will implement the Individual Support Plan (ISP) for every individual participant.
• Caregivers and Direct Support Professionals will record daily service note and other documentation as assigned by Program Specialist/ Team Lead.
• Caregivers and Direct Support Professionals will help ensure the highest quality of care to individuals in helping them meet their needs.
• Caregivers and Direct Support Professionals will establish a secure, positive environment that nurtures individual’s needs, self-expression, and goals (valued outcomes).
• Caregivers and Direct Support Professionals will help facilitate an individual’s inclusion in the community through experiences and activities.
• Caregivers and Direct Support Professionals will promote independence in daily activities, learning, leisure, and volunteer opportunities for individuals.

Requirements and Qualifications

The selected candidatemust meet all qualifying and ongoing job criteria including background checks, physical examination results, and driving clearances.

Driving Requirements:

• A valid US driver’s license for at least two years, not including time with permit.
• No serious traffic convictions within the past three years. (Serious convictions include, but are not limited to, DUI, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, or three or more traffic violations and/or at-fault accidents within thatperiod).
• Access to a reliable vehicle during work hours. Vehiclemust have valid registration and inspection stickers.
• Valid auto insurance. You will be asked to provide proof that you are a covered driver on the policy.

Education:

High school diploma or GED preferred.

Certification:

Certifications in First Aid, CPR, and Community Participation Supports for DSP within six months of hire will be paid for and provided by Access Services.

Experience:

One (1) year’s direct care experience working with individuals with intellectual disabilities preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to teach basic daily living skills.
• Ability and readiness to provide personal care as needed.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with individuals, their families, peers, supports coordinators and the general public.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and discretion in applying and interpreting laws, rules and policies governing Access Services programs and services.
• Ability to express ideas succinctly, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to work independently and in group settings, and ability to adapt to different working environments, as assigned for the day.
• Ability to maintain a cooperative and caring attitude with a view of seeing the needs of others as more important than one’s own needs.
• Commitment to Individual Rights and individuality of the person being served.
• Proficiency in, or ability to learn and use, workplace applications, platforms and technologies including Outlook, the Company Intranet, time and attendance system, the electronic healthcare record, and more.
• Ability to navigate network drives and basic hardware use and troubleshooting.

Essential Working Conditions/Physical Demands:

• Work is primarily performed in community settings, and/or day program environments supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The environment may involve exposure to varying noise levels, temperatures, and occasional unpredictable behaviors.
• Must be able to remain attentive, responsive, and engaged throughout shifts.
• Regularly required to stand, walk, bend, kneel, reach, climb stairs, and assist individuals with mobility.
• Must be able to lift, transfer, push, or pull individuals and objects weighing up to 50 pounds with or without assistance.
• Requires the ability to safely push and maneuver individuals in manual or power wheelchairs, including over uneven surfaces and up or down ramps.
• Must be able to assist individuals in and out of vehicles and safely secure them in wheelchair vans, using appropriate adaptive equipment and safety restraints.
• May be required to provide hands‑on physical assistance with personal care, positioning, or daily living activities.
• Requires sufficient visual and auditory acuity to monitor safety, communicate effectively, and respond promptly to needs or emergencies.
• Must have reliable transportation and the ability to accompany or transport individuals to community activities.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required depending on specific activities or health and safety guidelines.
• Work in program sites and the community routinely providing direct care and support with individual(s). Stand, sit or run by self, or to provide proper care and supervision with an individual. Able to move and stay with an individual to keep them safe, both in home environment and community, both at near and far distances, even when an individual may struggle to meet identified expectations. Able to assist an individual who has fallen, regardless of weight or size. Walk, climb stairs by self, or to provide direct care ensuring individual’s safety, or to complete household and community tasks. Perform household tasks or tasks within the community such as laundry, cleaning, completing meal routines, shopping or dining out and, at the same time, ensuring individual’s safety and proper direct care and compliance with ISP.

Compensation and Benefits:

This full‑time position starts at $17/hour, with adjustments made for education and experience,plusa competitive benefits package

Our full‑time comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Health, Vision, Rx, & Dental insurances, HSA/FSA, 401k match.
• Tuition reimbursement; College tuition discounts.
• 20 Days PTO (vacation, sick days), 7 paid holidays, and 2 floating holidays; Catastrophic Sick Leave.
• Mileage/Toll Reimbursement, paid travel time between worksites.
• Company Paid Life Insurance, and Short/Long Term Disability.
• Employee Assistance Program
• Referral Bonuses up to $750 per hire.
• Credit Union perks, retail discounts.

Access Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer.