Residential Direct Support Professional - Washington Heights - Job Path

Job Path supports people with developmental disabilities as they make choices about their lives and play valued roles in their communities. Job Path encourages people to explore what they want out of life and to chart their own journeys. Whether it’s finding a job, making a contribution in a volunteer role, establishing a home, or being part of the community, the goal is to assist the person to lead a full and active life.

Job Path is seeking a part-time Residential Direct Support Professional (DSP) who is motivated, flexible, bright, energetic, responsible, and organized.  The role of the DSP is to support people with a developmental disability in every way possible to facilitate personal growth and relationship building, as they emerge in their rightful place within the community.

We are specifically looking for DSPs who can provide support in Washington Heights for at least one weekday and on the weekends. We are specifically looking for people with availability from 7am to 3pm and/or 3pm to 10pm.

Required trainings typically take place during the week, advance notice is given.

Responsibilities include (but are not limited to) the following tasks:

Direct Support; Challenging Individuals To Grow In An Interdependent World By:

• Encouraging personal skill development in all areas of someone's life by showing, teaching and talking.
• Building self-esteem by doing things together, rather than doing everything for them. 
• Providing opportunities for new experiences.
• Getting involved in the community - recreation, shopping, building positive relationships
• Encouraging individuals to make choices and decisions in all areas of their lives, and providing the opportunities to learn how to make decisions
• Building a relationship based on respect, to enable you to offer support, guidance and direction when appropriate
• Facilitating any area in which someone may need support in order to achieve full life eg, buying clothes, sending birthday cards, redecorating a room
• Encouraging, teaching and assisting with household, community and personal responsibilities such as shopping, cleaning, banking, doctor appointments.
• Supporting people in social situations to learn to feel comfortable and confident with others through appropriate interactions and build positive relationships

Teamwork; Building A Strong Team Able To Accomplish Goals By:

• Offering support, respect and feedback to other team members
• Ensuring communication is clear, concise and honest
• Attending staff meetings and contributing professionally
• Covering assigned shifts or finding a suitable replacement, giving adequate notice and informing the team. 
• Sharing and contributing ideas, knowledge, questions, feeling
• Respecting the workplace physical structure, keeping it clean, safe and secure for those we support
• Assisting in meal preparation

Health & Safety; Respecting Individuals Personal Health Needs By:

• Administering medication 
• Being aware of and competent in dealing with individual medical needs eg. seizures, health concerns, allergies etc.
• Attending regularly and consistently to personal care needs such as bathing, hygiene, grooming etc. in a dignifying and respectful matter
• Accompanying individuals to doctors appointments
• Reading and initialing the consult sheet and following through with the information given by the doctor
• Ordering supplies in advance to ensure they arrive when needed eg. medication, gloves etc.

Documentation/Communication; Ensuring Information Is Shared By:

• Reading, documenting in and initialing log books and communication books before and after each shift as appropriate
• Writing reports immediately following an event eg. Doctor’s appointment form, incident reports, etc.
• Documenting Personal Spending, Petty Cash, groceries, etc. immediately after an item is purchased
• Reading staff meeting minutes
• Meeting with team leader periodically for open communication

Qualifications: High school diploma or GED, some college preferred.  We are seeking candidates who enjoy “people-oriented” work and are sensitive to the needs and preferences of people with disabilities (this includes applicants who themselves are autistic or have disabilities).

Rate: $18.65 per hour

Benefits: Work/Life Assistance Program (EAP), ability to contribute to pre-tax commuter and medical FSA plans, 403b retirement plan with employer match after two years of employment. 

Health, dental, and enhanced short term disability insurance available to employees who average 28 hours of work per week after a six month measurement period.

To Apply: Please submit your resume, dates of availability, and cover letter via our jobs board:

Or, send via fax to 212-921-5342 or mail to:

Job Path 
Attn: Cerezmy Salcido 
256 West 38th Street 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10018

*Please note: Only applicants we feel meet requirements of the position will be contacted for an interview. You must submit a resume AND cover letter to be considered for the position.

**Job Path is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on races, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, employment, or citizenship status.**

Whistleblower policy: https://www.jobpathnyc.org/code-of-conduct/#whistleblower