Job Information
Confidential Employer Behavioral Health Technician in Phila, Pennsylvania
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provide intensive, individualized mental health interventions and support services in a variety of community-based setting to clients and their families. These settings include, but are not limited to; home, school, activity center, church, neighborhood, or the family's home. The therapeutic support person is supervised by a Behavioral Consultant or a Mobile Therapist (lead clinician) and as part of an interdisciplinary treatment team, implements specific treatment goals prescribed in a Written Order. The goal is to implement sound clinical interventions and support services to enable the client to be maintained and function appropriately in the least restrictive setting.
ESSENTIAL & CORE FUNCTIONS:
Provide the Lead Clinician and other pertinent professionals with clinical data (e.g., behavioral observations, feedback from family members) to support the treatment plan's objectives, as well as engaging the client in age appropriate therapeutic activities.
Present relevant clinical information observed in the home or social environment to the Lead Clinician in a timely manner.
As directed by the Lead Clinician assist in the development and implementation of behavioral programs and other therapeutic interventions as specified in the Treatment Plan.
Respond appropriately to cases that have emergency needs and respond all information immediately to the Lead Clinician to further promote stabilization.
Use supervision/consultation effectively to improve the quality of therapeutic services.
Help families interpret and clarify short and long-term goals based on interactions with clients and their families.
Assist each client and family in developing a discharge plan that identifies resources pr persons who can provide continued support beyond termination of services and develop linkages to those community resources and persons.
Maintain an ongoing dialogue regarding client's progress toward treatment goals with the Lead Clinician.
Present periodic updates (e.g., progress toward goals) during interagency team meetings and/or conferences as requested by the Lead Clinician.
Ensure that all weekly progress notes for therapeutic services, monthly narrative reports and other required written documents clearly reflect treatment goals that are indicted in the Treatment Plan and progress toward meeting the goals. Provide all information in a manner and as specified the Lead Clinician.
Maintain the appropriate intervention hours via face-to-face contact specified the Treatment Plan.
Meet weekly with the Lead Clinician to discuss clients and family's progress toward treatment goals.
Attend trainings, workshops or conferences that will develop and maintain knowledge of mental health interventions, legal requirements and rules and regulations for referring authorities and third payers.
Work collaboratively with treatment staff and other agency professionals and use supervision/conclusion effectively to improve the quality of therapeutic services using Evidence Based Practices.
Follow Community Council for Mental Health and Mental Retardation special incidents reporting procedures and provide the Behavioral Specialist Consultant with information on potential issues of safety and ethical/confidentiality dilemmas.
Adhere to all of the Community Council for Mental Health and Mental Retardation personnel policies and the Community Council for Mental Health and Mental Retardation Code of Conduct.
Must attend and participate in weekly supervision by a supervisor meeting the qualifications of a Clinical Supervisor, as follows:
a. BHTs working twenty (20) hours or more per week- require one (1) hour of supervision per week
b. BHTs working less than twenty (20) hours per week- need one half (.5) hour of supervision per week.
PREREQUISITES & QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITIO :
By January 1, 2021, individuals who provide individual services through BHT services shall meet one of the following:
· Have a certification as a BCaBA.
· Have a certification as an RBT.
· Have a certification as a BCAT.
· Have a behavior health certification or behavior analysis certification from an organization that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the American National Standards Institute.
· Have a high school diploma or the equivalent of a high school diploma and have completed a 40-hour training covering the RBT Task List as evidenced by a certification that includes the name of the responsible trainer, who is certified as a BCBA or BCaBA. Have a minimum of 2 years of experience in the provision of behavioral health services.
Training
A. If the individual has not previously provided BHT services, the individual shall complete
B. at least 30 hours of Department-approved training prior to providing services independently that includes the following topics:
a. Act 31
b. Crisis intervention skills, including risk management, de-escalation techniques and safety planning.
c. Behavior management skills and coaching.
d. Child and adolescent development.
e. Overview of serious emotional disturbance and other behavioral and psychosocial needs of the children, youth and young adults with whom the individual works.
f. Professional ethics, conduct and confidentiality.
g. First aid, universal precautions and safety.
h. Psychotropic medications, including common side effects.
C. If an individual has not previously provided BHT services, the individual shall complete at least 24 hours of Department-approved training within the first 6 months of providing BHT services that includes the following topics:
a. Documentation skills.
b. Systems of care principles.
c. Overview of functional behavioral assessment.
d. Ethnic, cultural and linguistic considerations of the community served.
e. Strategies and interventions to engage children, youth or young adults and parents, legal guardians or caregivers in services, including family systems theory.
f. Skills and techniques for working with families.
g. Overview of community resources and child and youth-serving systems and processes.
h. Cross-systems collaboration.
i. Communication and conflict resolution skills.
j. Basic individual education plan and special education information.
k. Safe use of restrictive procedures
D. An individual who provides BHT services shall complete at least 20 hours of Department approved training annually that is related to the individual's specific job functions and is in accordance with the individual training plan.
E. An individual who provides BHT services may substitute completed college coursework for required training topics in subsection (c) or (d) by providing an official transcript and other documentation to the IBHS agency that reflects that the coursework addressed a required training topic