Direct Support Professional Resume Examples & Format
A direct support professional, often called a DSP, helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live as independently as they choose, at home, at work and in the community. A direct support professional resume should prove skills such as person-centered planning, daily living support and medication administration (state-approved) with numbers from your own work. Below are three samples, entry-level to senior, with summaries, bullets and skills.
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Direct Support Professional resume examples by experience level
All three samples are illustrative: the people, employers and every figure are made up.
Entry-level sample
Camille Bergstrom
Direct support professional · 1 year · group home · CPR and first aid · medication training
Des Moines, IA · (515) 555-0143 · camille.bergstrom@example.com
Summary
- Direct support professional with one year in a 5-person group home, helping adults with developmental disabilities with daily living, meals and community outings. Completed state medication training and keeps accurate daily notes.
Experience
- Direct Support Professional, Prairie Light Community Homes, Des Moines, IA · Sep 2025 – present · Support 5 adults in a group home on the evening shift; follow each person's support plan; assist with meals, personal care and medication under the nurse's direction; write daily notes with no late entries in 6 months.
- Volunteer, Community adaptive sports program, Des Moines, IA · 2024 – 2025 · Coached 12 athletes in weekly bowling and track sessions.
Training
- CPR and first aid · 2025
- State medication administration course · 2025
- Mandated reporter training · 2025
- Nonviolent crisis intervention training · 2026
Skills
- Person-centered support, daily living assistance, medication reminders, community outings, documentation, patience, communication with families
Mid-level sample
Terrence Oyelaran
Direct support professional · 5 years · community living and job support · 12 people supported
Columbus, OH · (614) 555-0192 · terrence.oyelaran@example.com
Summary
- Direct support professional with five years in community living and supported employment, helping 12 people pursue their goals at home and at work. Trains new staff and supports people to keep their jobs.
Experience
- Direct Support Professional, Riverbend Community Services, Columbus, OH · 2022 – present · Support 12 people with developmental disabilities in their homes and at work; help 4 people learn bus routes to reach their jobs; 3 people I supported kept their jobs for more than a year.
- Trainer for new direct support staff, Riverbend Community Services · 2024 – present · Orient 20 new hires on person-centered planning, documentation and safe lifting.
- Home Support Aide, Maple Court Services, Columbus, OH · 2021 – 2022 · Supported 3 adults in their apartments with meals, budgeting and appointments.
Training
- Direct support professional certificate, state program · 2023
- CPR and first aid · 2025
- Behavior support and de-escalation training · 2024
Skills
- Person-centered planning, supported employment, community navigation, positive behavior supports, documentation, staff training, teamwork with families and case managers
Senior sample
Gabriela Whitlock
Lead direct support professional · 9 years · supervises 14 staff · 3 homes
Albany, NY · (518) 555-0166 · gabriela.whitlock@example.com
Summary
- Lead direct support professional with nine years in residential and community services, now supervising 14 staff across 3 homes. Writes schedules, coaches staff on documentation and works with families and care teams to keep support plans current.
Experience
- Lead Direct Support Professional, Hudson Valley Supportive Living, Albany, NY · 2021 – present · Supervise 14 staff across 3 homes serving 15 people; write the weekly schedule and cover gaps; cut missed documentation from 11% to 2% of shifts; coordinate care team meetings for each person.
- Direct Support Professional, Hudson Valley Supportive Living, Albany, NY · 2017 – 2021 · Supported 6 adults with daily living, health appointments and community activities; helped 2 people move from group homes to their own apartments.
Training
- Supervision course for human services staff · 2022
- CPR and first aid · 2025
- Medication administration, current
- Mandated reporter training · 2025
Skills
- Team supervision, scheduling, staff coaching, person-centered planning, documentation review, health and safety, family communication, de-escalation
Start your direct support professional resume
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What does a direct support professional do?
The work includes help with daily routines such as meals, personal care, medication reminders and household tasks, as well as going with people to jobs, appointments and activities, and following each person's individual support plan. A direct support professional resume should show the setting you worked in, the number of people you supported, the training you hold, and results written in respectful, person-first language.
Direct Support Professional duties to put on a resume
- Help people with daily living, such as meals, personal care, household tasks and medication reminders, as their plan describes.
- Support people to take part in work, school, volunteering and community activities.
- Follow each person's individual support plan and report changes to the care team.
- Write clear daily notes and incident reports within the agency's time limits.
- Respect each person's choices, privacy and rights, and report abuse or neglect as required.
- Keep the home and vehicle safe, and respond to emergencies using first aid and agency procedures.
Best resume format for a direct support professional
- Open with the setting, group home, community living, day program or supported employment, and the number of people you supported.
- Use person-first language throughout: people with disabilities, people you support, not clients with handicaps or labels.
- Keep it to one page and put training and certifications in their own short section, since many agencies check them first.
The section order and what goes in each are on the how to write a resume guide; the resume format guide covers every format by type and country.
Summary examples by level
- Entry-level: Direct support professional with one year in a 5-person group home, completed state medication training and keeps accurate daily notes.
- Mid-level: Direct support professional with five years in community living and supported employment, helping 12 people pursue their goals at home and at work.
- Senior: Lead direct support professional with nine years in residential services, supervising 14 staff across 3 homes and cutting missed documentation from 11% to 2%.
Work experience bullet points
- Supported 5 adults in a group home on the evening shift, following each person's support plan.
- Wrote daily notes with no late entries over 6 months.
- Helped 4 people learn bus routes to reach their jobs, and 3 of them kept those jobs for more than a year.
- Oriented 20 new staff on person-centered planning, documentation and safe lifting.
- Cut missed documentation from 11% to 2% of shifts with a short end-of-shift checklist.
- Helped 2 people move from group homes into their own apartments.
- Coached 12 athletes in weekly bowling and track sessions at a community sports program.
- Scheduled 14 staff across 3 homes and covered open shifts within 24 hours.
Key skills to list
Hard skills: Person-centered planning, Daily living support, Medication administration (state-approved), Documentation and incident reports, CPR and first aid, Positive behavior supports and de-escalation, Community navigation and transportation, Supported employment, Safe lifting and transfers, Staff training.
Soft skills: Respect for each person's choices, Patience, Clear communication with families and care teams, Dependability on early and late shifts, Calm in a crisis.
Education and certifications
- A direct support professional job usually asks for a high school diploma or equivalent, and training requirements vary by state and agency (BLS lists related work under personal care aides, where state requirements differ). Check your state's rules and list each course with the year.
- Training worth listing includes CPR and first aid, medication administration where your state approves it, mandated reporter training and crisis intervention or de-escalation. Name the course and year, and do not list a course you have not finished.
- A state or national direct support professional credential or a human services certificate adds weight; name the issuer and year, and mention college coursework in human services, psychology or special education.
Sources
Checked on 17 October 2026.
FAQ
Direct Support Professional resume questions, answered.
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What should a direct support professional put on a resume?
Put the setting, the number of people you supported and what you helped them do, such as cook, travel, work or move into their own home. Add your training with years, like CPR, medication and de-escalation. Use person-first language and write one concrete result for each job.
How do I write a direct support professional resume with no experience?
Use caregiving, volunteering, camp, school aide or family support work that shows patience and responsibility. Add CPR and first aid, any mandated reporter or medication training, and your availability for evenings and weekends. State the kind of setting you want, such as a group home or supported employment.
Is a DSP the same as a caregiver or personal care aide?
They overlap, but a DSP works mostly with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and supports their goals, choices and community life, not only personal care. Use the title you held and describe the setting so the reader can tell which kind of support you gave.