DSP (Direct Support Professional)

Job Description:
Assists individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities to lead a independent life; assists with activities of daily living and encourages attitudes and behaviors that enhance community inclusion.

Education and/or Experience:
High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED); One year of experience working with people with developmental disabilities preferred.

Qualifications:
*The employee must successfully complete and demonstrate proficiency in all areas of required training and essential duties to include the following; but not limited to:

*The employee shall be 18 years of age or older and possess a driver’s license valid in the State of New Jersey (probational licenses are not accepted).

*The employee must submit to a background check, and be determined to be not disqualified by the Department of Human Services prior to working with individuals.

*The employee must agree to have their name checked against the Central Registry of Offenders Against Individuals with Developmental Disabilities.

*The employees hired after 6/15/2018 shall submit to drug testing prior to employment.

*All direct care employees shall submit to drug testing conducted randomly and for cause.

*All employees shall complete an application to have their name checked against the Child Abuse Registry Information (CARI);

*All employees must demonstrate successful completion of a Pre-employment physical; Pre-employment tuberculosis test as required by The State of New Jersey Department of Human Services.

*Clearance based on a 3-year and annual motor vehicle abstract assessment.

**Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Essential Duties

Responsibilities and Essential Duties including but not limited to the following as well as any other duties as assigned by supervisory staff.
Implement and assist individuals with completion of goals and document efforts in the Daily Training Record and Progress Notes.
Provide assistance in daily activities, which may include bathing, feeding, cooking, toileting.
Ensure optimal physical/mental health by assisting individuals with scheduled medical/psychiatric appointments, monitoring medication supply and administering medication, following prescribed diets, and treatment/behavior plans.
Utilize crisis intervention and personal control techniques as trained, to ensure safety to individual and others.
Ensure a safe and healthy living environment through routine facility and vehicle inspections, disinfecting, cleaning, reporting of facility and vehicle deficiencies, encouraging clients to participate in household chores, and keeping routes of egress free from obstruction, including snow, furniture, etc.
Provide safe transportation to and from work/day program services, scheduled appointments, and recreational activities or assist clients in scheduling public transportation.
Monitor individual's daily activity through documentation in progress notes, T-Log, and verbal communication with supervisors and co-workers.
Report all incidents, including allegations of abuse, neglect, exploitation, injury and other reportable incidents immediately upon discovery.
Cooperate fully with investigative processes, and provide complete and accurate information. Keep all information discussed in investigations confidential.
Attend all mandatory meetings and training as required.
Monitor own time card to ensure correct recording of hours worked, and use of benefit time.
Adhere to all Agency policies and procedures.
Practice and implement all emergency procedures including, but not limited to: fire, disaster drills, and other crisis response procedures.
Adhere to all confidentiality policies, practices, and laws.
Communicates effectively and professionally with peers, leadership, guardians/family, and stakeholders in person, and via phone and email.
Provide assistance to clients to communicate special funds requests, personal needs, and assist with the distribution of laundry funds when applicable.

Competencies
To perform the job successfully, employees should be able to communicate effectively, act professionally, work ethically and with integrity, adapt to change in the work environment, prioritize, complete tasks during work shift, arrive to work consistently and on time, respect cultural diversity, maintain confidentiality, identify and solve problems efficiently, develop innovative approaches and ideas, support organization’s goals and values, apply feedback to improve performance, complete work in timely manner, read and interpret documents, communicate with the individuals, add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished, utilize of agency software, and navigate and learn new job specific computer systems.

Physical Demands
Must be able to address emergency issues with individuals with the average weight between 100-300 lbs. While performing the duties of this job the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to grip and feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $18.75 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Evening shift
• Holidays
• Monday to Friday
• Night shift
• No nights
• No weekends
• Overnight shift
• Overtime
• Weekend availability
• Weekends only

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Branchville, NJ: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Experience:

• Caregiving: 1 year (Preferred)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Preferred)
• Night Shift (Preferred)
• Overnight Shift (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $19