Behavior Consultant

Northern Children's Services • Philadelphia, PA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Northern Children's Services (Northern) is seeking a passionate Behavior Consultant to support the healthy development of children, youth, and families. This role is crucial in achieving the organization's mission and vision, believing in the potential of every child regardless of their background. Northern emphasizes its organizational values: Excellence, Respect, Resilience, Cultural Humility & Justice, Healing, and Wellness. As a Behavior Consultant, you will have opportunities for leadership, work in a supportive environment, and contribute to empowerment and progress through effective communication, planning, monitoring, documentation, and collaboration.

Requirements

• Master's Degree from an accredited university in a clinical mental health discipline AND completed clinical or Mental Health practicum
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification or behavioral analysis certification
• Graduate degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)
• Licensed BSC
• At least one years full-time paid experience in the mental health field.
• Excellent working knowledge of clinical issues relating to children, adolescents and families.
• Familiar with multiple child-serving systems (e.g. education, juvenile justice, child welfare, mental health, drug and alcohol, health care and vocational rehab).

Nice To Haves

• Ability to walk up and down stairs.
• Ability to lift 20 lbs.
• Ability to operate a computer, printer and calculator.
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle or access public transportation.
• Requires some flexible work schedules: evening and weekend hours.
• Use emotional intelligence: Respond with empathy and awareness, even in difficult situations.
• Communicate effectively: Listen actively, ask clarifying questions, and avoid judgmental language.
• Understand trauma’s impact: Be aware that clients or colleagues may react based on past experiences, not just the present moment.
• Apply person-first, strengths-based language: Focus on people’s strengths and abilities rather than defining them by their challenges (e.g., saying "a person experiencing homelessness" instead of "a homeless person").

Responsibilities

• Provides intensive therapeutic services to a child in the home, community or school setting.
• Leads the team to provide clinical direction of services for each child on their caseload.
• Revises and updates the Individual Treatment Plan (ITP).
• Provides oversight of the provision of the ITP.
• Consults with adults across settings in that child’s life.
• Creates appropriate and reasonable goals.
• Coordinates the overall clinical direction of treatment for the children assigned to caseload, in collaboration with family and other treatment professionals.
• Acts as a resource to the child, family, treatment team, school and Behavior Health Technicians in crisis and problem situations to develop a crisis plan and resolution.
• Conducts meetings to plan anticipated clinical needs of consumer.
• Develops treatment plan based on psychiatric evaluation, per agency and regulatory standards.
• Completes functional behavioral assessments for clients.
• Ensures that treatment goals, objectives and interventions are appropriate and fit the particular needs of the child and family.
• Monitors consumer progress on treatment goals and reports this information through treatment plan updates at least every 180 days.
• Updates treatment plan and crisis plan when significant incidents occur (e.g. Hospitalizations, call to Mobile Crisis, suicidal ideation/threats, etc.).
• Conducts classroom observations for assigned students.
• Provides child-centered, strengths-based individual psychotherapy weekly.
• Provides all services that are authorized by the funding source.
• Provides billable case management in the form of family and school contact to provide updates on treatment, attendance at meetings, phone calls, etc.
• Maintains regular weekly contact with family, school and other agencies as identified (up to 1 hour per month) regarding client progress on the treatment plan.
• Clearly and effectively communicates program goals and directives to staff, families, school district personnel, agency staff and other providers of service.
• Attends treatment team meetings, IEP meetings and ITM meetings.
• Documents all therapy sessions, case management activities, attendance at meetings, incidents, etc. within 72 hours of service provision per agency policy and procedure.
• Creates treatment plan based on functional behavioral assessment and regulatory standards.
• Documents all billable services, including all case management and collaboration activities.
• Completes incident reports within 24 hours when significant events occur.
• Collaborates with schools, families, funding source representatives and internal/external resources as appropriate.
• Collaborates with treatment team, including Care Coordinator, to refer families to appropriate services to meet needs identified from Social Determinants Scale.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off or sick leave
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering confidential referral and counseling services
• Self-funded legal services

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level