About L’Arche GWDC
We are a community of people with and without intellectual disabilities who share life together in four homes across Washington, DC and Arlington, VA. L’Arche Greater Washington DC provides housing and support services while offering belonging, growth, and mutual relationships for assistants, friends, volunteers, and core members, who are the adults with intellectual disabilities at the heart of our community.
The Opportunity at L’Arche GWDC
As an Assistant (DSP), you will join a diverse team committed to fostering relationships of dignity and respect. You will provide direct support to core members in their daily lives, while also participating in the rhythms of shared meals, celebrations, prayer, and community traditions. This is an opportunity to discover meaningful work rooted in compassion, competence, and connection.
What you bring
Passion for inclusion and respect for the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities.
Openness to building relationships and sharing life in community. Flexibility and reliability in adapting to the routines of community life.
Willingness to provide hands-on support in daily living — including personal care, cooking, medical appointments, and companionship.
What we offer
Ongoing orientation, shadowing, and mentorship to support your learning and growth.
An option to apply to live in a L'Arche home, with reasonable room and board costs.
Read the Full Assistant Role Description
L’Arche GWDC provides homes, residential services, and places of belonging for adults with intellectual disabilities (core members) in the context of an intentional, inter-denominational Christian community. An assistant should have the desire and capacity to learn from and relate to core members. The goal of an assistant is to support the mission of L’Arche to “reveal the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities through mutually transforming relationships.”
Reports to: Service Team Leader
Qualifications:
- Desire to work with, to learn from, and to relate to people with intellectual disabilities
- Desire to work in an interdenominational Christian community
- Independence, initiative and maturity as demonstrated by:
- Ability to share responsibility for managing a home
- Ability to work cooperatively and constructively as part of a team
- Ability to take responsibility for health and safety of others
- Ability to work with diverse individuals
- Trustworthy and responsible
- Sturdy emotional disposition
- Creativity, flexibility, attention to detail, and ability to organize time
- Ability to learn about intellectual disabilities, mental health, health disorders, and related physical conditions and treatment approaches
- Ability to learn and implement simple nursing care, first aid skills, behavior management strategies, personal and environmental hygiene, etc.
- Ability to learn and complete online and paper documentation
- Physically able to fulfill direct care responsibilities, including ability to transfer adults from wheelchairs to vehicles, beds, etc. and to lift wheelchairs into and out of vehicles
- Ability to commit for minimum of one year
- Strong verbal and written English communication skills
- Satisfactory criminal background check
- Non-usage of illegal drugs on or off the job
- Spanish proficiency highly desirable
- 18 years of age or older
- High School diploma or equivalent; college education preferred
- Health certification permitting assumption of role
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or visa status permitting employment in the U.S.
- Valid driver’s license and ability to drive comfortably in the city preferred
Duties and Responsibilities:
- To build a relationship of mutual care and support with persons with disabilities
- To observe the rights and personal dignity of others
- To foster a home life of unity, mutual respect, and participation by all members
- To learn and implement the policies and procedures of L’Arche
- To provide direct care supports, training, assistance and supervision for, and empower core people in:
- Personal care needs (clothing, hygiene, eating, etc.), money management, medical care, appointments, family and work connections, household chores, laundry, medications, meal preparation, transportation
- Achieving personal goals and performing programmatic activities as noted in core person plans and adequately documenting all necessary information
- Communicating and self-advocating effectively with doctors and other professionals
- To participate on a team, including sharing responsibility for:
- Household and yard maintenance, cleaning, property upkeep, shopping, and household financial management
- Scheduled routines
- Regularly scheduled meetings
- Overnight awake routines as needed
- To complete all required training in a timely manner
- To complete all required paperwork and records in a timely manner
- To communicate and advocate effectively with doctors and other professionals
- To accompany core people on vacations and community trips when needed
- To undertake other duties as needed
L’Arche Greater Washington, DC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Download PDF: Assistant Role Description
Questions?
