Direct support professional with three years supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in group homes and community programs. Supports 4 residents per shift with zero medication errors over 24 months. Brings person-centered planning, safe medication administration and patient, encouraging support for independence.
Experience
Direct Support Professional II, Brightpath Community Living (Richmond, VA)
Mar 2024 – Present
Support 4 adults with IDD per shift with daily living skills, meals, hygiene and community outings
Administer medications with zero errors over 24 months and document every pass in Therap
Helped one resident reach a supported employment goal and two others learn to use public transit alone
Implement behavior support plans and record data used in quarterly ISP reviews
Day Program Assistant, Capital Day Support Services (Richmond, VA)
Jan 2023 – Feb 2024
Led art, fitness and job-readiness activities for groups of 8 participants
Supported 12 participants on weekly volunteer outings at local food banks
Respite Care Provider, Self-employed (Richmond, VA)
Jun 2021 – Dec 2022
Provided weekend respite care for 3 families of children with autism
Education
Certificate, Human Services, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Aug 2022 – May 2023)
Skills
Support: person-centered planning, activities of daily living, community integration, supported employment
Health and safety: medication administration, seizure protocols, Mandt de-escalation
Documentation: Therap, incident reports, ISP data collection
How to write a Direct Support Professional resume
A strong Direct Support Professional resume shows the people and communities you served, the programs and funding you built, and the outcomes you can document for clients, funders and boards. Put your most relevant recent role first and make every bullet show a result, not a duty.
Sections, in order
Summary
Experience
Skills
Education
Certifications
Length: One page for most candidates; move to two only if every line is relevant.
Summary: Write two or three lines: your role, your strongest skills, and one result that proves them.
Skills to feature
Case management
Trauma-informed care
Program design and evaluation
Grant writing and reporting
Fundraising and donor stewardship
Volunteer management
Budget management
Community partnerships
Nonprofit CRM and case systems (Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, Apricot)
Bilingual and culturally responsive communication
Example bullet points
Managed a caseload of 28 families and moved 82% into stable housing within 90 days
Wrote 14 foundation and government proposals that raised $1.3M at a 64% win rate
Recruited and trained 220 volunteers who logged 9,500 hours, the equivalent of 4.5 full-time staff
Tips from recruiters
Put licenses and credentials (LMSW, LCSW, CADC, CFRE) with the issuing state near the top, because many roles screen for them first.
Quantify outcomes funders care about, such as housing placements, retention rates, dollars raised or cost per client, not just activities.
Name the populations, funding streams and systems you know, for example HUD CoC, HMIS, Medicaid billing or Raiser's Edge.
Recommended templates
Classic (ATS-friendly): Jake's-style LaTeX classic: small caps and hairline rules
Modern (ATS-friendly): Clean single column with accent headings and rules
Ivy (ATS-friendly): Harvard-style Times layout with centered headings
Direct Support Professional resume FAQ
What should a Direct Support Professional resume include?
A Direct Support Professional resume should show the people and communities you served, the programs and funding you built, and the outcomes you can document for clients, funders and boards. Use these sections in this order: Summary, Experience, Skills, Education and Certifications. Put your most relevant recent role first and make every bullet show a result, not a duty.
What is the best resume template for a Direct Support Professional?
Classic, Modern and Ivy work well for Direct Support Professional roles. They are single-column with standard headings, so applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse them reliably.
How long should a Direct Support Professional resume be?
One page for most candidates; move to two only if every line is relevant.
Which skills should a Direct Support Professional put on a resume?
Prioritize the skills named in the job posting. Common ones for Direct Support Professional roles are Case management, Trauma-informed care, Program design and evaluation, Grant writing and reporting, Fundraising and donor stewardship and Volunteer management.
How do I write strong Direct Support Professional resume bullet points?
Start with an action verb, say what you did, and end with a measurable result such as clients served, caseload size and program outcomes. For example: "Managed a caseload of 28 families and moved 82% into stable housing within 90 days."