Direct Support Professional
The Direct Support Professional (DSP) works with individuals and their teams to support each individual in making day-to-day decisions. These choices will help the individual lead a more independent life and support the individual to participate in and contribute to community life. A successful DSP seeks to understand the likes, dislikes, hopes and dreams of individuals receiving services to support them as part of a team as they make choices and progress towards their personalized goals.
To apply to join our team as a DSP, select an option below to view the job description and application.
Minimum Qualifications:
Employees must be at least 18 years of age; have a high school diploma or equivalent; possess a valid driver’s license, good driving record, reliable transportation and current auto insurance; and pass background checks.
The employee must have full range of motion, physical strength and ability to achieve and maintain required training and certifications to include but not limited to Creative Pathway’s Agency training, Medication Aid Certification, Standard First Aid and CPR certification, physical intervention techniques training and other trainings and certifications as required.
The employee must possess good verbal and written communication skills including spelling, and grammar.
Duties:
Use good judgment and make decisions that incorporate Creative Pathway’s Mission, principles, goals, policies, procedures, and practices as presented in the form of handouts, meetings, documentation, and verbal instruction from superiors and trainers into all aspects of work.
Promote health, wellness, and safety. Administer first aid and follow emergency procedures as needed.
Demonstrate reliability by arriving to all assigned shifts, meetings, and training ready to work.
Complete documentation as required by Creative Pathways policy and procedure and according to verbal instructions from supervisors.
Teaching and supporting persons receiving services to complete the following as independently as possible:
- Personal hygiene, which may include toileting, shaving, bathing, brushing teeth, and other personal hygiene tasks.
- Personal assistance which may include dressing, eating, communicating, and mobility.
- Housekeeping which may include laundry, cleaning bathroom or bedrooms, or other common areas as needed.
- Planning meals, grocery shopping, meal preparation and clean up.
- Personal finance management, which may include handling cash, accounting for purchases through receipts, ledgers and record keeping.
- Social and leisure activities of interest to the person receiving supports.
- Through role modeling and teaching, support people receiving services to develop appropriate friendships, working relationships, and other meaningful relationships.
Vocational and employment goals and opportunities:
- Implement the individual support plan as assigned and provide observations and input for development of the ISP.
- Administer medications to ensure safe handling, storage, and control according procedures.
- Keep supervisor informed of any problems or significant issues regarding people receiving services of their environment.
- Maintain general upkeep of the home, workplace, equipment and vehicles to meet the highest possible standard.
- Promote a positive image of Creative Pathways and for the individuals we support.
- Assist in adaptive equipment; and with training, conduct prescribed therapy programs, braces, assistive devices, range of motion exercises. If needed, assist and perform lifting and transferring of individuals receiving supports using safe procedures.
- Demonstrate flexibility within the DSP role and perform other duties as assigned.
The DSP reports to their assigned Coordinator and Supervisor at the Better Days site.
Minimum Qualifications:
Employees must be at least 18 years of age; have a high school diploma or equivalent; possess a valid driver’s license, good driving record, reliable transportation to get to work and pass background checks.
The employee must have full range of motion, physical strength and ability to achieve and maintain required training and certifications to include but not limited to Creative Pathways Agency training, Medication Aid Certification (if needed), Standard First Aid & CPR certification and other trainings and certifications as required. The employee must possess good verbal and written communication skills including spelling and grammar. If you receive Tools of Choice training a competency check will be completed within 4 weeks from completing the training by a Tools of Choice Trainer.
Duties:
Use good judgment and make decisions that incorporate Creative Pathways Mission, principles, goals, policies, procedures, and practices as presented in the form of handouts, meetings, documentation, and verbal instruction from superiors and trainers into all aspects of work.
Promote health, wellness, and safety. Administer first aid and follow emergency procedures as needed.
Demonstrate reliability by arriving to all assigned shifts, meetings, and training ready to work.
Complete documentation as required by Creative Pathways policy and procedure and according to verbal instructions from supervisors.
Teaching and supporting persons receiving services to complete the following as independently as possible:
- Personal hygiene, which may include toileting, shaving, bathing, brushing teeth, and other personal hygiene tasks.
- Personal assistance which may include dressing, eating, communicating, and mobility
- Housekeeping which may include laundry, cleaning bathroom or bedrooms, or other common areas as needed.
- Planning meals, grocery shopping, meal preparation and clean up.
- Personal finance management, which may include handling cash, accounting for purchases through receipts, ledgers and record keeping.
- Social and leisure activities of interest to the person receiving supports.
- Through role modeling and teaching, support people receiving services to develop appropriate friendships, working relationships, and other meaningful relationships.
Vocational and employment goals and opportunities:
- Implement the individual program plan as assigned and provide observations and input for development of the ISP.
- If needed, administer medications to ensure safe handling, storage, and control according to procedures.
- Keep the supervisor informed of any problems or significant issues regarding people receiving services of their environment.
- Maintain general upkeep of the site, workplace, equipment and vehicles to meet the highest possible standard.
- Promote a positive image of Creative Pathways and for the people we support.
- Assist in adaptive equipment; and with training, conduct prescribed therapy programs, braces, assistive devices, range of motion exercises. If needed, assist and perform lifting and transferring of people receiving supports using safe procedures.
- Demonstrate flexibility within the DSP role and perform other duties as assigned.
Full Time staff will get New Years Day, Easter, Memorial Day, 4 th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas as holidays and will receive holiday pay for them. Part time day program staff do not.
When the program is closed for additional days due to holiday breaks. DSP can pick up a shift in the residential setting or you can use PTO hours on these days. You are not paid for the extra days the program is closed outside of the typical holiday you are paid for unless otherwise stated.
Training:
Creative Pathways will pay for all training that a DSP requires. If the DSP would leave without working a full two-week notice, Creative Pathways will deduct all training cost from their last pay check. Training cost include classroom hours, certification cost, trainer cost and shadowing hours. The first 90 days of employment the DSP will be on probation. At the 90-day evaluation it will be decided if the probationary period will be lifted or extended another 90 days to address areas of concern