Direct Support Professional (DSP) – Complex Medical & Community Support Specialist
Location: Columbia, Maryland (Self-Directed Services Program)
Schedule: Monday–Friday 4:00 PM–8:00 PM | Sunday 12:00 PM–8:00 PM
Additional weekday, weekend, overnight, respite, and vacation coverage opportunities available on an as needed basis.
Compensation
- Day & Evening (Any hours between 7am & 11pm): Starting at $30.00/hour
- Overnight (Any hours worked between 11pm & 7am): Starting at $21.63/hour
- Paid training
- Paid time off
Make a Difference Every Day
We are seeking a compassionate, dependable, and highly skilled professional to join a dedicated team supporting an incredible young woman with complex medical and developmental disabilities through Maryland DDA's Self-Directed Services Program.
She is social, funny, affectionate, and enjoys an active lifestyle filled with music, community events, shopping, outdoor activities, spending time with friends, and visiting with her boyfriend. She thrives when surrounded by people who encourage her independence, understand her unique communication style, and help her safely participate in the activities she loves.
If you enjoy building meaningful relationships while providing exceptional, individualized supports, this is an opportunity to make a lasting impact in someone's life.
Why This Position Is Different
This position requires considerably more than routine caregiving or medication administration. Every shift involves implementing multiple physician-directed healthcare plans while continuously monitoring the individual's health, safety, communication, mobility, and overall well-being.
Staff must be able recognize subtle changes before they become emergencies, proactively prevent complications, and consistently implement individualized support plans with precision. It is imperative that all staff understand that medications, therapeutic diet, hydration, seizure management, mobility, bowel management, skin integrity, communication, and environmental conditions all work together to support her overall health and quality of life.
This position is ideal for someone who is naturally observant, detail-oriented, calm under pressure, enjoys problem solving, and takes pride in providing exceptional, person-centered supports.
Meet the Individual
This remarkable young woman is known for bringing joy to everyone around her. She has an engaging personality, enjoys spending time with people she loves, and values meaningful relationships.
She communicates through a combination of vocalizations, gestures, facial expressions, sign language, body language, and individualized communication methods. Staff who invest the time to learn her communication style quickly discover how expressive and interactive she is.
She uses a wheelchair, walker, and adaptive equipment for mobility and requires physical assistance from her staff with all transfers, positioning, eating, personal care, toileting, mobility, and community access. Due to her verbal limitations staff must be able to recognize subtle changes in her communication and behavior that may indicate pain, illness, discomfort, anxiety, or other unmet needs.
Although she requires extensive support, she enjoys an active lifestyle and spends much of her time in the community. Supporting her successfully requires balancing meaningful community participation with continuous attention to her health, safety, and individualized medical needs.
Join a Supportive Team
You will become part of a dedicated interdisciplinary team that includes:
- Two loving and highly involved parents
- A supportive sister
- An experienced long-term Direct Support Professional
- An experienced nurse providing ongoing delegation, clinical guidance, competency validation, and support
Our team values professionalism, communication, teamwork, consistency, reliability, and mutual respect. We are looking for someone who wants to become a trusted member of this team and develop a long-term relationship with the individual and her family.
Specialized Health & Safety Responsibilities
This position requires staff who can safely implement multiple individualized healthcare plans while continuously monitoring for changes in health and responding appropriately.
Responsibilities include:
- Implementing physician-directed healthcare plans, nursing recommendations, and individualized support plans.
- Administering medications in accordance with delegated nursing procedures and physician orders.
- Preparing and administering a medically prescribed Modified Atkins Diet by weighing food, measuring carbohydrate intake, preparing appropriate food textures, documenting intake, and ensuring medications mixed with meals are completely consumed.
- Monitoring hydration, nutrition, bowel function, skin integrity, mobility, fatigue, seizure activity, environmental conditions, and overall health throughout every shift.
- Recognizing subtle changes in health status, communication, behavior, or physical condition that require implementation of established protocols or communication with the nurse, family, or healthcare providers.
- Implementing seizure protocols, emergency procedures, and preventative interventions to reduce the risk of medical complications.
- Accurately documenting observations, preventative interventions, and significant changes to promote continuity of care.
- Providing physical assistance with all transfers, positioning, eating, personal care, toileting, mobility, and community access, including lifting.
- Supporting safe participation during community outings while anticipating environmental hazards, monitoring tolerance, and adapting activities based on health and safety needs.
Primary Responsibilities
- Provide continuous individualized support and supervision throughout each shift.
- Assist with all activities of daily living, including dressing, bathing, grooming, toileting, feeding, mobility, transfers, positioning, and personal hygiene.
- Safely transport and accompany the individual to community activities, appointments, recreational events, and social outings.
- Continuously monitor physical condition, communication, behavior, seizure activity, medication effectiveness, hydration, nutrition, bowel function, skin integrity, and overall well-being.
- Implement the Person-Centered Plan (PCP), Nursing Care Plan (NCP), and all individualized healthcare plans.
- Communicate effectively with family members, nursing staff, and other team members regarding observations, activities and changes in condition.
- Complete accurate documentation throughout each shift.
- Promote independence, choice, dignity, community inclusion, and meaningful participation in everyday life.
Required Qualifications
- Active CMT certification (or willingness to obtain prior to employment)
- Current CPR, First Aid, and AED certification
- Valid driver's license, auto insurance and reliable transportation
- Ability to safely perform transfers, physical ability to lift the participant, and ability to provide hands-on physical assistance
- Ability to pass required background screening
- Excellent observation, communication, and documentation skills
- Ability to learn and consistently implement complex individualized support plans
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Professionalism, reliability, and punctuality
Preferred Qualifications
Preference will be given to applicants with experience supporting individuals with:
- Complex seizure disorders
- Medically prescribed therapeutic diets
- Nursing delegation
- Complex medical or neurological conditions
- Non-verbal communication
- Mobility impairments requiring transfers, lifts and adaptive equipment
- Maryland DDA Self-Directed Services
- Interdisciplinary healthcare teams
The Ideal Candidate
We're looking for someone who:
- Notices the small things others often miss.
- Remains calm and confident during unexpected situations.
- Values consistency and attention to detail.
- Enjoys learning and developing specialized skills.
- Understands the importance of prevention, not just emergency response.
- Communicates professionally with families and healthcare professionals.
- Is compassionate, patient, dependable, and trustworthy.
- Believes every person deserves the opportunity to live an active, meaningful, and fulfilling life.
If you're looking for a rewarding career where your knowledge, professionalism, and compassion truly make a difference, we would love to meet you.
Pay: $21.49 - $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Paid time off
- Paid training
Application Question(s):
- Are you consistently available to work Monday through Friday 4pm to 8pm? This shift is required.
- Are you consistently available to work Sundays (Approx. 12pm-8pm)?
- Do you have the physical capability to support the individual with lifting and transferring? This is a job requirement.
Experience:
- working with individuals with intellectual disabilities: 2 years (Preferred)
License/Certification:
- Certified Medication Technician (Required)
Work Location: In person
