LEAD DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL

❤️ Make a Difference Every Day

Direct Support Professional Lead

Woodland Park, New Jersey
 Department: Residential
 Service Line: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Full-Time | Tuesday through Saturday, 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
$18.15 per hour on weekdays | $19.15 per hour on weekends
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 Lead who wants to do more than earn a paycheck. In this role, you will provide hands-on support to individuals with developmental disabilities while helping guide and mentor other direct support professionals.

This is an opportunity to build a rewarding career, strengthen your leadership skills, and become part of a team committed to helping others achieve greater independence, confidence, and success.

About Advancing Opportunities

Advancing Opportunities provides residential services and individualized support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our team members help individuals strengthen daily living skills, participate in their communities, build meaningful relationships, and pursue greater independence while promoting dignity, respect, inclusion, safety, and personal choice.

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

Career Growth and Development

• Paid training programs
• Professional development opportunities
• Certification opportunities
• Leadership development
• Career advancement opportunities
• Experience mentoring and supporting direct care staff
• Opportunities across multiple service lines

❤️ Meaningful Work That Matters

• Make a difference every day
• Support individuals in achieving greater independence
• Build meaningful and supportive relationships
• Help individuals participate in their communities
• Strengthen the quality and consistency of residential services
• Join a mission-driven organization

Position Summary

The Direct Support Professional Lead provides on-site behavioral health and direct support services to individuals with developmental disabilities in a residential setting.

The position assists individuals with personal care, daily living activities, recreation, transportation, medical appointments, medication-related needs, community participation, and other individualized supports. The Direct Support Professional Lead also mentors direct support professionals, provides on-site training and guidance, promotes compliance with organizational policies and applicable regulations, and communicates program needs and concerns to the Residential Manager.

This position helps maintain a safe, therapeutic, respectful, and home-like environment while ensuring services are delivered in accordance with the organization’s mission, ethical standards, safety requirements, and established policies.

Reports to: Residential Manager
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

What You’ll Do

As a Direct Support Professional Lead, you will:

• Provide respectful, person-centered support to individuals with developmental disabilities.
• Assist with daily living activities, including personal hygiene, grooming, housekeeping, laundry, meal planning, food shopping, meal preparation, and home maintenance.
• Encourage individuals to develop greater independence, confidence, and competence.
• Support individuals in developing relationships and participating in recreational, social, and community activities.
• Provide supervision, guidance, and assistance based on each individual’s needs and service plan.
• Create and maintain a safe, supportive, therapeutic, and home-like environment.
• Mentor direct support professionals and provide on-site training, coaching, and direction.
• Help ensure staff follow organizational policies, treatment plans, behavioral protocols, licensing standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Communicate staff performance, compliance concerns, program needs, and individual health or safety concerns to the Residential Manager.
• Assist individuals with scheduled medications in accordance with established policies and training.
• Review medication records, medication counts, logs, and other required documentation for accuracy and completeness.
• Accompany individuals to medical, behavioral health, psychological, and other service-related appointments.
• Communicate information received from healthcare and service providers and help ensure appropriate follow-up.
• Implement individualized teaching strategies addressing self-care, independent living, social, academic, pre-vocational, and vocational skills.
• Support the implementation of treatment plans, behavioral support plans, motivational systems, and evening or weekend programming.
• Recognize and respond appropriately to behavioral concerns, psychiatric changes, emergencies, crises, or potential crisis situations.
• Use approved behavioral and crisis-intervention techniques and seek additional assistance when required.
• Report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or mistreatment in accordance with policy and applicable requirements.
• Complete daily notes, progress data, medication documentation, critical logs, incident documentation, and other required records accurately and on time.
• Assist with monthly reports and other documentation for referring agencies, guardians, or families as assigned.
• Protect confidential information and comply with HIPAA requirements and the organization’s ethical standards.
• Help ensure individuals have adequate clothing, personal supplies, nutritious meals, and access to necessary health and community services.
• Conduct or follow up on safety inspections, fire drills, vehicle checks, and facility-related concerns.
• Promptly report or address facility, vehicle, equipment, utility, security, and safety issues using established procedures.
• Safely transport individuals using company or approved vehicles and operate vehicle or wheelchair-lift equipment as trained.
• Participate in staff meetings, supervision, evaluations, and required internal or external training.
• Provide weekend and after-hours leadership or on-call support when assigned.
• Work cooperatively with individuals, families, coworkers, supervisors, service providers, funding sources, and community partners.
• Perform other duties necessary to support the residential program and the individuals served.

Who We’re Looking For

You may be a great fit if you are:

• Compassionate and respectful
• Dependable and accountable
• Patient and service-focused
• Comfortable providing hands-on support
• Confident guiding and mentoring staff
• Organized and attentive to detail
• Able to respond calmly and professionally during emergencies
• Committed to dignity, inclusion, safety, and individual choice
• A strong communicator and collaborative team member
• Able to work independently with appropriate judgment
• Committed to helping individuals reach their goals

Qualifications

Required

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• At least one year of experience working with individuals with disabilities or mental illness.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Valid, non-provisional driver’s license.
• Current vehicle registration and insurance when use of a personal vehicle is required.
• Ability to successfully complete and maintain required CPR, First Aid, medication, behavioral support, crisis-intervention, and other assigned training.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to complete accurate, timely, and legible documentation.
• Basic computer skills, including experience using Microsoft Office, email, electronic timekeeping, and related applications.
• Ability to work independently and provide guidance to direct support staff.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals with disabilities, families, coworkers, supervisors, service providers, and community partners.
• Ability to satisfy applicable background checks, registry checks, drug-testing requirements, and other pre-employment or ongoing employment requirements.

Preferred

• Previous supervisory, lead, or staff-mentoring experience.
• Knowledge of developmental disabilities, mental illness, trauma-informed care, and person-centered support.
• Experience in a residential, group home, community-based, or behavioral health setting.
• Experience with medication documentation, service-plan implementation, safety inspections, and regulatory compliance.

Schedule

• Full-Time
• Tuesday through Saturday
• 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Weekday shifts are paid at $18.15 per hour
• Saturday hours are paid at the weekend rate of $19.15 per hour
• Flexibility may be required based on the needs of the individuals served and the residential program.
• Employees may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, alternate locations, or additional hours as business and program needs require.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit, stand, walk, reach, bend, stoop, twist, and climb stairs.
• Ability to provide hands-on assistance and support to individuals as needed.
• Ability to lift more than 50 pounds when required to perform essential job duties.
• Ability to safely drive a vehicle.
• Ability to operate vehicle lifts, adaptive equipment, telephones, computers, copiers, and household equipment after appropriate training.
• Ability to work in residential and community environments that may include multiple levels and stairs.
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Employment Requirements

Candidates must be able to satisfy all requirements applicable to the position, which may include:

• Criminal background screening
• Central Registry of Offenders Against Individuals with Developmental Disabilities check
• Child Abuse Record Information check
• Pre-employment, random, and for-cause drug testing
• Valid driver and vehicle documentation
• Cooperation with inspections, inquiries, and investigations conducted by authorized organizational or government representatives
• Compliance with Advancing Opportunities policies, Division of Developmental Disabilities requirements, licensing standards, OSHA requirements, fire and safety procedures, and HIPAA requirements
• Completion of required orientation, annual competencies, meetings, and training

Apply Today

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

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

Join our team and help someone build greater independence, confidence, and opportunity. The closing and application language follows the attached template’s recruitment structure. [Job Posting Template | Word]

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.

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 applies to every phase and aspect of hiring and employment.