Training Counselor/DSP

Ada S. McKinley Community Services; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 23,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Paid Sick Time

12 Paid Holidays

Medical

Vision

403(b) Plan

Life Insurance

Long-term & short-term disability

Employee assistance program (EAP)

Family medical leave

Job summary

A Direct Support Person (DSP) at Ada S. McKinley Community Services provides direct services to adults residing in our community day programs. The DSP assists with daily living skills, documents progress, and supports goal attainment as outlined in each person’s ISP.

The role involves community integration and skill-building in technology, finances, and reading. The position reports to the Lead QIDP, follows a structured schedule, and offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Requires 6 months of DSP / CNA / Caregiver experience with an interest in working with disabled individuals.
• This position requires cultural sensitivity to the client population served.
• Ability to partner with clients individually and/or with family to help mobilize resources and build resilience.
• Ability to coordinate effectively with other team members, other Agency resources and outside services.
• Understanding of engagement strategies, boundary setting, and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Implements training programs to increase independence, personal care, and social skills.
• Establishes a secure, positive environment that nurtures client needs, self-expression, and goals.
• Sets up jobs and/or training situations to support progress.
• Assists in determining simplified work/training methods to meet client needs.
• Facilitates client inclusion in community experiences and activities.
• Maintains attendance, production, training, chronological and progress reports.

Skills

Cultural sensitivity

Team coordination

Direct care experience

Communication skills

CPR/CPI knowledge

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Job Category: Employment Community Support Services

Requisition Number: TRAIN001360

• Posted : October 29, 2026
• Full-Time
• On-site
• Rate : $20.46 USD per hour

Locations

Showing 1 location

Chicago, IL 60621, USA

Description

Summary

The Direct Support Person (DSP) is responsible for providing direct services for adults who reside at Ada S. McKinley Community Day Services. The DSP assist individuals with daily life skills, personal tasks, and programming. DSP completes documentation of each person’s progress through written objectives. The DSP implements and documents each person’s progress toward formal and informal goals and objectives as outlined in each person’s individual service plan (ISP). The DSP assist with daily life skills such as technology, financial and reading skills. The DSP implement community integration among individuals.

Reporting Relationship

Reports To: Lead QIDP

• Implements training programs designed to increase person served independence, personal care, fine and gross motor, communication, community orientation, perceptual/cognitive, and social skills.
• Establishing a secure, positive environment that nurtures person served needs, self-expression, and goals.
• Sets up jobs and/or training situations.
• Assists in determining simplified work/training methods to meet specific person served needs.
• Facilitate person served inclusion in the community’s experiences and activities.
• Assist person served in increasing their productivity, meeting quality control standards, promoting appropriate working behaviors in their overall attainment of their rehabilitation/habilitation goals.
• Maintains accurate attendance, production, training, chronological and progress reports on assigned person served.

Requirements

• This position requires a high school diploma or general education equivalent.
• The selected candidate must be 18 + years old.
• Requires 6 months of DSP / CNA / Caregiver / experience with an interest in working with disabled individuals.
• This position requires the individual demonstrate the experiences, beliefs, attitude and awareness that indicate cultural sensitivity to the client population served.
• This position requires the individual possess the ability to partner with clients individually and/or in family to help them mobilize resources and build resilience.
• This position requires the individual possess the ability to coordinate effectively with other team members, other Agency resources and outside services in addressing client needs.
• This position requires the individual possess an understanding of evidence-informed practices, engagement strategies, boundary setting, concurrent documentation, working in a community setting, organizing, motivational interviewing, and family systems.

Mon thru Fri 8AM to 4PM

Compensation

$20.46 hourly

• Paid vacation
• Paid Sick Time
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Medical
• Vision
• 403(b) Plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-term & short-term disability
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Family medical leave

Benefit options and eligibility vary by Fulltime and Part-time positions. Compensation within the posted salary range varies based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, and performance at the time of the offer.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORK ENVIRONMENT:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is subject to sitting, walking, and standing for prolonged periods; frequently pushes, pulls, grasps, feels, and occasionally stoops, kneels, crouches, or crawls. The employee frequently is required to use manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination when working with persons served and handling office, medical, or household equipment. The employee is subject to assist and lift up to 50 pounds with varying amounts of assistance on a recurring basis. The employee is required to have corrected vision and hearing within normal range and the ability to operate a motor vehicle. Must have the ability to perform CPR and CPI. Occupational exposure to blood, body fluids, and infectious substances, including communicable diseases, when performing personal care (Category III). Occasional exposure to cleaning agents and disinfectants.

Environmental Conditions:While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

Disclaimer: The intent of this job description is to provide a representative level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Qualifications

Education

Required

High School or better.

Experience

Required

Has one-year experience working directly with people with I/DD( preferred not req.)

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.