Direct Support Professionals
At Bayside Community Network, caring is the At Bayside Community Network, caring is the essence of our philosophy. For over 50 years, we have embraced the belief that all persons with disabilities should be treated with dignity. We strive to assist the individuals we serve to become as independent as possible and promote an environment where they can attain life goals.A Direct Support Professional, or Direct Support CareA Direct
Support Professional, or Direct Support Care Professional, cares for individuals experiencing developmental or intellectual disabilities or illnesses. Their main duties include helping patients complete basic housekeeping tasks, transporting patients to appointments or other social outings and keeping patients safe from potential health hazards in their surrounding environment.
For more open positions see our Employment Opportunities page.
Direct Support Professional duties and responsibilities:
- Assisting clients with daily personal tasks, including bathing and dressing
- Completing housekeeping tasks such as vacuuming, washing dishes and tidying
- Helping plan client appointments and organize a schedule
- Organizing with transportation arrangements to appointments
- Shopping for groceries and preparing meals that meet specific client dietary needs
- Encouraging client engagement in social networks and communities
Direct Support Professional skills and qualifications:
- Attention to detail, especially when adhering to specific protocols and rules while carefully following instructions to care for the needs of the client
- Integrity to ensure clients feel safe and comfortable when tending to personal activities such as helping them bathe
- Trustworthiness and dependability so clients and their families feel comfortable relying on them
- Interpersonal skills when working with clients, including having compassion and being sensitive to their emotional needs when they are in extreme distress or pain
- Physical stamina when performing tasks such as lifting or turning their clients
Bayside Community Network (BCN/Bayside), incorporated in 1972 as Cecil County Activity Center, Inc. through the efforts of a group of parents, is a non-profit human services agency licensed and funded by the State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Developmental Disabilities Administration.
Bayside Community Network, Inc. was formed in 1998, through the merger of Cecil County Activity Centers, Inc., Cecil County Training Center, Inc., Cecil County Group Residences, Inc., and Sunny Acres, Inc. After 26 years of working together as separate agencies, the merger has resulted in a more efficient and coordinated delivery of services to meet the needs of the community. In 2005, Bayside added Camp C.A.R.E. to its family of services.