Lead Direct Support Professional

KESHET; Highland Park (IL); On-site; USD 44,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Affordable healthcare plans

Dental

Vision

Short-term disability

Long-term disability

Life insurance

401k with employer matching

Holiday Pay

Paid Sick Time

PTO

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Keshet in Highland Park, IL seeks a Lead DSP to supervise a DSP team, provide direct support to individuals with disabilities, and manage administrative duties within the My Life program. The role requires leadership, strong communication, and a commitment to person-centered care.

Responsibilities include mentoring staff, training, documentation, and collaboration with an interdisciplinary team. Weekend on-call and driving responsibilities may apply.

Qualifications

• Education: High School Diploma, GED, or College Degree
• Must read at an 8th-grade level and pass STOFHLA
• Must be at least 21 years old
• Experience in health care or human services with intellectual/developmental disabilities required
• Must complete DSP training within 120 calendar days of hire; Keshet transfer DSP training if already a DSP
• Must complete First Aid and CPR certification
• Must complete medication administration training
• Valid driver's license
• Computer literacy (Internet, Word, Outlook)
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Able to multitask and work in a team
• Ethical behavior and respectful interactions

Responsibilities

• Provide team leadership to DSPs and ensure adherence to care plans and policies
• Mentor DSPs, facilitate professional development and a positive team culture
• Train new hires on job duties, safety protocols, behavioral management and person-centered care
• Evaluate staff performance and provide feedback to management
• Coordinate communication between DSPs and management
• Be on-call at least two weekends per month
• Provide direct support to individuals with disabilities in daily activities
• Assist with personal hygiene, meal planning, household tasks, and community activities
• Administer medication and document in EMR system
• Complete documentation and data collection by end of shift
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and external stakeholders
• Provide safe transportation and adhere to safety guidelines
• Complete required administrative duties and scheduling
• Advocate for rights of individuals and engage with families and community

Job description

Job Details: Job Location: Rapha House - Highland Park, IL 60035, Position Type: Full Time, Salary Range: $44,200.00 - $50,830.00 Salary/year, Job Category: Nonprofit - Social Services

POSITION: Lead DSP

LOCATION: Highland Park, IL

REPORTS TO: House Manager

SCHEDULE: M-F 2:00pm-9:00pm and some weekends

POSITION SUMMARY

The Lead DSP is crucial in ensuring the well-being and support of individuals with disabilities within our organization. They oversee conjunctively with the manager team of DSPs, providing guidance, training, peer mentoring, and support while directly assisting individuals in daily activities, promoting independence, and fostering a supportive environment. The Lead DSP assists in direct support, administrative duties, and staff management in the designated program. This position will work both direct and administrative support (DSP) hours. They will provide leadership by demonstrating a strong work ethic, solution-oriented thinking, open-mindedness, active listening, good judgment, decisiveness, accountability, and strategic thought.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Leadership

• Support a team of DSPs, ensuring adherence to individual care plans and organizational policies.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to DSPs, facilitating professional development and a positive team culture.
• Assist in training new hires on all job duties and ensure competence. Conduct training sessions for DSPs on safety protocols, behavioral management techniques, and person-centered care practices.
• Evaluate staff performance and provide constructive feedback to the manager to enhance skills and performance.
• Facilitate communication between DSPs and Management.
• Must be available to on-call at least two weekends a month.

Direct Support Provision

• Provide direct support and assistance to individuals with disabilities in their daily activities, ensuring their physical, emotional, and social needs are met, enhancing their independence and dignity within their environment.
• As needed, assist individuals with personal hygiene care tasks such as bathing, grooming, dressing, and toileting.
• Support individuals in household tasks, including meal preparation, menu planning, grocery shopping, cleaning, and laundry, fostering a safe and comfortable living environment.
• Implement individualized support plans and goals, promoting independence and community integration.
• Foster positive relationships with individuals, families, and caregivers, promoting a person-centered approach to care.
• Support individuals to make informed decisions
• Assist residents in planning and participating in social, recreational, and educational activities within the My Life home and the greater community.
• Medication Management- Administering residents' medication as prescribed and ensuring proper documentation is recorded using the EMR system.
• Participate in monthly staff meetings and other staff services as scheduled.
• Maintain consistency in all areas by continuing sound communication systems with other staff by reading log books, administrative memos, and meeting minutes.
• Teach, mentor, and help develop continued growth according to goals
• Complete all documentation and data collection responsibilities by the end of the shift
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and external stakeholders to ensure holistic care and support for individuals
• Provide safe transportation for individuals in the MY Life program, drive defensively, and follow traffic laws
• Carry out designated duties as a mandated reporter and as outlined in Rule 50: Reporting Allegations of Abuse, Neglect, and Financial Exploitation
• Adhere to all organizational policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements to maintain compliance and quality of care.
• Other duties as assigned.

