Join our team

Do meaningful work. Build a real career.

Foundation for Independence is hiring across Arizona — Direct Support Professionals, Employment Specialists, Supervisors, and Coordinators. We're growing carefully, and we're looking for steady, values-aligned people who want to do work that actually changes lives.

Minimum requirement: Two years of experience supporting a person with a disability — at home, at school, as a sibling, as a volunteer, or professionally. All count.

Express interest See open roles

Paid training: Article 9, CPR/First Aid, person-centered
Real growth: DSP → Supervisor pathway
Statewide: Pinal · Maricopa · Navajo · Apache

Why this work?

Independence isn't built in dramatic moments. It's built in the ordinary ones — a meal cooked, a bus ride made, a shift at work completed.

The people who do this work well don't need to be saviors. They need to be steady, patient, and consistently present. If that's you — we'd like to hear from you.

Why FFI

A small, intentional team. The kind of place where what you do actually matters.

We're an early-stage Arizona provider focused on transition-age young adults with developmental disabilities — a population that's often underserved in the years right after high school.

That means the work is real. The relationships are real. And the people you serve will be the same people, week after week. You'll see the progress, you'll feel the weight, and you'll be part of a team that takes this work seriously.

We're building this slowly and deliberately, and we're hiring the same way.

Open roles

Roles we're growing into.

We hire intentionally, not all at once. If a role here matches who you are, please reach out — even if we're not actively posting it.

Direct Support Professional (DSP)

The heart of our daily Supported Living work. DSPs work directly with members in their homes and communities — building daily living skills, supporting routines, and showing up reliably day after day.

Day-to-day

Provide direct habilitation services in members' homes and communities
Support daily living, meal prep, hygiene, household routines, and community access
Follow person-centered support plans and behavior strategies
Complete progress notes and required documentation
Encourage independence while offering steady, respectful prompting
Provide safety supervision and crisis-prevention strategies

Best fit for: People with at least two years of experience supporting someone with a disability — at home, at school, as a sibling, as a volunteer, or professionally. We provide all required certifications on top of that.

Employment Support Specialist

Coaches members through STEP, Individual Supported Employment (ISE), and Group Supported Employment (GSE). Works in real community workplaces, modeling tasks and gradually fading support as confidence grows.

Day-to-day

Deliver authorized STEP, ISE, and GSE supports in community workplaces
Provide on-the-job training, task modeling, and workplace coaching
Support workplace communication, social skills, and professional behavior
Coordinate with employers, members, families, and Support Coordinators
Document service delivery and member progress accurately
Help members move toward greater independence and longer-term employment

Best fit for: People with at least two years of experience supporting someone with a disability — and a knack for coaching without taking over. Prior workforce supervision, retail/hospitality management, or job-coaching experience is a plus.

Supported Living Supervisor

Provides direct oversight to Direct Support Professionals delivering Supported Living services. Coordinates schedules, reviews documentation, and coaches DSPs to deliver consistent, person-centered support.

Day-to-day

Supervise DSPs delivering authorized Supported Living services
Coordinate DSP schedules to ensure adequate coverage
Conduct service oversight, quality monitoring, and health/safety checks
Coach DSPs on support techniques, behavior strategies, and professional conduct
Review service documentation for accuracy, completeness, and compliance
Support incident identification, reporting, and follow-up

Best fit for: People with prior I/DD direct support, social work, or DDD-aligned supervisory experience — and a steady, coaching-first leadership style.

Employment Services Coordinator

Oversees the delivery of STEP, ISE, and GSE services across the team. Builds employer partnerships, supervises Employment Specialists, and ensures employment supports align with members' ISPs and Arizona's Employment First initiative.

Day-to-day

Coordinate the delivery of STEP, ISE, and GSE services
Develop and maintain employer and community partnerships
Supervise and coach Employment Specialists
Support development and implementation of ISP-aligned employment goals
Monitor progress, retention, and stability across employment placements
Coordinate communication with employers, members, families, and Support Coordinators

Best fit for: Experienced workforce development, vocational rehabilitation, or employment-services professionals — comfortable building employer relationships and supervising a small team.

What we look for

Six things we care about more than anything on a resume.

Skills can be taught. Certifications can be earned. These are the qualities we hire for.

Reliability above all

Showing up — on time, every shift, ready to work — is the foundation. People are counting on you.

Patience and steadiness

Calm, supportive presence. Emotional regulation in difficult moments. The willingness to repeat without frustration.

Curiosity about people

Genuine interest in the individuals you support — their preferences, strengths, history, and goals.

Comfort with structure

Daily routines, documentation, schedules, and safety procedures — the scaffolding that makes good support possible.

Willingness to learn

We provide all required training (Article 9, CPR/First Aid, person-centered practices, and more). Your job is to bring the openness.

A sense that this work matters

Because it does. Independence isn't built in dramatic moments — it's built in the ordinary ones. People who feel that thrive here.

What we offer

Real support, real growth.

We can't out-spend the largest agencies. We can build something steadier — supportive supervision, paid training, and a path that actually goes somewhere.

Paid training

All required certifications — Article 9, CPR/First Aid, Direct Care Worker (DCW) where applicable, person-centered practices — provided and paid.

Mileage reimbursement

Community-based work means time on the road. We reimburse mileage for employment-related community supports.

Predictable schedules

Clear shifts, predictable structure. We aim for low staff-to-member ratios so you can do the work well.

Supportive supervision

Regular check-ins, open communication with leadership, and coaching that helps you grow into the role.

Pathways for growth

DSP to Supervisor. Specialist to Coordinator. Internal promotion is a real path, not a poster on the wall.

Performance-based incentives

As we grow, performance-based incentives reward the consistency and quality that this work depends on.

2+ years of real experience required

At home, at school, as a sibling, as a volunteer, or professionally — all count. We provide the certifications on top.

Compliance-first culture

Aligned with DDD, AHCCCS, and HCBS standards — without the bureaucracy mindset.

Internships welcome

If you're a student in human services, social work, or psychology — we'd love to talk.

Express interest

Tell us a little about yourself.

Whether we're actively posting your role or not, we read every note. If there's a fit — now or soon — we'll reach out to set up a conversation.

A note on resumes: You're welcome to share a link below, but it's optional. We typically ask for a resume after our first conversation.

Not sure yet?

Have a question first?

If you'd rather have a conversation before submitting anything, just reach out. We're happy to talk through what the work actually looks like.

Contact our team