Direct Support Professional – Make Every Day Meaningful
At Rygiel Supports for Community Living, we don’t just provide care - we build community. For more than 60 years, we've been supporting people with developmental disabilities in living full, inclusive, and empowered lives.
At Rygiel, we believe that communities are stronger when everyone belongs. We support people with developmental disabilities to live the lives they choose - building relationships, growing independence, and being part of vibrant neighbourhoods. Our work is guided by five values: Respect, Awareness, Integrity, Person-Centered practice, and Community.
As a Direct Support Professional, you’ll join a compassionate and collaborative team that puts people first - where your efforts are seen, your voice is valued, and your work has purpose.
Overview
The Direct Support Professional provides direct, person-directed support to adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities living in Rygiel’s inclusive living homes. Working under the direction of the Supervisor, Interdisciplinary Service Evolution, and as part of a coordinated interdisciplinary team, this role helps each person supported build on their strengths, work toward their goals, and participate meaningfully in the life of their community.
Supporting people with developmental and intellectual disabilities involves real complexity, and the needs of each person are distinct. Because good support depends on relationships and fit, we match each new team member to a specific person supported based on their strengths, education and experience. For some people the work centres on communication and responsive behaviours; for others, the emphasis falls on building daily living skills within a harm-reduction and mental health framework that prioritizes autonomy and well-being. The Direct Support Professional is expected to read each situation thoughtfully and adapt their approach to the individual in front of them, always within the structure and guidance provided by the interdisciplinary team.
Our practice is grounded in harm reduction and trauma-informed care. We understand behaviour as a form of communication, we recognize each person’s right to make decisions about their own life, and we hold safety, trust, and dignity as the conditions that make meaningful support possible. The Direct Support Professional brings patience, consistency, and clinical curiosity to this work and contributes to an environment in which people feel secure enough to grow.
RESPONSIVE BEHAVIOURS AND SUPPORT NEEDS
Each person supported is an individual with their own strengths, preferences, communication style, and support needs. This role is centred on fostering independence, belonging, advocacy, and meaningful relationships, while ensuring that each person is heard, understood, and supported to engage in the life they choose.
Behaviours are closely tied to communication and sensory experience, and they are best understood as how the person supported tells us something is wrong rather than as behaviour to be controlled. The most significant behaviours are self-injurious behaviour and physical aggression toward staff. Frustration can build quickly when the person supported is not understood, so a large part of the work is noticing early signs of distress, responding to communication attempts, and helping them to feel understood before frustration escalates.
Behaviours are best understood as a way of communicating worry, frustration, or overwhelm rather than behaviour to be controlled. The focus of the Behaviour Support Plan is to build tolerance for waiting for preferred activities and to reduce self-injury, so they can take part more fully in community life. Behaviour is more likely when access to a highly preferred activity, person, or item is delayed, denied, or removed. Other triggers are changes to routines or plans, transitions, unanswered questions, new staff, being denied attention, uncertainty about the future, loud noises and busy environments, and feeling unwell.
WHAT GOOD SUPPORT LOOKS LIKE
Our Direct Support Professionals are patient, observant, and steady. They give time and space, use communication cues, hold to routines, follow the care plan and protocols consistently, and stay calm and regulated. They understand behaviour as communication, and they build a real relationship grounded in respect for a curious, resilient person who is working hard to be understood.
New staff are encouraged to build rapport first by participating in preferred activities and interests. Trust and friendship come before demands. The people who support best are patient, warm, and steady. They build trust before placing demands, keep schedules predictable and visible, prepare the individual supported for changes ahead of time, and answer questions calmly. Staff offer plenty of positive attention and affirmations (“you are brave,” “you are so kind”), praising calm and cooperative moments, and stay neutral and unhurried in moments of distress. They understand behaviour as communication and build a real relationship with a kind, energetic young person who is learning to wait, cope, and feel understood.
What You Will Be Doing:
At the heart of this role is the relationship you build with each person you support. You will come to understand their preferences, histories, communication styles, and goals, and you will support them to exercise genuine choice and control in their daily lives. You will:
- Assist with daily living routines, including personal care, meals, and household responsibilities, in ways that uphold dignity and build independence.
