Behavior & Community Support Therapist

LITTLE CITY FOUNDATION • Chicago, IL

5d • $36,684 - $45,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Behavior and Community Support Therapist works directly with clients and their families directly in their homes and other community-based settings to provide clinical intervention and treatment services using behaviorally based and trauma-informed treatment models. This will include positive behavior supports to reduce challenging behaviors and increase independence in daily living skills via 1:1 direct treatment in the family home and/or other community-based settings. The BCST will service children and teens in the Foster Care & Adoption program and within the community billed to Medicaid and/or private health insurance plans.

Requirements

• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Has either a bachelor’s degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or related human service field, a bachelor’s degree in any field with two years’ supervised clinical experience in a mental health setting, or a high school diploma or GED with 5 years of supervised clinical experience in mental health.
• Must either have Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) training and certification, or the ability to successfully complete training and certification within 90 days of hire.
• Must be capable of transporting children and traveling to homes within a 40-mile radius, possessing a valid driver’s license, reliable vehicle, and current auto insurance.
• Must be available to work weekdays, including afterschool and evening hours.
• This position is hybrid remote, and time will be split between employee’s home office, clients’ homes, and Little City’s Behavioral Health Clinic in Chicago.
• The BCST will also have access to Little City’s offices in Matteson and Joliet for completing administrative activities.

Nice To Haves

• Experience using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles preferred.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates mental and behavioral health habilitation and rehabilitation through skill-building/instruction, community support, behavior management programming, and other treatment interventions based on trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices.
• Directs skill-building groups for children, adolescents and teens on topics including but not limited to: a. Communication b. Activities of Daily Living (ex: personal hygiene) c. Social skills d. Vocational skills e. Self-Esteem and Advocacy f. Health & Wellness
• Supports parents and other caregivers to address specific needs of their children using evidence-based strategies, including but not limited to, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
• Works collaboratively with other members of the Community-Based Clinical Services team, including Therapists and Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) to understand, guide, and facilitate the services and goals contained in the clients’ assessments and treatment plans.
• Coordinates with and establishes working relationships with clients’ collateral contacts, including but not limited to, educational, medical, social, recreational, and family supports. Obtains required releases of information from other service providers and maintains the rules of confidentiality.
• Assists in reviewing assessments and treatment plans every 180 days to assess client functioning, progress toward goals, and service recommendations.
• Responds to client-related crises by helping to mitigate crisis, safety plan, and promote stabilization within the home and community. Provide on-call crisis intervention and support on a rotating basis (full-time employees only).
• Record/document and compile all required behavioral and skill-acquisition data accurately and in a timely fashion.
• Documents service provision accurately, in a timely manner, and in accordance with Medicaid Rule 140 guidelines, within the agency’s electronic health record (EHR) system.
• Ensures that all services are provided in accordance with informed consent, maintenance of client rights, standards of confidentiality, and are consistent with agency procedures, accreditation bodies, and Medicaid Community Behavioral Health Services guidelines.
• Actively participates in regular team meetings, supervision, and training opportunities.
• Document and maintain records of all certification requirements to ensure certification retention, including but not limited to, maintaining RBT certification on an annual basis.
• Abides by RBT and child welfare professional code of ethics.
• Recognizes and accepts responsibility as a mandated reporter of abuse and neglect.
• Successfully completes Little City required training, re-training, and any additional training as required by Little City policies and practices, or as assigned by his or her immediate supervisor.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Benefits

• Little City offers competitive salaries and benefits for eligible employees such as medical, dental, and vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, 401(k) and Roth 401(k) retirement plans with employer match, Flexible Spending Accounts ( FSA), life insurance, critical illness, hospital indemnity, paid holidays, paid time off (vacation, personal, and sick time), and an employee assistance program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees