Direct Support Professional Jobs in Springfield, IL

Do you want a job that matters?

At Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries, we’re looking for caring, energetic people to support adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our Community Day Program. Our DSPs help participants build confidence, learn workplace skills, develop independence, and enjoy meaningful community experiences.

This isn’t your typical DSP position.

Monday-Friday schedule
No nights, weekends, or holidays
No bathing, dressing, or personal care duties
No overnight shifts
Fun, positive, team-oriented environment
Meaningful work that changes lives every day

As a Direct Support Professional, you will:

• Coach and encourage participants as they learn work and life skills
• Support individuals during vocational and community activities
• Help participants achieve personal goals and celebrate successes
• Assist with recreational, educational, and enrichment activities
• Promote independence, confidence, and self-advocacy
• Build positive relationships with participants, families, and team members
• Create a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment

You may be a great fit if you:

• Enjoy helping others succeed
• Have a positive, patient, and encouraging attitude
• Believe everyone deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential
• Enjoy working as part of a team
• Want a career with purpose and impact

Experience working with individuals with disabilities is helpful but not required. We provide training and support for the right candidate.

Every day, you’ll see the direct impact of your work. You’ll help individuals overcome barriers, build skills, gain confidence, and experience success.

If you’re looking for a rewarding career where you can make a difference while having fun, we’d love to meet you.

Apply today and help us strengthen our community one person at a time.

Job Title: DSP/Job Coach 

Department: Mission Programs/Adult Services 

Reports To: Director of Adult Services 

Classification: Non-exempt 

EEO-1 Category: Service Workers 

Safety Sensitive: Yes

Authorized Driver: Yes

Supervises: N/A 

Job Summary 

Provides support and direction to service participants; conducts job skills training and monitors how work is being done. Performs a variety of routine direct care duties to support, supervise, and instruct service participants and to promote their dignity, safety, health, and welfare. Follows and implements established program standards and procedures. 

Essential Job Duties 

• Implements daily programming for service participants in the areas of work behaviors, academics, functional skills, self-care, independent living skills, extracurricular activities, socialization and communication skills through training, teaching, supervision and production. 
• Promotes a person-centered approach that takes into consideration the service participant’s abilities, needs, preferences and choices.
• Develops competencies and skills to complete job duties through teaching, motivating, and instilling work ethic and values for the service participants. 
• Communicates job related concerns to the Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional (QIDP) on site.
• Works in collaboration with QIDPs to maintain data and documentation for service participants. 
• Provides input to QIDP and team to evaluate, access, and monitor the progress of the goals, objectives and work of the service participant. 
• Communicates with a positive approach, solutions and concerns. 
• Develops service participant competencies in safety and health methods and procedures. 
• Acquires necessary resources and tools to support successful completion of tasks of service participants.
• Serves as a bus monitor for day programming, follows LLGI safety guidelines during transport to ensure the safety of service participants. 
• Completes all necessary paperwork in a timely and accurate manner. 
• Maintains knowledge of industry trends, policies and procedures. 
• Effectively manages time and monitors service participants’ time to ensure that work is completed. 
• Builds trust by interacting with others in a way that gives them confidence. 
• Contributes to team success by involving others in work processes, decisions and actions. 
• Ensures that the customer’s perspective is a driving force behind customer satisfaction. 

• Seeks to understand the customer/stakeholder’s circumstances, problems, expectations and needs.
• Identifies organizational needs and creates solutions. 
• Builds customer and stakeholder awareness around our mission. 
• Identifies and corrects conditions that affect service participant, employee and customer safety.
• Complies with safety standards. 
• Identifies opportunities and generates ideas to improve the Adult Services Department’s objectives. 
• Initiates action to create value, advance and meet departmental demands. 
• Partners with Adult Services staff to identify, assess, create and implement process improvement.
• Participates in appropriate training, seek development opportunities, and stay current in the field 
• Seeks to understand individual differences and values to build workplace relationships. 
• Learns and applies new job-related information in a timely manner. 
• Performs other duties as required or assigned. 