Reach out to Crisely Melecio-Zambrano
Recruitment Coordinator
join@larche-gwdc.org
After Submitting Your Application
Once you complete your online application, you can expect to hear from us within 24-48 hrs about a follow up interview.
Watch our videos to learn more about the Assistant (DSP) role and our daily lives
Meaningful Work, Meaningful Pay: Advocating for the recognition of DSPs
Looking for what's next after college? 📍Come to L'Arche GWDC!
Become an Assistant at L'Arche GWDC -- The doorframes of community!
A Day in the Life | Assistant
Called to Connection: Andrew's Story
Celebrating at L'Arche: Fritz's Birthday
Called to Love
Making Home
Home Life Meeting
Becoming More Human Together
Being an assistant can be more than just a job
It can be an opportunity to contribute to a mission where your work has a meaningful impact on the lives of others, and yours. This impact is the foundation for our efforts to co-create, with all employees, a positive work culture.
When you come to work, you’ll experience welcoming team cultures; intentional time where your gifts are celebrated and consistent encouragement to grow professionally and personally. You’ll encounter supportive leadership, emphasis on equitable practices, and individualized caregiving. With a vibrant community life as the framework for all of this, the practicals can make the difference in your ability to commit to the work of L’Arche.
Benefits offered to assistants include:
Competitive Compensation
Starting rates at $20.64 per hour.
Flexible Paid Time Off
Earn 20 days vacation and 13 paid sick days/year.
Comprehensive Health Coverage
Low-cost, excellent medical, dental, and vision plans for you and any dependents.
Professional and Personal Development
Personalized training, retreats, core member led events and vacations, and unique team building opportunities.
Future Investments
Disability and life insurance provided at no cost to you, Matching 401k contributions after one year of employment.
Loan Forgiveness Eligibility
Qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
Terms in L'Arche
At L’Arche, you may hear terms that differ from what other care provider settings might use. Our hope is that our language reflects our desire to build a culture focused on relationship and our intention to build a more human society.
Core Member, Core Family Member, or Core Person are the adults with intellectual disabilities who are at the core of our lives together.
Assistants are the Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who provide direct care, advocacy, and grow in relationship with the core members.
Sharing time is used to describe when an assistant is scheduled to be present to the home for a core member’s routine and supporting with activities of daily living (ADLs). During this time, activities can include preparing meals, supporting in hygiene, and bathroom needs, meeting friends/family, etc. We prefer using the words “routine” or “sharing time” instead of “shift” because we hope that your scheduled time can be a collaborative time of doing with, rather than for, the core members.
I applied to work as an assistant. Now what?
Thanks for applying to work with us! We are excited to get to know you. A member of our recruitment team will be following up with you to conduct a screening interview and will provide you with a reference and driving record form to complete. If you move along to the next step, we will then meet with you for an in-person interview at one of our homes. You can expect the process to take approximately 2 weeks or less. If you have any questions at any point in the process, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
When I apply to L’Arche GWDC, which home am I applying to?
You are applying to L’Arche GWDC, and in doing so are applying to all four of our homes: Euclid and Ontario homes in DC, 6 th Street and Highland in Arlington, VA. We consider your preferences, your gifts, and what is needed for each of the homes when deciding where you might best thrive. Typically, new assistants join one home and can then be cross-trained in another home. You may also be invited to move roles or homes, based on the needs of the community. All assistants can discern with L’Arche whether to live-in a L’Arche home; it is not a requirement of the role to live at L’Arche.
What does orientation look like?
Your first three months are a provisional period, where you’ll begin training and orientation. We and you continue to explore your fit in the role. Your orientation schedule will look different from your ongoing routine schedule, as you will be meeting with leadership as well as shadowing routines. At the end of the period, there will be a time to mutually choose whether to continue. If both L’Arche and you are a yes, you will set goals for the year ahead. Compensation begins on your first day with us, and full-time roles are eligible for benefits the 1 st day of the following month.
What are the types of supports I will be providing?
