DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL

❤️ Make a Difference Every Day

Direct Support Professional (DSP)

 Woodland Park, New Jersey

 Department: Residential
 Service Line: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Full-Time | Sunday through Wednesday, 11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
$17.15 per hour | $18.15 per hour for weekend hours
DailyPay Available

Looking for More Than Just a Job?

At Advancing Opportunities, we believe every person deserves the opportunity to live a meaningful, fulfilling, and independent life.

We are seeking a compassionate and dependable Direct Support Professional who wants to do more than earn a paycheck. In this overnight role, you will provide direct support to individuals with intellectual, developmental, and behavioral health needs, helping to protect their health, wellness, dignity, independence, and safety.

Whether you are beginning your career, changing professions, or bringing previous human services experience, this position offers an opportunity to perform meaningful work as part of a supportive, mission-driven team.

About Advancing Opportunities

Advancing Opportunities provides residential and community-based support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our employees help individuals strengthen daily living skills, pursue personal goals, build meaningful relationships, and participate more fully in their communities.

Every day, our team members promote dignity, respect, inclusion, personal choice, safety, and independence while helping individuals live their best lives.

Why Join Our Team?

Competitive Pay and Benefits

• Competitive weekday and weekend compensation
• DailyPay access to earned wages before payday
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellness programs
• Employee referral bonuses
• Company-paid training

Benefits are subject to eligibility requirements and the terms of the applicable benefit plans. 

Career Growth and Development

• Paid training programs
• Professional development opportunities
• Certification opportunities
• Career advancement opportunities
• Experience in residential and community-based services
• Opportunities across multiple service lines

❤️ Meaningful Work That Matters

• Make a difference every day
• Help individuals achieve greater independence
• Support individuals and their families
• Build meaningful relationships
• Strengthen communities
• Join a mission-driven organization

Position Summary

The Direct Support Professional, or DSP, is a member of the clinical team who provides compassionate care and hands-on assistance to individuals with intellectual, developmental, and behavioral health needs.

Working collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team, the DSP helps meet each individual’s environmental, physical, psychosocial, and personal needs. The DSP provides the support necessary to help individuals live as independently as possible while protecting their health, wellness, dignity, privacy, and safety.

During the overnight shift, the DSP maintains a safe and supportive residential environment, follows required supervision protocols, responds to individual needs, completes assigned household responsibilities, and documents services and activities accurately.

This position supports the organization’s mission by promoting a culture of compassion, hope, service, respect, and collaboration.

Reports to: Residential Manager
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

What You’ll Do

As a Direct Support Professional, you will:

• Provide compassionate, respectful, and person-centered support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Maintain the health, wellness, safety, and well-being of individuals residing in the home.
• Follow all supervision requirements identified in each individual’s Individualized Service Plan and Behavior Support Plan.
• Provide overnight supervision and respond promptly to individual needs, emergencies, behavioral concerns, or changes in health.
• Complete required overnight safety, sleep, awake, wellness, and household checks.
• Assist individuals with activities of daily living, including personal hygiene, grooming, dressing, meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, shopping, and household maintenance.
• Support individuals in developing daily living, social, communication, safety, and community-participation skills.
• Encourage independence, personal choice, dignity, privacy, confidence, and quality of life.
• Help individuals pursue personal goals, build meaningful relationships, and participate in their communities.
• Create and maintain a safe, respectful, trauma-informed, and supportive residential environment.
• Provide supervision, guidance, and assistance based on each individual’s needs, abilities, service plan, and support requirements.
• Administer or assist with medications after completing required training and in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Carry out prescribed healthcare programs and monitor individuals for changes in health or behavior.
• Implement behavioral programs according to individualized behavior plans.
• Teach skills using the methods and materials identified in Individualized Service Plans or Individual Habilitation Plans.
• Recognize and respond appropriately to emergencies, behavioral concerns, crises, or potential crisis situations.
• Remain calm and use approved techniques when responding to stressful, challenging, or emergency situations.
• Report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or mistreatment in accordance with organizational policies and applicable requirements.
• Maintain the confidentiality of individual information and records.
• Perform assigned household activities, including meal preparation, cleaning, maintenance, and other tasks necessary to ensure the home is ready for the following day.
• Transport and accompany individuals to appointments, programs, community activities, recreational outings, religious services, family visits, and other approved destinations when required.
• Follow all motor vehicle laws and organizational transportation procedures.
• Complete required documentation accurately, thoroughly, and on time.
• Maintain medication logs, daily logs, goal logs, incident reports, sleep and awake charts, weight charts, bowel movement charts, fire drill logs, seizure logs, behavior-plan documentation, vehicle logs, gas receipts, and consumer-fund records as applicable.
• Assist with maintaining individual and program files, tracking service-plan goals, monitoring progress, and preparing assigned reports.
• Document hours worked accurately through the designated timekeeping system.
• Work with the Lead DSP and Residential Manager to ensure individuals’ needs are addressed according to their service plans.
• Assist with community-home licensing activities, inspections, inquiries, and investigations.
• Assist the Residential Manager with special projects, emergency situations, and on-call activities when requested.
• Cooperate with authorized organizational and Department of Human Services representatives during inspections, inquiries, or investigations.
• Attend scheduled home and office staff meetings.
• Complete required pre-service, in-service, competency-based, and annual training.
• Follow organizational policies, Division of Developmental Disabilities requirements, licensing standards, OSHA requirements, fire and safety procedures, and HIPAA requirements.
• Perform other duties assigned by the Residential Manager, Lead DSP, or supervisor.

