direct support professional

residence manager

medical coordinator

registered nurse

program manager

Center for Family Support

The Center for Family support was a unique experience for me because I started on the ground level as a Direct Support professional. This organization is a non profit that supports people that have developmental and intellectual disabilities. My job initially was to assist individuals that reside in a group home with day to day needs. To help them to be more independent at home as well as in the community. The job is rewarding because you get to witness their progress and I the Direct support Professional had an intricate role in affecting change in someone else. A typical day at work is working on valued outcome goals that the resident was interested in and supportive goals that was important for them. For example learning how to cook, learning how to navigate a computer or tablet device, choosing healthier food options or exercising. As I developed as a Direct Support Professional I also moved up in the company which led me to be the Residence Manager of the same group home. The challenging part was the transition to Direct support Professional to managing Direct Support Professionals and the individuals that we serve. The organization was very supportive and provided different classes to help assist like conflict resolution, building relationships and developing staff. It was to my benefit to have such a hands on experience because i had already had a concept of how the house function and what needed improvement.

This was my first venture working within the mentally disabled community. It taught that there are many aspects that come with working with a mentally disabled individual. This could mean anything from trying to communicate them while nurturing their confidence; or by simply just accompanying them to appointment or community activities. In part this is due to the fact, there were some individuals that didn't comprehend patience; or their ability to comprehend about what was being said or instructed was completely different from another individual. The challenge was not only in trying to fulfill this need but because these individuals lived together; it was also challenging to try and help the individuals live amicably with each other because of this. These challenges enhanced my skills and ethical values on professionalism, communication and patience. Though it can be a demanding field, there are aspects that I really enjoyed working in this type of environment. Interacting with a mentally disabled person really gave me such a better perspective on how to be detailed when providing care. It allowed me to grow more as a person interested in pursuing a career within the health care field. It gave me an opportunity to see another field of care that I have never worked in before. I appreciated this because it really pushed me to give my best even when it was not the most ideal situation. 

my employment with the center for family support, from 2007-2012 with the position of residential habilitation specialist, was performed in a residential setting in NY, Ny. At the time of my resignation my client was a 19 year old male with mild cerebral palsy, mental incompatence, and have a developmental disability. I will pick him up from the bus, take him home and he will assist him to get undressed, cleaned up and gave his snack. While his parent was home preparing dinner, i will assit him with homework assignments and other developmental activities. Within the shift, i will take note of his progress daily on a progress report and explain in detail the duties i performed during my shift.I worked alone and once every other week my supervisor will make home visits and ask if any changes to his daily plan need to be made. The hardest part of the job would be, if my client did not want to perform a task , but ultimately, i would use some persuasive messure to get him to perform, such as telling him he can watch a disney movie after or we can go for a walk after. The enjoyable part of the job was seeing how much he has progressed in the five years i have worked with him. he speaking more and with clarity, and hes more socialiable with the guests.

If you want to be belittled by a management team then look no further than this company here. Not only is there no place for advancement, but your director and likely a few of your managers will do everything in their power to speak to you in the nastiest way possible. The place has everything to do with politics and nothing to do with the actual work you put in. Once a manager/supervisor/director has an issue with you, they will target you until you either lose your mind or choose to leave. Working with the individuals in need is the only driving force for doing this sort of work. But ive never been so humiliated by an agency a day in my life. This place is a joke, the team of directors that they have in place do absolutely nothing and consistently overwork their managers. Everybody who has an upper position here did not work for their position at all and are severely misguided. I would not be surprised if this company goes down the drain in the next ten years

A typical day at work for me would be processing purchase orders, invoices, and checks for the 30 sites that we have or traveling to these houses to put together some furniture or troubleshoot a fax printer or copy machine. later on in the day I have to do filing, changing toners (up to 20+ printers and copiers at this site) change light bulbs, do more purchase orders but basically the whole up keep of the main office.  I learned how to supervise, organize, multi task, and how to meet deadlines accordingly. Management is management always wanting you to do more for less. My Co-workers are great always lending a hand when needed. The hardest part of the Job is working hard and not being appreciated or paid what I'm worth I have been with this company for 10 years only to get $3 more then when I started. My most enjoyable part of the job is doing the paperwork (processing bills, checks and purchase orders ect....)

My typical day was checking to make sure all the clients kept their routine of their work and day programs. They really looked forward to their jobs. In this, I had respect for their life from their perspective and needed that my staff did the same. As a on-call manager, I worked  flexible shifts to meet the needs of the clients and share the reponsibility with my co-worker. The management team were supportive as well. The hardest  part of the job was keeping the staff in training whenever needed because some had other part-time jobs. The enjoyable part was seeing the clients and families happy knowing that their daughters or sons were well taking care of.

What is the best part of working at the company?
There use to be many best part for working at CFS. But after working for this company for over ten years and not getting any type of promotion after ten years am only making 17.00$ and that includes all the raises I have received over the ten years. My starting pay ten years ago was 10.00$ dont waste your time so many other company are better run offer better benefits and have better working environment.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The clients need a incredible amount ofvwork.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Everyone is out for themselves. Second Everyone I work with is overwork and underpaid

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Hard and very hands on physical.

In addition to learning how to be more flexible, I learned how to approach my work from an individualized and person centered perspective.  Management attempts to be supportive and mindful of employees and the inherent challenges that come with working closely to the developmentally disabled population. I enjoyed working with many of the other service coordinators and community and day habilitation supervisors. Most of all I appreciate the close relationships I developed with some of the clients and their families.   The most challenging part of the work was the travel and the changes that ensued regarding the documentation of service delivery.

Unfortunately, there’s no room for growth. Unless someone retires or resigns, employees are stuck in their current role with no possibility of a raise or promotion. Some departments have high turnover rates while others do not. The agency’s culture is divided between a toxic work environment and a flexible work environment ( 75% of the overall agency is a toxic work environment) . 

CON: The biggest complain among employees is insufficient pay (including dual roles) and unorganized  protocols  and procedures within the company. 

PROS: Employees enjoy their flexible work schedule (depending on the department or position), vested 401k plan, and generous PTO (depending on employee status- part time or full time). 

A typical day starts as soon as you walk through the door. Either your supervisor or an individual is going to need you to do something. There are many, MANY things that need to be done and that includes making sure your more rambunctious of individuals don't get into something they shouldn't have. (For example, one of mine couldn't have excessive fiber because of a particularly nasty reaction that will happen.) The hardest part of the job is being spread so thin you're at the breaking point. 

But seeing the smiles on your individuals' faces makes it all worth it.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Direct support professional 40 salaries reported	$19.36 per hour
Residence manager 7 salaries reported	$62,000 per year
Medical coordinator 10 salaries reported	$21.00 per hour
Registered nurse 4 salaries reported	$55.63 per hour
Program manager 3 salaries reported	$66,300 per year

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