During your training you will have the opportunity to be taught by the core members as well as other assistants how to best support each other. Part of this process includes shadowing, and later being shadowed, sharing time on routines.
Personal Care and Aging: A variety of personal care needs exists; some core members need full support in bathing/brushing teeth/etc., while others do so independently. This support could include the use of adaptive equipment such as a walker or wheelchair. Assistants in certain homes are expected to provide support across gender. All core members have medications that are distributed by trained assistants. We are homes for life, which means accompanying core members and adapting to their needs as they age, through the end of their lives, if that's what they choose.
Dinner Preparation: Assistants and core members are often scheduled to be co-chefs. When preparing dinner, the pair will often consider many things, i.e. portions, people’s likes/dislikes, allergies, dietary needs, number of guests, etc.
Relationships & Mediation: Within a person’s life, there are many relationships to enjoy and navigate. Some core members have formal and informal behavior support plans to support those relationships. A core member may need the support of an assistant to plan for the practical pieces of keeping in touch and growing in those relationships.
Goals, Finances, Medical: Several systems are in place to ensure that a core member is living the life they desire. These supports include things like annual goal-setting meetings, keeping track of finances, planning for savings and vacations, scheduling medical appointments, accompanying and following up with medical needs, etc.
What is the schedule like?
L’Arche Assistant schedules are based on the core members’ routines. This includes Overnight: 11p-7a, Mornings: 7a-3p, 7a-10a, Afternoon/Evenings: 3p-11p, 3-
7p, 7p-11p; and other daytime schedules as needed for appointments and team meetings. After you submit your application, we will follow up with the current available schedules.
- Full Time Flexible: At least 30 hours/week with a variety of mornings and afternoons, including one weekend routine, and eligible for overtime hours.
- Full Time Set Schedule: At least 30 hours/week, with the same days and hours each week, including one weekend routine, and eligible for overtime hours.
- Overnight Schedule: At least 30 hours/week 11p-7a, with the same nights each week.
- Part Time Flexible: Up to 20 hours/week as needed
- Part Time Set Schedule: Up to 20 hours/week with the same days and hours each week.
Each day is different at L’Arche! Some might feel like you have quite a bit of free time, but others may feel long and full of responsibilities.
As a full-time assistant, you will earn 20 days of vacation per year. Because we are homes, we are open every day of the year, so you might be scheduled for federal holidays. You will accrue your vacation hours weekly, we ask you complete your orientation before scheduling vacation time (unless it has been previously planned and approved).
Each house has different traditions around winter holidays; Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. Each year a schedule is built to ensure the core people can participate in their communities and family’s celebrations. Assistants are expected to share time for one or two of the above winter holidays.
What does it mean that L’Arche is also a faith community?
In both our communal life and our professional support, we strive for greater competence and shared learning. Living and serving in our community invites us to know ourselves and one another more truthfully through quality care and growth in mutual relationships.
Our community is multi-faith and interdenominational, rooted in the Christian tradition. L’Arche GWDC welcomes people of all faiths, spiritualities, and those with no faith.
Our practices, rituals, and traditions help us find meaning and shape our relationships, including the daily practices of celebration and forgiveness, sharing meals, and praying together nightly.
How does transportation at L’Arche work?
Once we confirm you are eligible to drive one of our vans after completing the Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) form, you will be trained on how to drive our vans in the city.
For those in our DC homes, we cannot provide parking at the DC homes. You may apply to the DC DMV for the appropriate zone pass or use nearby metered parking. We recommend public transportation. We are off many bus lines and in between the Woodley Park and Columbia Heights metro stops.
In the VA homes, there is ample street parking.
I’m interested in being a live-in assistant. What should I know?
We’re happy to share more! Please complete the Daily Life Membership application so we can address questions specific to living-in during your interview process. Room and board are $900/month, which includes groceries and utilities.
More thanjust a job
Being an assistant can be an opportunity to contribute to a mission where your work has a meaningful impact on the lives of others, and yours.
Apply to be an AssistantOur stories
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