Behavior Intervention Specialist

Behavior Intervention Specialist

Shrub Oak International School (SOIS) is a therapeutic day and residential school for autistic children, adolescents, and young adults with complex co-occurring conditions. Located in northern Westchester County, Shrub Oak offers unparalleled educational opportunities for autistic students in a family-centric, supportive environment. We offer a variety of programs to meet the needs of students across the spectrum, and our curriculum is based on the most advanced and successful evidence-based clinical and academic approaches in ASD education. As a school, SOIS maintains a smoke-free environment to ensure the health and safety of our students, employees, and community. We are a residential boarding school located on a scenic 127-acre campus which includes multiple buildings and a working farm for student programming. The work environment will include both indoor and outdoor spaces.

SOIS is a community of dedicated professionals that work together to find meaning with and for our students. We strive to make every day memorable in positive ways, and to manage students' difficulties as a team. We are accountable, timely, and show up whenever needed to support our students and each other. We are guided day-to-day by our four core principles.

• We Care
• We are Innovative
• We are Collaborative
• We are Resourceful

Benefits: (check for FT, PT or All)

• Reduced Cost Meals every shift on site (All)
• Employee assistance program (EAP) (All)
• Insurance coverage: Health, vision, dental, life, supplemental and pet insurance (FT)
• Flexible spending account (FSA) (FT)
• Generous Paid time off (PTO) (FT & PT)
• 401k w/company match (FT)
• Tuition/Professional development assistance (FT)

Who You Are:

• You have a passion for working with the autism population and ensuring the safety and well-being of students and staff.
• You are skilled at understanding the function of behavior and applying behavioral strategies to support students with complex needs.
• You are comfortable conducting Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) and helping develop behavior intervention and support plans.
• You are comfortable helping design and support campus-wide positive behavior systems across both academic and residential environments.
• You work well collaboratively and partner effectively with educators, residential staff, clinicians, and families to ensure consistent behavioral support for students.
• You are able to provide real-time guidance and coaching to staff implementing behavioral supports in both classroom and residential settings.
• You remain calm, analytical, and solutions-focused when responding to challenging behaviors or crisis situations.
• You have strong written and verbal communication skills, particularly in documenting behavioral observations, progress notes, and incident reports.

Job Responsibilities:

• Conduct functional behavior assessments and behavioral analyses to identify the factors contributing to challenging behaviors.
• Develop and support the implementation of individualized behavior intervention plans and positive behavior supports.
• Collect, review, and analyze behavioral data to monitor student progress and inform intervention strategies; maintain accurate documentation and behavioral reports.
• Provide real-time consultation, guidance, and coaching to staff implementing behavioral supports across academic and residential environments.
• Collaborate with members of the clinical, education, and residential teams to ensure coordinated and holistic student support aligned with ITEP goals.
• Provide crisis intervention and behavioral consultation during challenging situations as needed.
• Support students in developing life skills, social skills, and independence across school, residential, and community settings.
• Participate in clinical initiatives, professional development activities, and campus programming to advance best practices in behavioral support.
• Assist with additional programs, events, and services administered through Shrub Oak as needed.

Position Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Clinical Studies, or a related field required; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working as a behavior specialist or similar role conducting behavioral assessments and interventions; 3+ years preferred.
• Experience working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities required; school or residential experience preferred.
• Experience managing crisis situations and implementing de-escalation strategies, including situations involving aggressive behavior.
• Strong understanding of behavioral assessment, functional analysis, and behavior intervention strategies.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including behavioral documentation and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to build strong working relationships with students, families, and staff.
• Ability to analyze behavioral situations quickly and make sound decisions during crisis situations.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple responsibilities.
• Ability and willingness to obtain and maintain TCIS certification and complete all required trainings.
• Due to the nature of work in supporting our students, all job description list the physical requirements for that position.
• Our campus consists of some paved areas but primarily consists of grass, gravel paths and parking lots. Additionally, as a historic building some areas are only accessible by stairs.
• You must be able to ambulate around the campus, including hills, stairs, grass and gravel.
• Student Facing Positions: Must be able to react and move quickly during student crisis, both for the safety of the student and for the staff. Must be able to run across the campus and throughout the school to catch/monitor an eloping student, and/or to remove yourself from an unsafe situation. You must be able to pass TCIS (Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Training for Schools). You must be able to bend, stretch, sit, stand, crouch or kneel for sustained periods of time if implementing a hold.
• Special Accommodations can be requested but will only be approved if the accommodation does not impact the ability to perform your position and it does not put yourself, a student, or any other staff member at risk of harm or injury.

Competencies:

• CPR
• First Aid
• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Training for Schools (TCIS)
• Mandated Reporter Training

EEO Statement: Shrub Oak International School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodation can be requested to enable individuals with disabilities to apply for a job or to perform the essentials functions of their job. Requests may be approved if the position/ department/ school/ students will not be adversely affected. Please advise us if you require a reasonable accommodation.