Direct Support Specialist - Full-Time

Your Opportunity:

LEAP is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Lead Direct Support (A.k.a., Program Support 1 or PS1) to join our team. This front-line management role plays a key part in ensuring smooth operations at the program level, combining administrative support with direct service responsibilities. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, dependable, hold a valid CRMA certification and be committed to modeling the professional and compassionate standards that reflect LEAP’s mission and values.

Why You’ll Love Working Here:

* Fun & Rewarding* -Work at a place where your effort directly results in making another human beings’ life easier…rack up the “good karma” points! Have fun getting paid to attend community events like movies, fairs, and monster truck races.

* Job Security and Local Work* LEAP has been in the Farmington Maine area for over 40 years and our industry is extremely resilient to marketplace fluctuations. We continue to grow and have job openings even when other local businesses are shutting their doors. While we do have one location in Turner ME, all of our other program locations are local to Farmington.

* Retention and Employee-Centric Culture * LEAP has an average tenure of 8.5 YEARS! We value each employee as the individuals they are and work hard to promote work-life balance.

Who We are:

For over 40 years, Life Enrichment Advancing People (LEAP) has been supporting people with developmental, cognitive, and intellectual disabilities to be actively involved in their communities. To this end we provide small group and individualized residential services, adult case management and training services. LEAP is a private nonprofit organization with a mission to empower people with disabilities to lead joyful lives with dignity, independence, and autonomy by providing comprehensive and individualized support. Our fundamental operating principle is to strive for each supported individual's fulfillment of physical wellbeing, self-expression, and experiences of joy.

Typical Day in the Life of a Lead Direct Support Professional (PS1)

At LEAP our Lead DSP in each program is referred to as a PS1 (Program Support 1). A typical day as a PS1 provides an opportunity to serve our supported individuals, role model the DSP position and occasional supervision of staff in the absence of the Program Administrator. Core to this role are the administration tasks of scheduling, cash account tracking, maintenance of DSP training files and Medication Coordination.

Core Tasks:

1. Maintain a regular DSP schedule and serve as role model demonstrating behavior consistent with LEAP’s mission and goals.

2. Assure all supports adhere to Home and Community Based Service as fundamentally designed by CMS.

3. Provide back up support to the Administrator to process payroll. This will include reconciling the timecard against schedule, follow-up with DSP’s and problem resolution.

4. Tracking of all cash accounts – includes petty cash, grocery funds and resident personal spending accounts. Accounting includes collection and reconciliation of receipts, safekeeping of monies, meeting deadlines of finance department and being available for problem resolution.

5. Accounting for purchases – includes reconciliation of receipts, submission to the finance dept and being available for problem resolution.

6. Actively participate in and take minutes for staff meetings.

7. Attend and actively participate in Management meetings.

8. Maintain DSP training files. This includes completing necessary steps to sign up the DSP, communicate schedule needs with the DSP and obtain proof/certificate of attendance.

9. Maintain and facilitate New Hire Paperwork with the Administrator.

10. Maintain and update residential files. This includes filing in residential records, tracking and scheduling the medical appointments of the individuals, compiling monthly reports, updating schedules and alerting DSP’s of appointments as well as submitting the monthly residential census to the finance dept.

11. Medication Coordination. Includes ordering all medications through the pharmacy, obtaining current orders from physicians, purchasing OTC medications and preparing the MAR’s. In some programs, this role may be assigned to a DSP and the PS1 provides back up support.

12. General office support for Administrator – i.e. typing, transcription, answering phone calls and taking messages, process incoming and outgoing mail, order office supplies and reconciling transportation census(s).

13. Provide PS1 support to other programs in need as assigned.

14. Other duties as assigned by Administrator.

Desired Experience & Attitude:

All candidates must demonstrate: Motivation & Compassion, Leadership Qualities, Ability to work well within a Team with a Cooperative Spirit, an Eagerness to continually improve Skills & Training, a High School Diploma or GED, be at least 18 yrs. of age, and have a Maine driver’s license with a safe driving record.

Prior experience working with individuals with cognitive & intellectual disabilities is preferred.

Ideal current certifications: CPR, DSP, MANDT, CRMA. LEAP will provide these trainings for a qualified individual.

(1) LEAP, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Compensation details: 19-19 Hourly Wage

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