Confidence and Community: Find Your Career with Community Living Huntsville

Community Living Huntsville’s Sherri-Lynn Cox says Direct Support Professionals need to be willing to listen, learn, build relationships, and see the person before they see their disability. Photo by Community Living Huntsville

Join our growing team! Drop-In Hiring Event for Direct Support Professionals on September 23, 2026: full details.

Sherri-Lynn Cox firmly believes people with developmental disabilities deserve to have lives that are their own.

“A person’s disability shouldn’t define where they live, who they spend time with, what they do for work, or what they dream about,” says Cox, Community Coordinator for Community Living Huntsville. “It’s about belonging, choice, and being seen as a whole person.”

Community Living Huntsville is a not-for-profit Developmental Services organization that provides practical support to and advocates alongside more than 300 children and adults, and their families in North Muskoka. The purpose? To promote and advance meaningful choice and real inclusion for people with developmental disabilities, so people, families, and the community can thrive.

The organization’s growing team of more than 90 employees includes Direct Support Professionals who provide person-directed services in Supported Group Living, Supported Independent Living, Community Participation, and Children and Youth Services.

Cox, experienced as a Direct Support Professional with the organization’s Supported Independent Living team, says what she loves most about the work is that the people she supports can each have completely different lives.

“One person might go out and be social, another might prefer a quiet evening at home. One might want to work, another might volunteer, go to school, pursue a hobby, or focus on building relationships,” she says. “Your role isn’t to create a life for them – it’s to support them as they create it.”

And it is real life support, she says, not simply care work.

“You might be helping someone to move into their own place, plan their day, grocery shop, learn to cook, take public transportation, manage appointments, budget, pay bills, visit friends, learn how to problem solve, or try something they’ve never done before,” she says. “The goal isn’t to do these things for them, but to help them gain the skills and the confidence to do as much as they can do for themselves.”

She says the team makes Community Living Huntsville a great place to work, too. “We don’t always have easy days, but I know I’m surrounded by people who care deeply about the people we support and are willing to come together, problem solve, and support one another to find solutions,” she says.

And then there is the fulfillment she gets when her support helps someone feel confident and connected. She recalled supporting someone to think about and plan their 65th birthday, then watching is awe as friends, family, and community showed up in a big way with laughter, stories, and happy tears. In that moment, she said, the person knew they were valued and admired – and they remember it forever.

“If you’re looking for a career where you can genuinely make a difference in someone’s life, I would encourage you to apply,” adds Cox. “You don’t have to have all the answers when you walk through the door – you need to be willing to listen, learn, build relationships, and see the person before you see the disability.”

Looking for purpose-driven work where people and community belonging are at the heart of what you do? Apply as a Direct Support Professional with the growing team at Community Living Huntsville.

The organization offers competitive pay, employer-paid benefits, an employee and family assistance program, ongoing training, opportunities for advancement, a positive team environment, staff wellness and social activities, and more, in beautiful North Muskoka.

Full-time, part-time, overnight, and casual positions may be available in Supported Group Living, Supported Independent Living, and Community Participation.

A Human Services diploma or an equivalent combination of education and experience, as well as personal-care experience or a willingness to learn, knowledge and understanding of disability support and inclusion, a valid G license, and a reliable vehicle insured for work purposes in the applicant’s name, are needed.

Contact Careers@clhuntsville.ca or visit www.clhuntsville.ca/careers/ to view current opportunities and apply today.

Community Living Huntsville is a not-for-profit, registered charity that supports and advocates alongside more than 300 children and adults, and their families, to promote and advance meaningful choice and real inclusion for people with developmental disabilities, so people, families, and our community can thrive. Learn more at clhuntsville.ca. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.