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Behavior Health Technician

The Behavioral Health Technician (BHT), will implement the Individual Treatment Plan. Using the strengths-based and preventive approach they will work directly with the child to reach the ITP goals across school, home and community settings.

ESSENTIAL & CORE FUNCTIONS:

  1. Facilitate implementation of the ITP.
  2. Support of problem-solving skill development.
  3. Provide instruction on how to understand, direct, interpret, manage and control feelings and emotional responses to situations.
  4. Assist the adults in the consumer’s life to address the therapeutic needs of the consumer.
  5. Provide psychoeducational services related to mental health, including the development of improved decision-making skills to manage behavior.
  6. Assist with the development of social skills and socially acceptable behaviors.
  7. Provide instruction on stress reduction techniques.
  8. Collect data on consumer behavior, attendance, disciplinary actions, etc.
  9. Provide behavioral stabilization and interventions to support services provided by a clinician, behavior specialist or mobile therapist.
  10. Provide feedback and behavioral data needed for developing or revising the ITP goals, objectives or interventions.
  11. Ensure timely and proper delivery of services.
  12. Collaborate with school personnel, families and outside agencies.
  13. Provide services across settings in schools, homes and communities.
  14. Make recommendations for discharge.
  15. Meet service productivity expectations.
  16. Complete all paperwork within specified time frames.
  17. Maintain an understanding of agency policies and procedures.
  18. Participate in and adhere to Individualized Training Plan.
  19. Attend and participate in supervision in accordance to regulatory standards.
  20. Adhere to WES’s Code of Ethics and comply with State Mental Health Code.
  21. Attend trainings as required by WES.
  22. Participate in continuous quality assurance/program development.
  23. Comply with WES standards for service delivery.
  24. Maintain consumer confidentiality.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. Performs other duties and special projects as assigned.

PREREQUISITES & QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITION:

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

If the individual has not previously provided BHT services, the individual shall complete at least 30 hours of Department-approved training prior to providing services independently to a child, youth or young adult that include all of the following topics:

  1. Child Protective Services Law and mandated reporting requirements.
  2. Crisis intervention skills, including risk management, de-escalation techniques and safety planning. Behavior management skills and coaching.
  3. Child and adolescent development.
  4. Overview of serious emotional disturbance and other behavioral and psychosocial needs of the children, youth and young adults with whom the BHT works.
  5. Professional ethics, employee conduct and confidentiality.
  6. First aid, universal precautions and safety.
  7. Psychotropic medications, including common side effects.

Within the first 6 months of employment as a BHT, If an individual has not previously provided BHT services, the BHT shall complete at least 24 hours of Department-approved training within the first 6 months of providing BHT services that includes all of the following topics:

  1. Documentation skills.
  2. Systems of care principles.
  3. Overview of functional behavioral assessment.
  4. Ethnic, cultural and linguistic considerations of the community served.
  5. Strategies and interventions to engage children, youth or young adults and parents, legal guardians or caregivers in services, including family systems theory.
  6. Skills and techniques for working with families.
  7. Overview of community resources and child and youth-serving systems and processes.
  8. Cross-systems collaboration.
  9. Communication and conflict resolution skills.
  10. Basic individual education plan and special education information.
  11. Safe use of restrictive procedures in accordance with § 5240.6 (relating to restrictive procedures).

If a BHT has a current RBT, BCAT or other behavior analysis certification that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the American National Standards Institute may count hours of training required for certification towards the training requirements in above noted 1 and 2.

A BHT who is certified as a BHT through the Pennsylvania Certification Board is deemed to have completed and is exempt from the training requirements in above 1 and 2.

A BHT may substitute completed college coursework for any of the required training topics in above 1 or 2 by providing an official transcript and if needed other documentation to the IBHS agency that reflects that the coursework addressed a required training topic

An individual who provides BHT services shall complete at least 20 hours of Department-approved training annually that is related to the BHT’s individual’s specific job functions and is in accordance with the BHT’s individual training plan.

An individual who provides BHT services may substitute completed college coursework for required training topics in subsection 1 or 2 by providing an official transcript and other documentation to the IBHS agency that reflects that the coursework addressed a required training topic.

A BHT who has a current RBT, BCAT or other behavior analysis certification that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the American National Standards Institute is certified and may count hours of continuing training required to maintain the BHT’s certification towards the continuing training requirement in subsections 1 and 2.

An individual who is licensed in this Commonwealth may count hours of training required to maintain licensure towards the training requirements in subsections 1 and 2.

 

COMPETENCIES & PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

  1. Proficient in computer programs such as Microsoft Office, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
  2. Solid oral and written communication skills.
  3. Good organization skills including the ability to prioritize work and manage conflicting deadlines.
  4. The ability to work well with others.
  5. The ability to handle conflicts with diplomacy and tact.
  6. The ability to listen and evaluate objectively.

ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY, RELATIONSHIPS & SUPERVISION:

  1. The BHT is supervised by a staff meeting the credentials of a Clinical Director, Administrative Director, MT or BC.
  2. Individual face to face supervision will be for one hour each week if the BHT works at least 37.5 hours per week or 1 hour of supervision two times a month if the individual who provides BHT services works less than 37.5 hours a week.
  3. If the individual has not previously provided BHT services, 6 hours of onsite supervision during the provision of services to a child, youth or young adult is needed prior to providing services independently.
  4. One hour of direct observation of the provision of individual services to a child, youth or young adult during the implementation of the ITP every 4 months, unless the BHT has a High School Diploma (or equivalent) and completed 40 hours RBT task list training. If the BHT has a High School Diploma and the 40 hour training the BHT shall receive 1 hour of direct observation of the provision of individual services to a child, youth or young adult during the implementation of the ITP every 2 months.
  5. The supervision will include oversight of the following: (i) The interventions being implemented. (ii) The child’s, youth’s or young adult’s progress towards the goals of the ITP. (iii) Consideration of adjustments needed to the ITP. (iv) The staff person’s skills in implementing the interventions in the ITP

 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.