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At-a-Glance

Employment Type: Part-Time, Full-Time
Location(s):
  • Chester County
  • Cumberland & Perry Counties
  • Dauphin County
  • Lancaster County
  • Lebanon County
  • York County
Program/Department: Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS)

Description

BEHAVIOR CONSULTANT JOB DESCRIPTION

Provide behavior consultation services to children, youth or young adults and families in settings other than a provider agency and office, including the child’s home, foster home, school, and/or other community settings.  Services provided include designing and directing the implementation of an individualized treatment plan to meet the child/youth/young adult and family needs.  During treatment, assess and identify behavioral goals and intervention techniques that the treatment team implements.

Responsibilities:

  • Maintain on-going communication and collaboration with all team members.
  • Develop behavior/treatment plan and/or crisis plans with the child, family, and team that are developmentally appropriate and strengths based.
  • Develop and monitor intervention techniques as a part of treatment planning and to assess the effectiveness of these interventions through collaboration with the therapeutic team.
  • Complete initial and on-going assessment of consumer and families’ needs and strengths.
  • Attend interagency meetings to coordinate design of treatment plan and IBHS recommendations.
  • Complete all required documentation in a thorough and accurate manner.
  • Follow-up with frequent observations of consumer and school/family to ensure consistency according to developmental requirements.
  • Monitor the implementation of treatment interventions with team members ongoing and update treatment plans accordingly.
  • Participate in identifying discharge planning and discharge planning goals for child(ren) and families.
  • Observe and oversee BHT and family to ensure interventions and goals are being implemented appropriately.
  • Travel to a variety of education and/or home environments to provide services in consumer’s natural environment.
  • Complete all necessary documentation related to consumer case including Psychological Feedback Form, Assessment, Individual treatment plan, and progress notes.
  • Ensure compliance with Ponessa Behavioral Health’s policies and procedures including confidentiality and mandated reporting.
  • Maintain supervision requirements with BHT’s as required.
  • Provide clinical information to the evaluator as required or requested.
  • Attend and participate in meetings and training programs as required.
  • Provide supervision (both Group and Individual) to BHT’s weekly.

 Staff Leadership:

  • Fosters a strengths based, trauma-informed, accountable, committed and motivated environment.
  • Establishes and holds direct reports responsible to create a climate that attracts, retains and motivates high performance.
  • Ensures the caliber of diverse staff with skills appropriate to meet the needs of those served.
  • Models Ponessa Behavioral Health’s core competencies holding staff accountable to do the same.

 Team Leadership:

  • Demonstrate ability to communicate effectively and efficiently with all internal and external stakeholders.
  • Cooperates and communicates as a multi-discipline staff team member through formal meetings, informal consultations and committee participation. 
  • Models traits of a responsible team member, executing job responsibilities, open communication, good follow through; supports team members to do the same.
  • Demonstrates use and support of the trauma informed model in all aspects of employment, including interactions with consumers/students, family members, other employees, community members, and stakeholders.
  • Responds promptly to the concerns and interests of the consumers, parents, guardians, funding entities and other Ponessa Behavioral Health staff. 

 Partnerships and Collaborative Relationships:

  • Establishes and maintains relationships with provider organizations, regulatory and licensing representatives, and referral sources, establishing effective and productive working relationships while representing Ponessa Behavioral Health.

 Contributing to the Team:

  • Participates in regular meetings with staff to ensure priorities are clear, coordination is good and communications are open. Develops additional methods for ongoing effective communication.
  • Cooperates and communicates as a multi-discipline staff team member through formal meetings, informal consultations and committee participation. 
  • Models traits of a responsible team member, executing job responsibilities, open communication, good follow through; supports team members to do the same.
  • Responds promptly to the concerns and interests of the consumers, parents, guardians, funding entities and other Ponessa Behavioral Health staff. 

 Trauma Informed Behavior:

  • Demonstrates commitment to being trauma informed and maintaining a therapeutic environment and community that promotes safety and nonviolence as the basis for all we do with clients and staff.
  • Demonstrates knowledge and utilization of trauma informed practices, including emotional intelligence, effective communication, understanding of impact of trauma on development, strengths based and person-centered practice, resilience focus and commitment to growth and change. 

 Administrative Activities:

  • Ensures compliance with all Ponessa Behavioral Health policies and procedures, including confidentiality and acting as a mandated reporter in accordance with the law, policies, and procedures.
  • Implements all documentation requirements, reports are complete, thorough, timely, and follow prescribed format.
  • Other duties as assigned.

 SKILLS:

  • Behavior modification theory and application.
  • Ability to utilize collaborative, team oriented approach.
  • Knowledge and understanding of CASSP Principles.
  • Social/ecological theory and application.
  • Understanding of child and family development.
  • Crisis intervention and management.
  • Knowledge of DSM-5.
  • Basic knowledge/understanding of common psychotropic medications.
  • Experience working with diverse populations.

