*Job Overview: 

The Behavioral Health Technician (BHT) is responsible for direct therapy with children enrolled in the Center’s daily Creating Opportunities for Relating and Engaging program (C.O.R.E.). Reports to CORE Team Lead.

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*Responsibilities: 

• Implement intervention strategies with clients
• Demonstrate initiative and responsibility for pursuing therapeutic resources for clients in accordance with the Center for Autism’s mission statement
• Complete daily sheet for client
• Completes daily billing information 
• Completes daily data collection
• Maintains physical environment to ensure clinical interventions and client safety
• Complete incident/injury reports
• Participate in team meetings
• Share responsibility for maintaining team meeting documentation
• Maintain effectiveness in response to various situational demands
• Other duties as assigned by supervisors

*Skills:

• Credible or other similar program
• Physical ability to lift children, play on the floor and run with/after children
• Able to move (repeatedly) from a standing to kneeling position and back
• Detail oriented
• Ability to meet deadlines
  • Education/Experience:

*Experience:

• Minimum of one (1) year direct care experience or one year supervised practice in lieu of the experience requirement.

*Education Requirement:

• 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.

OR

• 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.

OR

• Have a minimum of 2 years of experience in the provision of behavioral health services.

• Clearances:
  • Pennsylvania State Criminal History Report, Pennsylvania Child Abuse Clearance and FBI Criminal History Report

Training:

In accordance with the state, CFA has a developed a training plan for all staff. Written plans and annual training requirements are updated annually for each staff person and based upon their educational level, experience, job functions, and performance reviews, all in accordance with state regulations. All of the above staff meet the training, credential, and supervision requirements specified in the regulations, which include:

• An individual who provides behavior consultation services or mobile therapy services shall complete at least 16 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 required.
• 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 that includes the following topics:
  • Sections 6301—6386 of 23 Pa.C.S. (relating to Child Protective Services Law) and mandated reporting requirements.
  • Crisis intervention skills, including risk management, de-escalation techniques and safety planning.
  • Behavior management skills and coaching.
  • Child and adolescent development.
  • Overview of serious emotional disturbance and other behavioral and psychosocial needs of the children, youth and young adults with whom the individual works.
  • Professional ethics, conduct and confidentiality.
  • First aid, universal precautions and safety.
  • Psychotropic medications, including common side effects.
• 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:
  • Documentation skills.
  • Systems of care principles.
  • Overview of functional behavioral assessment.
  • Ethnic, cultural and linguistic considerations of the community served.
  • Strategies and interventions to engage children, youth or young adults and parents, legal guardians or caregivers in services, including family systems theory.
  • Skills and techniques for working with families.
  • Overview of community resources and child and youth-serving systems and processes.
  • Cross-systems collaboration.
  • Communication and conflict resolution skills.
  • Basic individual education plan and special education information.
  • Safe use of restrictive procedures in accordance with restrictive procedures.
• 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 required.
• An individual who provides BHT services may substitute completed college coursework for required training topics by providing an official transcript and other documentation to the IBHS agency that reflects that the coursework addressed a required training topic.
• An individual who is certified may count hours of training required to maintain certification towards the training requirement.
• An individual who is licensed in this Commonwealth may count hours of training required to maintain licensure towards the training requirements.