Direct Support Professional DSP 1 - Rego Park, Queens

About the Position:

We are hiring a Direct Support Professional in Queens locations. The ideal candidate possesses a wide range of skills and is eager to promote YAI's mission of supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, love, work, and learn in their communities. DSPs work closely with people of all ages who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Depending on the supports needed, DSPs may work in a person’s home, in their family’s home, in a YAI residence, at a day habilitation center, or out in the community. YAI's Mission: Ready to join our 4,000+ employees in a career at YAI? Working at YAI means effecting real change in people's lives. It means going home at the end of the day knowing you have helped someone accomplish a goal. If you want a career supporting others, creatively finding solutions to life's challenges, and building a more inclusive community, YAI is the place for you! Join us in our mission to create opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, love, work, and learn in their communities. Learn more at yai.org/careers.

Key Responsibilities:

• To provide direct care services as needed.
• This includes, but is not limited to, the provision of counseling, training in ADLs (Assisted Daily Living skills), assistance with personal care, medical, dietary, social, sexual, recreational, financial, habilitative and other needs within the program.
• Ensure the health, safety, and wellness of the people we support.
• Support with intimate care functions.
• Build and maintain positive relationships.
• Participating in development of treatment plans.
• Crisis intervention and management.
• Completing mandatory trainings based on the program and position (AMAP, CPR/First Aid, SCIP-R, Defensive Driving, etc.), as well as applying skills.
• Meeting, demonstrating, and modeling OPWDD Core Competencies.
• Assist the people we support in maximizing their strengths, interests, and abilities through teaching, self-advocacy, and emotional support.
• Facilitate community integration, recreational activities, and socialization.
• Completing documentation to ensure compliance and billing.
• Training/presenting to a team.
• Taking on additional tasks outside of basic DSP work/completing job related tasks as needed.

Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma or GED preferred.
• Work or life experience in the I/DD field is a plus, but not mandatory (for DSP 1 positions).
• For DSP 2 positions, at least 1-2 years work experience in the I/DD field.
• Valid NY State Driver's License may be required depending upon the position.
• Tuberculosis test is mandatory for most positions.

Location:

Rego Park, Queens (57th Ave IRA)

Schedule:

Full-time, part-time, weekday and/or weekend positions available - including morning , evening, and overnight schedules.

Benefits:

• DailyPay available - Work today, get paid today!
• Tuition reimbursement Medical and dental insurance - with options for family and more extensive medical plans, as well as vision (for full-time positions)
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick time
• 403(b) retirement with employer match
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Discounts on travel, entertainment, wireless services, shopping, and more.
• Check out our benefits page to learn more!

Compensation:

$16.50/hour to $18.00/hour (depending on experience)

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam or disabled veteran.

YAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam or disabled veteran.

YAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To ensure fairness, safeguard transparency, and promote an equitable workforce environment, YAI Network prohibits the practice of nepotism in the workforce and hiring process.

Our Roots

YAI was launched in February of 1957 out of a small school in Brooklyn, New York. Initially staffed by Co-Founders Bert MacLeech and Pearl Maze MacLeech alone, their pilot program served just seven people. According to Bert, from its very beginning YAI has been dedicated to providing innovative services for the I/DD (intellectual and/or developmental disabilities) community. MacLeech envisioned a, “total life adjustment approach, emphasizing personal growth, social responsibility, employment goals, and the development of independence for the individual.” At a time when institutional living was the norm for people with I/DD, this vision was nothing short of revolutionary.

YAI Today

Today, YAI has a team of over 4,000 employees and supports over 20,000 people in the I/DD community. This extraordinary growth shows the ongoing need for these important services, and YAI’s success in offering them. YAI supports people with autism, Down syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy, among others. Operating throughout Downstate New York and Northern New Jersey, YAI now offers more than 300 programs for people of all ages.

Better Together

At YAI, we are driven by our mission of living, loving, working, and learning. This applies not only to the people we support, but to our staff as well. Commitment and passion for the work continue to unite employees and drive the organization forward. Empowering the people we support to reach their goals remains at the heart of our organization.