Who We’re Looking For

You may be a great fit if you are:

✔ Compassionate and respectful
✔ Dependable and punctual
✔ Patient and service-focused
✔ Comfortable working an overnight schedule
✔ Attentive and responsive during overnight hours
✔ Comfortable providing hands-on assistance
✔ Committed to dignity, privacy, safety, and personal choice
✔ Able to remain calm during challenging situations
✔ Organized and attentive to detail
✔ A clear and professional communicator
✔ Able to work independently with minimal supervision
✔ A collaborative and supportive team member
✔ Committed to helping others achieve their goals

Qualifications

Required

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent certificate.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Valid driver’s license and a driving record that meets organizational requirements.
• Current vehicle registration and insurance when use of a personal vehicle is required.
• Ability to read, write, communicate, and complete required documentation in English.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Basic computer skills, including Microsoft Office, email, electronic timekeeping, and related applications.
• Strong documentation, organizational, mathematical, and time-management skills.
• Sound judgment and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, particularly during overnight hours.
• Ability to supervise or assist individuals receiving residential services.
• Ability to recognize and respond appropriately to health, behavioral, safety, and security concerns.
• Ability to react calmly and professionally during emergencies, crises, and other high-stress situations.
• Ability to complete and maintain all required training, including CPR and First Aid.
• Ability to satisfy all applicable pre-employment and ongoing screenings, including criminal background, CARI, Central Registry, drug-screening, and motor vehicle requirements.
• Ability to meet the physical requirements of the position.

Preferred

• Associate or bachelor’s degree.
• Six months to one year of direct experience working with individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
• Previous experience in a human services, residential, behavioral health, or community-based setting.
• Previous overnight or awake-night residential experience.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care and trauma-informed environments.
• Experience implementing individual service plans, habilitation plans, or behavioral support plans.
• Experience completing medication, service, behavioral, safety, or incident documentation.

Schedule and Compensation

• Full-Time
• Sunday through Wednesday
• 11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
• Four scheduled 10-hour overnight shifts
• Standard weekday rate: $17.15 per hour
• Weekend rate: $18.15 per hour for eligible weekend hours
• Work schedules are subject to change based on program and business needs.
• Flexibility may be required for alternate hours, locations, training, meetings, emergencies, holidays, or additional coverage.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Ability to remain awake, alert, and responsive throughout the overnight shift.
• Ability to stand or work for six to eight hours during a shift.
• Ability to sit for approximately two to three hours during a shift.
• Ability to drive a company vehicle for approximately one to four hours during a shift when required.
• Ability to bend, reach, stand, stoop, twist, sit, and climb stairs.
• Ability to lift more than 50 pounds when required to perform essential job duties.
• Ability to provide hands-on assistance to individuals as needed.
• Ability to safely operate vehicles, wheelchair lifts, adaptive equipment, telephones, computers, household appliances, and other assigned equipment after appropriate training.
• Ability to work in residential and community settings throughout New Jersey.
• Possible exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other workplace hazards associated with residential direct care.
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Employment Requirements

Employment is contingent upon successfully satisfying all requirements applicable to the position, which may include:

• Criminal background screening
• Child Abuse Record Information screening
• Central Registry screening
• Drug screening
• Driver’s license and motor vehicle record verification
• Completion of required orientation and training
• CPR and First Aid certification
• Medication-administration training
• Annual competency requirements
• Compliance with confidentiality and HIPAA requirements
• Compliance with safety, licensing, and regulatory requirements
• Attendance at required training sessions and staff meetings

Apply Today

Some jobs pay the bills.
Some jobs build careers.
This job changes lives.

If you are looking for meaningful overnight work where your compassion, dependability, and dedication can make a real difference, we encourage you to apply today.

Join our team and become the reason someone has a better day. 

About Our Organization

Advancing Opportunities is part of the Inperium family of companies.

Employment for this position is administered through Apis Services, Inc. 

Equal Opportunity Employer

Apis Services, Inc., Inperium Inc., and their affiliates provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. This commitment extends to every phase and aspect of hiring and employment.