Minimum Qualifications

EXPERIENCE:

  • Have 1 year full time experience in providing mental health services to child/youth/young adults if not licensed as a behavior specialist, have a BCBA certification, graduate degree in ABA, or completed a clinical or mental health practicum through a graduate program.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:

Individuals who provide individual services through behavior consultation services must meet one of the following:

 (1) Be licensed in this Commonwealth as a behavior specialist.

 (2) Have a certification as a BCBA or other graduate-level certification in behavior analysis that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the American National Standards Institute.

 (3) Have a graduate degree in ABA from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or have an equivalent degree from a foreign college or university that has been evaluated by the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. or the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. The Department will accept a general equivalency report from the listed evaluator agencies to verify a foreign degree or its equivalency.

 (4) Have a minimum of 1 year of full-time experience in providing mental health direct services to children, youth or young adults and a graduate degree in psychology, social work, education, or counseling from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or an equivalent degree from a foreign college or university that has been evaluated by the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. or the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. The Department will accept a general equivalency report from the listed evaluator agencies to verify a foreign degree or its equivalency.

 (5) Completed a clinical or mental health direct service practicum and have a graduate degree in psychology, social work, education, counseling or a related field from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or have an equivalent degree from a foreign college or university that has been evaluated by the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. or the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. The Department will accept a general equivalency report from the listed evaluator agencies to verify a foreign degree or its equivalency.

Individuals who provide behavior consultation services to children diagnosed with ASD for the treatment of ASD shall be licensed in this Commonwealth as a psychologist, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, social worker, behavior specialist, certified registered nurse practitioner or a professional with a scope of practice that includes overseeing the provision of ABA services.

CLEARANCES: (Perspective employee must have the following clearances before servicing clients.)

  • PA State Child Abuse Clearance (Upon hire, before working with clients, and every year thereafter)
  • Pennsylvania State Criminal Background Check (Upon hire, before working with client s, and every year thereafter)
  • FBI Clearance

BENEFITS: Ponessa Behavioral Health offers a competitive Employee Benefit Package to all eligible employees after 90 days of full-time employment, including Health Insurance, Dental and Vision Coverage, Voluntary Benefits, paid time off, and paid holidays. Part-time employees are also eligible to enroll in Dental, Vision, and Voluntary Benefit plans, after 90 days of part-time employment, working a minimum of 15 hours/per week. In addition, employees can participate in our optional 401 K Program with matching, and access discounts provided in the Employee Perks Reward Program. Employee’s can also take advantage of our Tuition Discount Program, offering tuition discounts through strategic partnerships to local Colleges and Universities.

Benefits: Ponessa Behavioral Health offers a competitive Employee Benefit Package to all eligible employees after 90 days of full-time employment, including Health Insurance, Dental and Vision Coverage, Voluntary Benefits, paid time off, and paid holidays. Part-time employees are also eligible to enroll in Dental, Vision, and Voluntary Benefit plans, after 90 days of part-time employment, working a minimum of 15 hours/per week. In addition, employees can participate in our optional 401 K Program with matching, and access discounts provided in the Employee Perks Reward Program. Employee’s can also take advantage of our Tuition Discount Program, offering tuition discounts through strategic partnerships to local Colleges and Universities.

Loan Repayment Program(LRP) Approved Practice Site: Ponessa Behavioral Health is a primary outpatient behavioral health care loan repayment program (LRP) approved practice site, offering educational loan repayment to practitioners who provide care within a designated region. The LRP offers grant funding to be used to repay qualifying educational debt in exchange for a two-year full-time or half-time service commitment at an LRP-approved practice site. Primary care providers including Physicians, Physician Assistants, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners, Psychologists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists are eligible to apply for the educational loan repayment in response to a competitive Request for Applications (RFA) from the PA Department of Health. Physicians are eligible to receive up to $100,000 of loan repayment for a full-time service commitment or up to $50,000 for a half-time service commitment. All other disciplines are eligible to receive up to $60,000 of loan repayment for a full-time service commitment or up to $30,000 for a half-time service commitment.

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How to Apply for Employment

Interested applicants should submit the following documents:

  • Employment application
  • Résumé with cover letter
  • Evidence of Degree (Official Transcript and Copy of Diploma)
  • PA Criminal History Clearance (Act 34) - Follow the instructions to "Submit a New Record Check" online using a credit card
  • Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance (Act 151) - If you have a legible copy of the child abuse history clearance dated January 1 or later of this year, bring it with you or go to www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis to request your clearance online. A paper copy will be mailed to you automatically but you can also receive an emailed copy. This option is much faster than mailing in your request. The cost of this clearance is $13.00
  • FBI Criminal History - Follow the instructions, and enter service code 1KG738
  • Mandated Reporter Training Certificate

Please email your coverletter and resume to: humanresources@ponessa.com or mail/fax to:
Ponessa Behavioral Health
410 N. Prince St.
Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 735-1901

Send questions to: humanresources@ponessa.com