Direct Support Professional (Residential Group Home/Supervised Apartment Living) at PRINCETON CHILD DEV.INST.
Princeton, NJ 08540
About the Job
Name/Organization: PCDI
Title: Direct Support Professional (Residential Group Home/Supervised Apartment Living)
Location: Princeton, NJ 08540
Salary: starting range $50,000 - $52,000
Description: Since 1977, Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI) has provided compassionate support in neighborhood homes. Our residential program is expanding and our team is too.
PCDI seeks a direct support professional (DSP) to assist adults with autism in one of our community-based group homes and supervised apartments. Our residences are located in towns surrounding Princeton including Plainsboro, NJ, Hopewell, NJ, and Pennington, NJ. Each home is supported by full-time live-in residential coordinators and/or a trainer/consultant who ensures consistent implementation of programming by each direct support professional (DSP). The direct support professional position (DSP) includes opportunities for long-term growth including career advancement, conducting and publishing research, and presenting at professional workshops and conferences.
Responsibilities:
- Ensure the safety of those we support
- Establish comfortable and supportive relationships with residents and colleagues
- Create and maintain a home-like living and learning environment that enhances the quality-of-life experience for residents
- Exercise good judgment and remain calm when faced with a crisis
- Teach and assist in the development of learners’ instruction and treatment goals with special emphasis on home and community-living skills, social skills, and language and communication skills
- Use Applied Behavior Analytic (ABA) principles and teaching strategies such as Practical Functional Assessment (PFA), Skill-based treatment (SBT) script and script-fading procedures, activity schedules, and zone supervision
- Drive residents to and from activities in a company-owned vehicle or your own vehicle
- Support residents with daily activities including leisure and recreational activities, medical appointments, and community outings
- Effectively manage time and productivity
- Communicate effectively with parents, siblings, neighbors, and colleagues
- Collect, summarize, and analyze ongoing data regarding skill acquisition and behavior management programs for learners
- Document all services provided in accordance with state and federal regulations
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in psychology, education, or related field is preferred
- Some experience working with people with autism or other developmental disabilities
- Knowledge of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
- Has a valid driver’s license
- Pass extensive background checks
- Complete and pass required trainings including: CPR, Standard First Aid (SFA)
- Work within designated evening, overnight, and weekend hours
- Weekday Hours: Monday – Friday, 2pm -10pm ;
- Weekend Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 8am – 4pm or 2pm – 10pm ;
- Two days off per week, on average;
- Direct Support Professionals are assigned to 3 overnight shifts per month
Working Environment/Physical Demands: Sitting, walking, standing, occasional running, some lifting, good fine and gross motor coordination when guiding learners, vision, hearing, receptive and expressive language abilities as suited to instructional and behavior needs of residents.
Benefits:
- Medical and dental insurance for each employee and optional dependent coverage
- Vision insurance (voluntary coverage)
- Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Life and AD&D
- 403b Retirement (voluntary beginning Day 1, employer contribution beginning Year 3)
- Paid time off (8 days accrued per calendar year)
- Holidays and vacations, where eligible
- Tuition discount
- BCBA supervision
- Professional mentoring