Direct Support Professional (DSP / Foster Care)

Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) play a vital role in upholding our agency’s mission and core values through every interaction. They provide continuous support to individuals participating in Day Habilitation and ICF programs, ensuring a high quality of life and promoting independence. DSPs assist individuals with self‑care, health, safety, socialization, and overall well‑being. They support individuals in achieving their personal goals and enhancing their independence, facilitate opportunities for personal growth, socialization, and skill‑building in a community‑based setting, and serve as second staff support by transporting participants to and from program sites, volunteer placements, and other community activities, fostering meaningful connections within the community.

DSPs embrace diversity in all its forms and strive to create an inclusive, welcoming environment where every individual feels valued, demonstrating cultural awareness and actively supporting a culture of equity and inclusion.

Ensures safety of program volunteers while at program site, agency locations, community volunteer jobs, and all other hubs sites

Trains program volunteers to perform functional/meaningful and/or volunteer job tasks to the best of their abilities at primary agency, community volunteer jobs and other hub sites

Acts as a second staff support transporting volunteers to and from primary site and all other agency, community volunteer jobs and additional hub site locations

Acts as liaison between the volunteer’s job site staff and program volunteers.

Prompts volunteers to interact appropriately with peers, and with all persons at primary site, and all other agencies, community volunteer jobs, and all other hub sites.

Reports volunteers’ success/satisfaction and/or problems/concerns encountered during day activities to volunteer’s Site Manager.

Promotes and enforces all agency philosophies, including the guiding principles/POM and CQL at primary site and all other agency, community volunteer jobs, and all other hub sites

Ensures safety of program volunteers at all times and reports incidents to volunteer’s Site Manager, and/or AHRC management and/or the NYS Justice Center

Monitors and attends all mandatory training, and personally ensures that their attendance is scheduled per deadlines. Personal outcome measures’ training is required prior to completion of evaluations and assessments.

High school diploma or equivalent

AMAP/First Aid/CPR/SCIP-R training preferred

Minimum one (1) year experience working with people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities preferred

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