Competencies 

Adaptability            Gaining Commitment          Coaching       Leveraging Diversity           Decision Making Initiating Action      Managing Work                  Contributing to Team Success                  Stress Tolerance Communication      Building Trust                      Tenacity 

Education, Experience, and Credentials 

• Must have completed eight years of grade school or provide proof of ability to read at an 8th grade level (TABE, ABLE or CASAS literacy test). 
• Requires DSP certification or ability to become DSP certified within 120 days of employment. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Requires CPR/First Aid certification or ability to obtain certification within 120 days of employment. Requires strong problem solving and record maintenance skills. 
• Requires proficiency with the Google business platform and/or Microsoft Office products including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel. 
• Builds trust by interacting with others in a way that gives them confidence. 
• Conveys information clearly through verbal and written communication. 
• Requires ability to work independently while fostering a strong team atmosphere. 
• Maintains confidentiality of information related to LLGI operations, financial matters and personnel matters. Demonstrates sensitivity and the ability to communicate with a diverse population, promotes diversity and inclusion throughout the organization. 
• Interacts with people in a manner that enhances their dignity, privacy and confidentiality. Requires a high level of professionalism, integrity, business conduct and ethical behavior. Understands and follows LLGI policies and procedures.
• Requires ability to be consistently at work and on time on scheduled work days. 
• Embraces the mission, vision and values of LLGI. 

Physical Requirements 

• Lifts or moves up to fifty (50) pounds of clothing and housewares safely on and off retail shelving fixtures up to ten (10) feet high, clothing racks four (4) feet high, and z-racks six (6) feet high. 
• Physical stamina and strength to lift and or carry up to twenty-five (25 pounds). 
• Pushes and pulls z-racks holding up to one-hundred (100) pieces of clothing and weighing a minimum of 150 pounds. 
• Requires the ability to use a pallet jack with loads ranging from 100 to 700 pounds safely. Bends and reaches into gaylords five (5) feet high to remove clothing and housewares. Requires manual dexterity to fasten and unfasten buttons, and snaps and zippers. 
• Stands for long periods of time throughout the day.
• Requires the ability to perform a combination of tasks for extended periods such as stooping, bending, kneeling, crouching, crawling, lifting, reaching, carrying, pushing or pulling objects.
• Demonstrates visual acuity to evaluate donated items for quality. 
• Requires the ability to identify smells to evaluate donations for undesirable odors - mold, must, dust, bodily fluids and/or urine. 
• Requires the ability to reach by extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction. 

Environmental Conditions 

• Works in a light industrial/warehouse environment with exposure to heat and cold. 
• Subject to exposure to allergens including dirt, dust, mold, metals, rubber, plastics, latex, and pet hair. 

Tools and Equipment 

Basic office equipment including computer, A/V equipment, calculator, photocopier, scanner, telephone and other equipment specific to contract. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Safety Equipment, Latex/vinyl gloves, wheeled spring carts, wheeled deep carts, wheeled z-racks, bushel carts, pallet jacks, stacker, bale carts, 4-wheel dollies, 4 wheel metal/plastic cages, material lifts, furniture dollies, hand trucks, and basic retail equipment. 

Regular Contacts 

LLGI Staff Volunteers          Community Service Workers         General Public       Donors    Customers                         Vendors                                     Suppliers              Service Participants                      Parents/Guardians              Community                                Business Staff       Social Services Staff 

Our Commitment to Diversity
LLGI recognizes our employees’ differences in age, disability, veteran status, ethnicity, national origin, language, race, religion, family and marital status, socio-economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and other unique attributes. The individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, unique capabilities, and talent our employees bring to the workplace represent an essential part of our culture. 

Our Mission: Providing people with the skills and resources to become self-sufficient through the power of work. 

Our Vision: Elevate people through the power of work and continue to be a leader in environmental sustainability.

Our Values: SERVE: Stewardship | Engagement | Respect | Visibility | Elevation