April 2, 2022
How confident are you when it comes to finding and recruiting new employees and team members? We understand that this task can be challenging sometimes, but with our assistance, it doesn’t have to be. The article that you are reading is our FREE Direct Support Professional Job Description Template which is the first step in your hiring journey.
Our job is to make this process as easy as possible for you, so feel free to explore and customize this template according to the way that will be the most pleasing for the candidates.
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Direct Support Professionals are healthcare professionals who work with individuals who have developmental or intellectual disabilities.
They are responsible for assisting patients in daily activities. Direct Support Professionals help patients complete housekeeping tasks, such as vacuuming, doing laundry, tidying, washing the dishes, etc.
They also help patients bathe and dress if necessary.
Their assistance includes shopping for groceries and medication, preparing and serving meals, feeding the patients, and cleaning up after meals.
Direct Support Professionals arrange transportation to doctor’s appointments or other outings and ensure that they take their medications regularly.
In the end, they create a safe and positive environment for patients and encourage them to participate in social activities to strengthen their physical and mental health.
Skill | Why it's important |
Patience | Working with people with disabilities requires a huge amount of patience for Direct Support Professionals. Their patients may be disorganized, slow, tired, upset, or indifferent to some tasks or activities, and it is up to the Direct Support Professional to stay patient and work their way through. |
Compassion and Understanding | Patients need to feel that Direct Support Professionals are always available for them and that they can count on them in any situation. Knowing that DSPs must show kindness, understanding, empathy, and loyalty to them and the motivation to make their lives better. |
Adaptability | Every patient that DSPs work with is different in some way. Their health conditions, moods, and activities may change numerous times during the day. DSPs need to adjust to every situation and every mood of their patients in order to make the day as productive and positive as possible. |
Communication | Direct Support Professionals are not required to talk to patients only, but to their families and doctors as well. Through communication, they should learn the basic needs and things that they should pay attention to. They also need to accurately inform and update doctors and family members on the patient’s health conditions. |
Organization | Along with their time schedule and management, Direct Support Professionals are also responsible for their patients’ daily organization. They ought to be efficient when executing tasks and extremely organized in every way. Good time management skills help DSPs finish their duties on time and make plans for the next few days. |
We are looking for a compassionate and motivated Direct Support Professional who will provide assistance to our patients and encourage them to live independently and positively. Your duties as a Direct Support Professional include helping them with daily activities such as vacuuming, washing the dishes, doing laundry, bathing, dressing, etc. You will also go shopping for groceries, prepare and serve meals, and feed the patients if needed.
Furthermore, you will arrange transportation to doctor’s appointments and make sure that patients take their medications regularly. The most accurate sign that you are successful at this role is if the patients feel the safe, positive, and engaging atmosphere and environment when you are around them. Your goal is to improve their quality of life and encourage them in social activities.
Once you gather up all the received applications, you can use these sample interview questions for Direct Support Professionals. These questions below can help you narrow down your choices and pick the most suitable candidate for the job.
To become Direct Support Professionals, candidates need to have a high school diploma or GED. Certification requirements vary from state to state and from employee to employee.
However, candidates should be able to perform CPR and have first aid certification.
Additionally, candidates should be comfortable with housekeeping and personal tasks and be familiar with safety regulations and techniques, as well as how to properly react and respond to emergencies.
Direct Support Professionals usually earn between $16,500 and $30,000 per year.
The median annual salary is around $24,394.
Their hourly wages go from $8 and $14.
The median hourly wage is $12.
Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
Hourly Wage | $8 | $10 | $12 | $13 | $14 |
Annual Wage | $16,500 | $21,000 | $24,394 | $27,000 | $30,000 |
Direct Support Professionals work in healthcare facilities, hospitals, senior care centers, or governmental institutions.
Certification requirements vary from state to state. However, Direct Support Professionals should have at least a CPR and first aid certification.
Direct Support Professionals should be caring, supportive, understanding, encouraging, and positive.
They may work alone, but they mostly use the help of behavioral therapists, speech therapists, physical therapists, and other team members if necessary.
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