Assistant BIS - Chelsea

About the role

We are looking for a qualified Assistant Behavior Intervention Specialist (ABIS) to support our Ames North program in Chelsea, Manhattan.

Responsibilities

• Performs all duties of a Direct Support Professional (DSP 1 - 3) as indicated in job descriptions, in addition to ABIS duties on a regular basis and/or as requested to ensure the overall supervision, protection and care of individuals in program, assisting in maximizing their strengths, interests and abilities while upholding their personal rights and facilitating activities that provide social capital and connections to the community.
• Led the identification, facilitation and scheduling of community inclusion activities for assigned program based on feedback from and needs of persons supported, coordinating resources, securing necessary funds and ensuring that activities are completed and appropriately documented.
• Supports provision of appropriate, therapeutically documented levels of supervision to ensure and protect the health, safety and well-being of individuals at all times by ensuring updates and changes to levels of supervision for persons we support are regularly communicated to all staff and appropriately documented; may run shift meetings, assigning duties, completing shift sheet and making recommendations to ensure staff are qualified and able to maintain current prescribed levels of supervision.
• Understands and uses specialized clinical knowledge of person-specific needs and signs or symptoms of ailments/syndromes including mental health/medical conditions to provide effective supports to individuals, identify and escalate concerns to leadership and inform activities, training or specialized education or augmented trainings for staff.
• Works with BIS to identify habilitative, behavioral and psychiatric needs of the persons supported and to ensure all programming and activities relating to clinical interventions are implemented consistently, in accordance with individualized plans.
• Provides guidance to program staff, setting the appropriate tone and ensuring that the standards of care are followed by modeling excellent counseling skills and interactions with persons supported and through use of person-centered philosophy and tools.
• Implements Behavior Support Plans, demonstrating understanding of behavior as communication and employing person-centered thinking to support positive interactions and prevent further escalation.
• Trains direct care staff individually, on the floor and/or in groups using the EMOE training system to support effective implementation of habilitative and behavioral programming by program staff through regular observations, direct feedback, communicating clinical rationales and ensuring appropriate data collection techniques.
• Serves as lead trainer for weekend staff and supports new staff in developing and demonstrating the OPWDD Core Competencies.
• Assists BIS with gathering and collecting data required to conduct formal and informal behavioral and habilitative assessments (written questionnaires, standardized tests, rating scales, baseline data, etc.) by conducting observations and/or soliciting information from other direct support staff, circles of support or other sources, as applicable.
• Maintains an awareness of program operations, staff performance and overall condition/wellness of persons supported through regular interactions and observations and by working together with the leadership team to identify and directly address, resolve, recommend actions or solutions and/or appropriately escalating concerns, signs and symptoms, problems or other occurrences.
• Completes and maintains all necessary trainings and certifications, including specialized trainings based on program and to ensure compliance with YAI policies or other applicable rules or regulations and clinical trainings as recommended by BIS, effectively applying skills or teaching others.
• Complies with all Federal, State, Local and other relevant regulatory agency requirements, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work or closely related Human Services discipline and at least six (6) months of experience working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and/or supporting adults or children with complex social-emotional, mental health and/or behavior support needs in a group or individual setting (home program, day treatment center, school, ABA environment, etc.) or Formal training, including college coursework in psychology, sociology, human behavior, mental health, special education and/or I/DD and at least two (2) years of experience as described above;
• At least four (4) years of experience in a direct care role (e.g. DSP) in a YAI program in good standing;
• Working knowledge of behavioral/psychiatric conditions, including the interplay between I/DD and other conditions and ability to effectively gather, document and accurately communicate related information to staff, clinical team and/or external providers;
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills including the ability to professionally, coherently and objectively document services provided and summarize progress for billing and tracking purposes and to effectively convey information regarding individuals supported across various levels and with external providers or circles of support;
• Ability and willingness to lead, direct and teach others technical skills and/or knowledge, both on-the-job and through formal training in group or individual settings;
• Must hold foundational certifications for current service setting: Strategies for Crisis Intervention and Prevention – Revised (SCIP-R), CPR (issued by American Red Cross or American Heart Association) and YAI-issued Approved Medication Administration Personnel (AMAP) certification for residential assignments or Day Services Model Mentorship Training for day assignments.

Qualifications

• Current YAI employees changing settings must obtain AMAP (for new residential assignment) or Day Services Model Mentorship Training (for new day assignment) and any additional certifications as required by program assignment and persons supported within three (3) months of appointment
• Newly hired employees must obtain (and maintain) required YAI certifications based on setting and program within six (6) months of appointment
• Must maintain foundational certifications (as described above) and any required program-specific certifications