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Direct support worker skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical direct support worker skills. We ranked the top skills for direct support workers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 18.5% of direct support worker resumes contained developmental disabilities as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a direct support worker needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 direct support worker skills for your resume and career

1. Developmental Disabilities

Here's how direct support workers use developmental disabilities:
  • Guided groups and individual adult clients with developmental disabilities in reading comprehension, physical education, and independent living skills.
  • Supported a woman with developmental disabilities participate in social and recreational experiences and acquire valued roles in the community.

2. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how direct support workers use cpr:
  • Certify in CPR, Blood Borne Pathogens, AED, and basic first aid.
  • Responded to emergencies affecting individual, including administering CPR and using approved intervention techniques.

3. Home Health

Here's how direct support workers use home health:
  • Provide in-home health care for client with limited physical capabilities.
  • Home Health cooking, cleaning, bathing, running errands, assisting with daily activities of elderly and physically/mentally challenged clients

4. Direct Support

Direct support is a one-on-one service that helps with daily life skills and tasks that strengthen one's independence. A direct support professional is responsible for a variety of tasks related to the general care of people with physical, cognitive, or developmental disabilities. The goal is to assist people to reach their full potential and to integrate and get engaged in their community.

Here's how direct support workers use direct support:
  • Provide direct support for individuals with development disabilities.
  • Provided direct support services for participants with meal scheduling, transportation, budgeting, and personal hygiene and safety issues.

5. Community Integration

Community integration pertains to the different procedures that help patients integrate and become well-functioning members of a community.

Here's how direct support workers use community integration:
  • Assisted disabled clients with daily life tasks and community integration; and fostered optimum independence.
  • Maximized independence and community integration for individuals with disabilities * Challenged individuals to enhance personalized goals on a daily basis

6. Money Management

Here's how direct support workers use money management:
  • Light housekeeping, money management and bookkeeping, shopping and errands and transportation.
  • Provided financial assistance, collaborated individuals therapy plans, physical fitness and money management, take minutes in quarterly meetings.

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7. Meal Preparation

Here's how direct support workers use meal preparation:
  • Help participants with goals-Assist with meal preparation-Exercise -Special Olympics sports
  • Supported persons with daily living such as recreation, Laundry, finances, meal preparation, on-the-job support, and transportation.

8. Patients

Here's how direct support workers use patients:
  • Transported patients from their assigned jobs and doctors' appointments* Administered medication, checked glucose levels, and prepared meals
  • Assisted patients with ambulation, hygiene care, housekeeping, medication reminder, and transportation to doctor visits.

9. Community Outings

Here's how direct support workers use community outings:
  • Participate in community outings, provide support through supervision and transportation.
  • Cook, clean, administer injection form and pill for medications, grooming and community outings.

10. ISP

Here's how direct support workers use isp:
  • Support 1:1 with assigned participant on their goals as described on participant's Individualized Service Plan (ISP).
  • Complete ISP documentation, incident reporting and other necessary documentation in accordance with Northeast Policies and Procedures and funding Regulations.

11. Care Services

Here's how direct support workers use care services:
  • Home care services such as assisting the provider with everyday living activities, giving medications, bathing and cooking meals!
  • Monitor the health and safety of home-bound clients who receive direct care services from our employees.

12. Motor Vehicle

A motor vehicle is a mode of transportation such as a car, truck or bus.

Here's how direct support workers use motor vehicle:
  • Transport clients to community/public locations using a motor vehicle.
  • Transport clients to locations outside the home, such as to physicians' offices or on outings, using a motor vehicle

13. Intellectual Disabilities

Here's how direct support workers use intellectual disabilities:
  • Worked directly with people with physical disabilities and/or intellectual disabilities.
  • Assist adults with intellectual disabilities with their daily living These tasks included transportation to appointments, shopping, and recreational activities.

14. ADL

ADL is a clinical shorthand for "activities of daily living." It includes tasks such as feeding, dressing, bathing, and caring for one's self and personal hygiene.

Here's how direct support workers use adl:
  • Instructed, supervised, and assisted with ADL's through daily routines and to carry out scheduled activities and programs.
  • Oriented around ADL's and personal care: mobility/transfers, meal prep, exercise and maintenance.

15. Independent Living

Here's how direct support workers use independent living:
  • Assist developmentally challenged individual in his home teaching independent living skills.
  • Assisted individual with disabilities to improve independent living skills.
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List of direct support worker skills to add to your resume

Direct support worker skills

The most important skills for a direct support worker resume and required skills for a direct support worker to have include:

  • Developmental Disabilities
  • CPR
  • Home Health
  • Direct Support
  • Community Integration
  • Money Management
  • Meal Preparation
  • Patients
  • Community Outings
  • ISP
  • Care Services
  • Motor Vehicle
  • Intellectual Disabilities
  • ADL
  • Independent Living
  • Vital Signs
  • Physical Disabilities
  • In-Home Care
  • Medical Appointments
  • Administer Medications
  • Direct Patient Care
  • Food Preparation
  • Care Plan
  • Medication Reminders
  • Emotional Support
  • Blood Pressure
  • Household Chores
  • Doctor Appointments
  • Oral Hygiene
  • Nutritious Meals
  • Medication Management
  • Support Services
  • Incident Reports
  • Community Resources
  • Infection Control Procedures
  • Social Interaction
  • Medical Professionals
  • Service Recipient
  • Group Homes
  • Mental Disabilities
  • Hygiene Care
  • Client Care
  • Community Services
  • Oral Medications
  • Clean Environment
  • Groceries
  • Training Programs
  • Home Management

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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