Behavior Clinician- Lake County

PALADIN INC•Michigan City, IN

About The Position

POSITION PURPOSE: The Behavior Clinician works one on one with individuals who may be experiencing or are likely to experience challenges accessing, and actively participating in the community as a result of behavioral, social, or emotional challenges. The Behavior Clinician will assess behavioral strengths/needs of individuals served and develop behavior support plans. The Behavior Clinician empowers individuals and families to achieve self-determination, interdependence, productivity, integration and inclusion in all facets of community life, across all environments, across the lifespan.

Requirements

This position must qualify as a Level 2 Clinician defined by the Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Behavioral Support Services as having a Master’s degree in the following areas:
Clinical psychology, counseling psychology; school psychology; other applied health service area of psychology;
Special education;
Social work;
Or counseling.
A Level 2 Clinician may also be:
A licensed marriage and family therapist under IC 25-23.6;
A licensed clinical social worker under IC 25-23.6;
A licensed mental health counselor under IC 25-23.6.
Must maintain a minimum of 10 continuing education hours related to the practice of behavioral support per year.
This position requires an employee to drive a motor vehicle as a part of his/her Paladin work. Any employee in this position must comply with the requirements outlined in PERSONNEL POLICY, DRIVING AND VEHICLES (500.02). All employees in this position must have a valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record, as defined by our insurance carrier. An employee hired for a position that requires the employee to drive his/her own vehicle is responsible for his/her own automobile insurance and required to provide verification each year.

Responsibilities

Assess behavioral strengths/needs of individuals served and develop behavior support plans.
Empower individuals and families to achieve self-determination, interdependence, productivity, integration and inclusion in all facets of community life, across all environments, across the lifespan.
Obtain, review, and complete written records as well as history of the individual referred for development of the behavior support plan (BSP).
Provide recommendations regarding the type of environment, level of support, risk management strategies, and other specialized supports that would be required to provide support to the individual.
Complete an on-site review of the individual through observation and interview of the individual.
Interview staff that provide direct support to the individual.
Interview others who have a working knowledge of the individual, including, but not limited to, social workers, case managers, family members, residential and/or day program staff, Individual Service Team (IST) members, etc.
Develop the initial BSP based on the assessment information obtained based on the principals of person-centered thinking and positive behavioral support within 45 days of the initial intake.
Ensure any restrictive techniques are approved by a Human Rights Committee, be time-limited, and regularly reviewed for elimination or reduction appropriately over time.
Provide training for staff (direct support staff and administrative staff) on the implementation of the BSP within 30 days of completion.
Observe staff in their interactions with the person served and implementation of the BSP in order to assure their understanding of the plan.
Create a method for the collection of behavioral data as specified in the BSP.
Provide training for staff on the proper use of specified data collection techniques.
Review behavioral data on a consistent basis and make recommendations for BSP revisions as warranted.
Maintain contact with the program supervisors, case managers and other IST members to discuss the on-going implementation of the BSP.
Make periodic visits to the individual’s home to observe implementation of the plan, assess the need for plan revisions, and assure that the direct support staff are implementing the plan as written.
Complete documentation after each session including progress towards outcomes in addition to any changes or modifications needed within the BSP.
Revise the plan as needed in response to the individual’s changing support needs.
Provide training to the staff and program supervisors based on changes to the plan.
Provide specific training to the program supervisors to ensure that they are able to provide direction to the staff and to train new staff regarding implementation of the BSP.
Attend team meetings as needed to discuss BSP and other support needs.
Maintain contact with outside entities on status of referrals, assessments, staff training, etc. as necessary.
Complete a comprehensive quarterly summary of services provided to the individual by the 10th of each month (April, July, October, January).
Complete tasks in a timely manner.
Promote a positive image of Paladin to internal and external contacts.
Maintain confidentiality of all consultations and conversations with the management team members, unless receiving prior authorization to share information with others.
Report any pertinent impressions regarding staff competence and interaction style that present a potential problem to the Director of Therapy Services or designee.
Maintain records of time/travel expenses incurred as a result of BSP development for the purpose of billing to external vendors where applicable.
Ability to work with a variety of individuals and agencies to effectively and efficiently coordinate services.
Work with minimal supervision.
Ability to handle multiple tasks and/or demands
Ability to work as a team member to facilitate service delivery.
Patience and diplomacy when dealing with difficult clients, staff, and other agencies.
Ability to handle stress.
Other duties as assigned by the Director of Therapy Services.