Direct Support Specialist

C&J Tender Heart Residential Services

Job Title: Direct Support Specialist (DSS)

Summary: Carry out the mission to provide quality care, life enrichment, indefinite possibilities, and a family atmosphere to those diagnosed with disabilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following.

Direct Service—We are a family-oriented team of trained professionals committed to ensuring that the individuals we serve have the tools they need to reach their full potential while maintaining their independence. Our loving and compassionate team will strive to provide excellent support and care to enhance lives and achieve new goals.

• When working at a vocational site, staff are required to provide support to prepare individuals for the development of vocational, recreational, and social skills, which they can apply to various situations according to their Individual Service Plan/ISP.
• Ensures that each individual’s needs are met, including personal care, mealtime, medication administration/assistance, equipment adaptations, daily household chores and errands, vocational opportunities, and transportation.
• Assist in developing a positive living and work environment by being proactive and preventing behaviors. 
• Supports each individual’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth.

Communication: Encourages and maintains good communication with co-workers, families, school, work settings, as well as neighbors and community contacts.

• Represents C&J Tender Heart R.S. positively and professionally.

Recordkeeping: Maintains complete and accurate records regarding individual’s progress, health problems, services, program implementation, incident reports, financial transactions, and household operations. Compiles and submits information and reports specific to the employee's department.

• Must be able to handle money and financial transactions, such as balancing a checkbook, filling out expense forms, and maintaining receipts and records.

Housekeeping: Perform housekeeping and maintenance tasks as required

• Ensures sufficient food and household supplies are kept on hand, as appropriate to the setting, and reports other needs as necessary.
• Effectively and respectfully communicates with individuals within the agency and those in the community.

Staff Development and Training: Attends and participates in staff meetings and in-service training to continue developing and sharing job-related skills. May assist in the training of other staff.

Scheduling: Direct Support Specialists (DSS) will be scheduled with flexibility between work sites to best meet the needs of the individuals receiving services. Staff will be trained and required to work in any assigned area.

• Medical Appointment DSS Additional Responsibilities:
• Schedules, transports, and attends individual’s medical appointments, tests, and/or procedures. Schedules follow-ups as needed.
• Identifies and organizes items needed to approach appointments, including documentation, premedication, and known consents, and ensures their availability and completion before appointments. 
• Follows all C&J Tender Heart R.S. transportation policies and procedures, whether transporting in a C&J Tender Heart vehicle or the employee’s vehicle.
• Reports any maintenance issues or concerns.
• Report all accidents and traffic violations.
• Complete required daily paperwork.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each essential duty. The employee must be at least 18 years old.

• Education and/or Experience: A high school diploma or GED is required, but previous experience in a caregiving setting is preferred but not required. 

Language Skills: 

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, programs, medication charts, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports, individual programs, and correspondence. 
• Ability to speak one-on-one, with families and others in the community and before co-workers in a small group setting.

Mathematical Skills: Money management, ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems in various situations using a common approach. Ability to make good judgments.

Other Requirements and Skills:

• The employee must maintain a valid driver’s license and a safe driving record to maintain insurability.
• The employee is responsible for completing all training required to maintain compliance with regulations.
• The employee must maintain First Aid/CPR certification and complete and maintain the medication administration training required for their work area.

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