Direct Support Professionals (DSP) provide individualized professional and compassionate support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The DSP is familiar with the agency mission, agency standards of support and participates in the betterment of the organization. These principles are accomplished by always being respectful, trustworthy, and utilizing excellent communication skills.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:
- Assist persons supported to make informed choices, develop strategies, take risks, follow through on responsibilities, and achieve their goals
- Implement the person-centered plan to achieve specific outcomes derived from the person's preferences, needs, and interests
- Maintain collaborative professional relationships with the participant and all support team members (including family/friends) and follow ethical standards of practice (e.g., confidentiality, informed consent, etc.).
- Help persons supported manage the physical, personal, financial, and household tasks that are necessary on a day-to-day basis to pursue an independent community-based lifestyle.
- Encourage persons supported to advocate for themselves and assist them to overcome challenges so that they can achieve a full community life.
- Identify risk and behaviors that can lead to a crisis, and use effective strategies to prevent or intervene in the crisis in collaboration with others.
- Maintain accurate records, collect and compile data, and submit records to appropriate sources in a timely fashion while maintaining standards of confidentiality and ethical practice.
- Observe, document, and implement appropriate actions to promote healthy living to prevent illness and accidents
- Build trust and productive relationships with people they support, coworkers, and others through respectful and clear verbal and written communication.
This job description is intended to describe the essential job functions and requirements for the successful performance of this job. It is not an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities, and requirements of a person so classified. Other functions may be assigned, and management retains the right to add, change or reassign duties at any time.
