Behavior Support Specialist

Job Summary: The Behavior Support Specialist, using person-centered philosophy and practices, ensures that the necessary assessments and support/s, surrounding an adverse behavior or need for change, are completed, evaluated and modified as needed in accordance with what result/s the person supported, and their team are looking to achieve. The BSS represents Laura Baker Services Association to the customers and communities in which the Association participates, using Laura Baker Services Association standards of conduct and guiding philosophies to promote the well-being of the people the Association supports.

Conditions of Employment:

The BSS must pass a Minnesota Department of Human Services background check and must be able to maintain that eligibility. She/he must be able to meet the environmental, physical, mental, and sensory demands of the job. Upon hire, she/he must be able to prove valid work status, and she/he must meet and maintain the qualifications of a Positive Support Analyst as defined in the MN Community Based Service Manual (CBSM).

Reporting Responsibilities : The BSS reports to the Director of Behavior Support Services. She/he is a member of that program's Management Team and is responsible for regularly attending the scheduled meetings of that team.

Internal Contacts: The BSS will interact with all staff members and the people Laura Baker Services Association supports. Primary contacts will be with Behavior Support Service recipients, the program's management team and any behavior support Staff.

External Contacts : The BSS will interact with all the constituencies of Laura Baker Services Association and the community at large. Primary contacts will be parents, guardians, case managers, mental health professionals, and day program providers.

Responsibilities and Duties: The BSS is responsible for ensuring the following responsibilities are promptly completed and to the best of his/her abilities:

Representing:

• Laura Baker Services Association's mission, vision and values to staff members, clients, team members, and the public.

• The decisions of the Association and program management team in a positive and professional manner to the rest of the Association.

Communicating:

• in an open and professional manner with clients, their families, and their support teams. LBSA staff, support staff, and members of the interdisciplinary teams.

Monitoring/Developing:

• the accomplishment of behavior supports for each client as specified in the Individual program Plan.

• ISP to ensure compliance with provider responsibilities.

• behavioral goals, plans and problem solving with behavioral issues.

• significant event and incident reports in a timely fashion, making notes of patterns in behavior and recommending changes in individual programming, and/or other service delivery methods when needed.

• programming recommendations for behavior supports, considering input from clients and staff.

• revising behavior supports as needed in a timely fashion, with assistance from direct support staff.

• client behavior data in a timely manner, and making explicit and knowledgeable recommendations for changes, when needed.

• Due to the sometimes-short-term nature of services provided by LBBSS, support an ever-changing caseload of individuals experiencing varying degrees of interfering behavior.

• Travel to various settings as assigned including, but not limited to, family homes, schools, day programs, work sites, community based residential settings, hospitals.

Observing:

• client behavior.

• behavior supports/goals and documentation of them provided by the client's team.

• and documenting quality assurance visits, including recommendations.

Evaluating:

• data collection, assessment, and interpretation of behavior.

• behavior and generate proactive and reactive support strategies which promote person-centeredness and least restrictive approaches.

• timely documentation of case notes and formulation of written assessment.

• identifying & completing general and specific staff training needs in a timely manner.

• ISP and advising on appropriate changes.

Instructing:

• the individual's support network by strengthening their skills through improved understanding and implementation of sound behavioral support principles and strategies.

• serving as a resource to clients and staff.

• Staff/caregiver training both in small groups and in larger settings.

Knowledge and Education:

• The Behavior Support Specialist must have qualifications for Positive Support Analyst that includes one of the following-

1. Bachelor's degree, master's degree, or Ph.D. in a social services discipline. (and a minimum of 2 years' working with individuals with IDD with behavioral challenges and/or co-occurring mental health challenges).

2. Qualifications of a mental health practitioner as defined in Minn. Stat. §245.462, subd. 17.

3. Certification as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst or Board-Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc.

Skills and Abilities : The BSS must consistently operate with the person served as their first priority, must have exceptional listening skills, with the ability to pay attention to multiple communication methods, other than language (a few examples would be body language, gestures, emotions, and vocal sounds). The BSS must be able to deal effectively with crisis situations in a time efficient manner and work independently without constant need of supervision. They must have good time management and organizational abilities. She/he must work as an effective team member, be flexible and creative. S/he must provide and accept constructive criticism and support.

Experience : The BSS should have a broad range of experience with person centered thinking/planning, principles of behavior management, and assessments. The BSS should also have experience in writing and conducting support plans that encourage independence, choice-making, and self-determination. The BSS must have a minimum of 2 years' experience working with people with IDD with behavioral challenges and/or mental health challenges.

Core Competencies:

Collaboration : Develops cooperation and teamwork while participating in a group, working toward solutions which benefit all parties involved.

• Demonstrates respect for the opinions of others.

• Identifies and pushes for solutions in which all parties can benefit.

• Helps and supports fellow employees in their work to contribute to the overall Association success.

• Keeps people informed and up to date.

• Shares information and own expertise with others to enable them to accomplish group goals.

Discernment and Judgment: makes decisions authoritatively and wisely, after adequately contemplating various available courses of action.

• Consider alternative available actions, resources, and constraints before selecting a method for accomplishing a task, project, or goal.

• Refrains from “jumping to conclusions” based on no, or minimal evidence; takes time to collect facts before decision-making.

• Considers the long-term as well as immediate short-term outcomes and actions.

• Appropriately balances needs and desires with available resources and constraints.

• Recognizes when to escalate appropriate or specific situations to the next higher level of expertise.

Planning and Organizing: establishes a systematic course of action for self or others to ensure accomplishment of a specific objective.

• Develop or use systems to organize and keep track of information.

• Sets priorities with an appropriate sense of what is most important and plans with an appropriate and realistic sense of the time demand involved.

• Keeps track of activities completed and yet to do, to accomplish stated objectives.

• Keeps clear, detailed records of activities related to accomplishing stated objectives.

• Always knows status of one's own work.

Problem Solving : builds a logical approach to address problems or opportunities or manage the situation at hand by drawing on one's knowledge and experience base and calling on other references and resources, as necessary.

• Undertakes a complex task by breaking it down into manageable parts in a systematic, detailed way.

• Think of explanations or alternatives for a situation and anticipate potential obstacles and develop contingency plans to overcome them.

• Identifies the information needed to solve a problem effectively.

• Presents problem analysis and recommends solutions to others rather than just identifying or describing the problem itself.

• Acknowledges when one does not know something and takes steps to find out.

Technical Expertise: applies and improves extensive or in-depth specialized knowledge, skills, and judgment to accomplish a result or to accomplish one's job effectively.

• Understands technical aspects of one's job and continuously builds knowledge, keeping up to date on the technical or procedural aspects of the job.

• Makes oneself available to others to help solve technical or procedural problems or issues.

• Thinks of ways to apply new developments to improve organizational performance or customer service.

• Applies technical/procedural knowledge to correctly address a situation in a timely manner.

• Recognizes trends in theory and practice of one's own technical area and effectively prepares for anticipated changes.

Other Duties Assigned by Supervisor