Administrative Duties

• Maintain accurate records and documentation for individual care, incidents, and medication administration.
• Assist in scheduling and coordinating staff assignments to ensure adequate coverage and efficient service delivery.
• Complete all required assessments and reports promptly, including Therap. Assist QIDP in data and documentation.
• Create visuals (charts) for residents as needed.

Advocacy and Community Engagement

• Advocate for the rights and interests of individuals with disabilities within the community.
• Foster positive relationships with families, volunteers, and community stakeholders to enhance support networks.
• Respect individuals' values, opinions, preferences, and choices. Respect each individual’s rights within the program and treat all individuals with dignity and respect at all times.
• Report any incidents of suspected rights violations, mistreatment, abuse, neglect or exploitation immediately according to policies and procedures.
• Assist individuals to maintain a safe and clean environment.
• Provide safe transportation of persons receiving services, drive defensively and follow traffic laws.
• Follow safety guidelines including, but not limited to healthy lifting, transferring, and back care.
• Identify and solve potential safety hazards, repair or maintenance needs or immediately report them to the building landlord.
• In case of emergency, follow the emergency plan identified for the home; notify appropriate authorities and KESHET staff as soon as possible.

Qualifications: QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: High School Diploma, GED, or College Degree
• Must be able to read at an 8th-grade level and pass the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (STOFHLA)
• Must be at least 21 years old
• Previous experience in health care, human services, with intellectual/developmental disabilities required
• Must complete DSP training program within 120 calendar days of hire. You must complete Keshet’s Transfer DSP training if you are already a DSP.
• Must complete and maintain First Aid and CPR certification through the American Red Cross or American Heart Association
• Must complete medication administration training
• A criminal and Motor Vehicle record that meets company standards.
• A valid Driver’s license.
• Complete required training as assigned and promptly
• Ability to use computers fluently (Internet, Word, Outlook).
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Adept at performing multiple tasks at once.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Self-directed but willing to work in a team orientation setting.
• Understands and demonstrates ethical behavior and practices.
• Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships with others.
• Patient, reliable, compassionate, and able to work independently.
• Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Problem Solving – assess problem situations to identify causes, gather and process relevant information, generate possible solutions, make recommendations, and/or resolve the problem.
• Adaptability – demonstrate a willingness to be flexible, versatile, and/or tolerant in a changing work environment while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency.
• Be respectful and follow Jewish culture and guidelines.
• Ability to represent program participants and program services in a professional manner

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORKING CONDITIONS

Requires concentrated visual and auditory attention; requires frequent standing and walking; lifting and transferring individuals, carrying, reaching, pushing, and pulling; ability to work in environments that could include changes in temperature/humidity, dust, odors, noise, various allergens (both chemical and food‑related) etc.; ability to work with individuals with disabilities, a variety of illnesses, and medical conditions; working indoors, outdoors, and in vehicles; works around and with others, and alone; may have to walk on slippery and uneven walking surfaces; expected to assist individuals receiving services with entering and exiting the vehicle, toileting, cleaning, bathing, cooking and other basic life skills.

Employee Benefit Program

• Affordable healthcare plans
• Dental
• Vision
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Life insurance
• 401k plan with employer matching contributions
• Holiday Pay
• Paid Sick Time
• PTO
• Tuition reimbursement

ABOUT KESHET

Keshet is a one-of-a-kind organization that brings classroom experiences, camps, sports, residential, social, and vocational activities for 600 people with disabilities each year. From the very start, Keshet has grown alongside our participants, creating a community of belonging where people of all abilities learn, play, work, live, and grow together.

Today, Keshet continues to flourish, with over 75 programs in the Chicago and Wisconsin area, four residential homes, 200 dedicated staff and lay leaders, dozens of community and corporate partners, and thousands of engaged donors around the world. Nurtured by respect, creativity, tenacity and unconditional love, Keshet makes a powerful difference in the lives of each child and adult with disabilities, their families, the community and beyond.