Behavior Intervention Specialist - WNY

Behavior Specialist

Work as part of a dynamic professional team of behavior specialists who oversee and support mental health, emotional, and behavioral needs of individuals as guided by HCS policy and OPWDD 633.16 Behavior Regulations. To be supportive of Heritage Christian Services, Inc. mission, vision and values.

Pay for this position: $61000 / yr - $64000 / yr. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above range represents the organization's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Responsibilities

• Write behavior support plans, monitoring plans, and behavior guidelines that enhance lives and outline the use of proactive approaches, rights restrictions, and/or psychotropic medications used to address mental health/behavioral concerns.
• Review all behavior plans and document semi-annually, and write a behavioral summary summarizing behavior documentation and relevant information per 633.16 behavior regulation requirements.
• Prepare behavior data to attend psychiatry appointments with individuals assigned to caseload. Act as a liaison maintaining contact between psychiatrists/relevant medical provider, counselors, or other mental health professionals and residential/work or day hab team.
• Provide staff with behavior documentation tools, monitor data, and address concerns as needed. In-service behavior plans as needed at staff meetings.
• Update and file to appropriate physical/digital location all required paperwork i.e. medication approval forms/reduction plans, behavior plans, summaries, semi-annual reviews, etc, with all necessary signatures/informed consents for approval.
• Interact with Human Rights Committee monthly providing all required behavior plans, medication forms, informed consents, data, and supporting documentation.
• Opportunity to become trained to teach SCIP-R/PROMOTE class, as assigned.
• Attend monthly behavior team meetings, quarterly clinical team meetings, life plan meetings, IDT's, intake/pre-admission meetings, and staff meetings.
• Complete residential and day hab visits/observations to assess progress/regression and provide recommendations for staff. As needed, provide consultations for individuals not on a caseload, to give recommendations to residential/day hab teams regarding supports.
• Maintain communication and collaboration with individuals' program planning team (guardian, residential and work/day hab teams, care coordinators, clinicians and providers) providing information on supports and psychotropic medication per 633.16 regulation.
• Provide on-call support to direct support staff weekdays and occasional weekends.
• Administer assessments/evaluations of mental health status or behavioral concerns; i.e, Lethality Assessment, Motivation Assessment Scale, Reliability Assessment, Functional Behavioral Assessment, etc. as needed.
• Develop and maintain professional competency through attending conferences, seminars, and/or continuing education.
• Level 1, as assigned, provide supervision to Level 2 BIS's for the development of behavioral plans that do not include restrictive/intrusive interventions.
• Submit all behavior plans which incorporate a restrictive/intrusive intervention and/or limitation on a person's rights for review by supervising licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed clinical social worker per 633.16 regulations.

Qualifications

• Level 2

  Education

  • National board certification in behavioral analysis (BCBA) or a New York state license as a Behavior Analyst (LBA)
  • OR
  • Master's degree in a clinical or treatment field in psychology, social work, school psychology, applied psychology as it relates to human development and clinical intervention, or a related human services field;
  • OR
  • New York State license in Mental Health Counseling;
  • AND
  • OPWDD-approved specialized training or experience in functional assessment techniques and behavioral support plan development;

• Level 1

  Education

  • Master's degree from a program in a clinical or treatment field of psychology, social work, school psychology, or applied psychology as it relates to human development and clinical interventions, and documented training in assessment techniques and behavior support plan development;
  • OR
  • National Board certification in behavior analysis (BCBA) or NYS license as a Behavior Analyst (LBA), or a Master's degree in: behavior analysis; or a field closely related to clinical or community psychology that is approved by OPWDD;
  • OR
  • a New York State license in Mental Health counseling;
  • AND
  • have at least 3 (three) years of experience: working directly with individuals with developmental disabilities, including the development, implementation, and monitoring of behavior support plans; and/or providing supervision and training to others in the implementation of behavior support plans.
  • OR
  • have been employed as a Level 2 BIS, at the Masters degree level for 3 (three) years.
• Valid driver's license that is in compliance with Heritage Christian Services' motor vehicle record standards.

Our Commitment to Equity and Justice

We believe that people are entitled to dignity, respect, equity and justice. We champion a society that removes barriers. We reject racism and discrimination of any kind. We protest systemic and political inequities that marginalize people, recognizing that there is a history of structural racism in the United States. We will continue to learn and change to achieve justice. We know that strength comes from unity.