- Create a calm, predictable, and inclusive home environment by working closely with a team to ensure residents feel safe and valued.
- Put positive behaviour strategies into practice through Behaviour Support Plans created and overseen by Registered Behaviour Analysts, drawing on evidence-informed approaches such as Positive Behaviour Support and reinforcement-based strategies.
- Support each person to develop communication, coping, and emotional regulation skills. This includes observing and recording behavioural data such as frequency, duration, and ABC charting, and contributing to the identification of triggers and patterns that inform ongoing planning.
- Draw on proactive de-escalation strategies and maintain a calm, regulated presence in higher-risk situations or periods of escalation.
- Support each person toward greater independence at a pace that is right for them, with an emphasis on life skills, harm reduction, and mental health; with each person’s safety, dignity, and right to self-determination at the centre.
- Help people develop and practise life skills, from cooking and budgeting to self-advocacy.
- Recognize early indicators of mental health distress or behavioural change using trauma-informed and recovery-oriented practices.
- Foster an environment that support emotional regulation, autonomy, and safety.
- Work to open doors to the community, supporting people to take part in employment, education, recreation, faith, volunteering, and social life in ways that reflect their interests, strengths, and goals.
- Help to nurture meaningful relationships and a genuine sense of belonging.
- Provide medication administration support in accordance with Rygiel policy and regulatory requirements.
- Support people to attend appointments and pursue their health goals while respecting their choices
- Monitor wellbeing, raising any concerns with your Supervisor and the wider team.
- Contribute observations and insight as an active member of the team around each person, collaborating with clinical partners including Registered Behaviour Analysts, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers.
- Take part in team meetings, case reviews, and interdisciplinary planning.
- Maintain accurate and timely documentation, including behavioural data, incident reports, progress notes, and plan implementation records, using our electronic documentation systems.
- Support compliance with the Quality Assurance Measures (QAM) and agency policy.
You Bring:
We are looking for someone who holds a diploma in Social Service Work (SSW) or an equivalent combination of education and experience in residential, group living, or supported independent living settings. The role calls for patience, compassion, and the capacity to remain grounded and regulated in demanding moments, together with strong relationship-building skills and the ability to contribute effectively within an interdisciplinary team. Clear written and verbal communication, including comfort with documentation is essential, as is the flexibility and reliability to work a rotating schedule that includes evenings, weekends, and overnights.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
- Social services related diploma or degree (DSW, SSW, PSW or related) or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience supporting adults or transitional-age youth with developmental and intellectual disabilities, dual diagnosis, mental health needs, or responsive behaviours.
- Strong listening/communication skills, writing and reporting skills, and documentation.
- Proficient computer skills including a demonstrated ability to work with AIMS and Microsoft Office products.
- Knowledge of alternative communication that will be directed by the individual supported (ie: Blissymbolics, SIGN language, Pic Symbols), where applicable.
- Ability to understand non-verbal and Gestural language where applicable.
- Ability to communicate effectively with families while continuing to support relationships.
- Available to work days, evenings, and weekends; willingness to be flexible, reliable and adjust schedules as required by the person(s) being supported and their personal schedule(s).
- Intermediate First Aid and CPR Level C.
- A Vulnerable Sector Criminal Reference Check, dated within the last six months.
- A 2-Step TB Test, or a negative Chest X-ray, dated within the last six months.
- A valid Ontario G driver’s licence and ability to become a Rygiel Driver is required.
- Registration with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) is considered an asset.
This position requires flexibility to work all rotating shifts, including days, afternoons, evenings, and overnights (sleepover and night awake), up to 12 hour shifts, in alignment with the needs and routines of the individual supported.
This is a unionized position, and the starting rate for this role is $26.61 per hour. After the probationary period (approximately 3 months), employees will see an increase in their hourly rate to $27.38 per hour.
If you’re looking for a place where your care matters - where relationships come first and every shift holds purpose - we want to meet you.
Apply now and be part of a community where everyone belongs.
Rygiel is committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We strongly encourage applications from people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, racialized people, members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and people from any background under-represented in our sector. Accommodations are available at every stage of the hiring process - let us know what you need and we will make it happen.
