Residential Direct Support Professional

Job Description

Job Description

Name/Organization: PCDI

Title: Direct Support Professional- Residential (Group Home/Supervised Apartment Setting)

Location: Princeton, NJ 08540

Salary: minimum of $51,000

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, SFA

• Work within designated evening, overnight, and weekend hours

• Sample schedule: Monday – Friday 2-10pm; with 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 (approximately 10 days per year)

• Tuition discount

• BCBA supervision

• Professional mentoring