Behavioral Health Aide

Behavioral Health Aide

Juniata County Early Childhood Services invites applicants for part-time Behavioral Health Aide. This Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) provides support to children and teaching staff, with regard to social emotional development and behavioral health services within the early childhood classrooms. This position will support children with identified needs as determined by a specific behavioral plan and assist in supporting staff and children with the overall center routines and procedures to help with stabilizing classroom environments.

Fundamental Duties/Essential Functions:

• Classroom support: Will work as directed by the Senior Manager for Early Education Services and the licensed mental health specialists/social worker within identified classrooms requiring additional support. Will support specific or identified children in learning classroom routines, interacting with other children and managing transitions. As directed by the mental health specialist/social worker, implement strategies to increase children's positive experiences with the classroom. Will assist teaching staff and children within a classroom, to stabilize and promote positive social skills, developing coping strategies and self-regulating behaviors. Assists in implementing intervention strategies within the classroom with the intent for teachers and other classroom staff to be able to carry out strategies independently. Assist to actively supervisor children within assigned classrooms, is alert to and minimizes the impact of situations that may create the risk of unsupervised children consistently uses active supervision procedures and practices.
• Mental Health: Assist with the collection of data, as directed by Mental Health Specialist/Social Worker, for specific children. Will become familiar with behavioral treatment plans for any child and follow the guidelines of the treatment plan. Assist classroom teams at implementing strategies as determined by behavioral plans. Providing mentoring and modeling of behavioral strategies on social emotional development and positive classroom guidance. Communicate to the Senior Manager for Early Education Services and the Mental Health Specialist/Social Worker regarding behavioral health training needs of staff. Work to further support education teams in understanding and implementing PBIS within the classroom, model and mentor staff as determined by the Mental Health Worker.

Knowledge and Abilities:

• Knowledge of human development, early childhood, and children with disabilities.
• Knowledge of behavioral strategies and tools. Particularly strategies that follow positive behavior techniques.
• Ability to know and implement the rules, requirements and policies of the agency.
• Ability to exercise professional judgment in evaluating before making decisions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with agency staff, children and parents.
• Ability to keep all information strictly confidential.
• Language Skills Ability to communicate ideas and instructions orally and in writing. Ability to speak, read, and write English well enough to understand and be understood by others. Ability to write reports and business correspondence. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general health and disabilities journals and resource materials on transition. Ability to speak before groups of individuals. Bilingual skills helpful (English/Spanish)
• Mathematical Skills Ability to perform basic math including figuring percentages and overtime. Ability to produce and interpret graphs, charts, spreadsheets and other mathematical reports
• Reasoning Skills Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of instructions. Ability to summarize conclusions and instructions, then make recommendations and develop implementation strategies. Ability to maintain strict confidentiality at all times, including the ability to recognize situations in which confidentiality is required.
• Other Skills and Abilities Ability to exhibit patience and tact when communicating with children, families, staff, management, referral sources and the public. Ability to project professionalism in conducting daily activities.

Education: A minimum of CDA and two years of experience working with children or an AA in Human Services with two years experience.