Security Therapy Aide Trainee
About The Position
The Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery is hiring a Security Therapy Aide Trainee at Elizabeth Packard Mental Health Center in Springfield, Illinois. For six to twelve months, the trainee receives instruction and on-the-job experience providing therapeutic custodial care to adults in a secure residential forensic unit. The role includes learning interpersonal and counseling approaches, patient escort and observation methods, behavior intervention techniques, and assisting higher-level staff with patient care. The position involves travel to transport patients to court appearances, medical appointments, and other needs outside the facility.
Requirements
- Knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to completion of high school.
- Ability to physically restrain patients as necessary to prevent injury to the patient or others.
- Ability to walk and stand for significant periods, including stooping, bending, and lifting.
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
- Ability to acquire and maintain a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certificate.
- Ability to work after business hours, weekends, and holidays.
- Valid driver's license.
- Ability to travel in the performance of job duties.
- Ability to pass standard Physical Agility testing.
- Ability to pass the IDHS background check.
- Ability to pass a drug screen for drugs prohibited from recreational use under Illinois law.
Responsibilities
- Receive training and on-the-job experience in providing therapeutic custodial care to adults in a secure residential forensic unit.
- Learn to implement interpersonal relationships and develop a counseling role with selected patients.
- Assist higher-level staff with overall patient care on various facility units.
- Learn escort procedures and assist with escorting patients to meals, recreation areas, therapy locations, consultations, hearings, and inter-institutional transfers.
- Learn methods for observing and intervening in patient behavior using aggression management techniques, and assist higher-level staff in physically restraining patients with behavior problems.
- Receive training and, with guidance, administer simple oral medications.
- Assist in making periodic counts of patients.
- Transport or drive patients to court appearances, medical appointments, and other needs outside the facility.
- Perform other duties assigned or required that are reasonably within the scope of the listed duties.
Benefits
- Pension program
- Competitive group insurance benefits, including health, life, dental, and vision insurance
- 3 paid personal business days annually
- 12 paid sick days annually, with sick days carrying over from year to year
- 10–25 days of paid vacation annually, with 10 days in the first year of employment
- 13 paid holidays annually, and 14 in even-numbered years
- 12 weeks of paid parental leave
- Deferred Compensation Program supplemental retirement plan
- Optional pre-tax Medical Care Assistance Plan and Dependent Care Assistance Plan
- Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program eligibility
- GI Bill training/apprenticeship benefits eligibility for qualifying veterans
- 5% salary differential for bilingual positions
- Commuter Savings Program (Chicago only)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
