Behavior Assistant (Student Services)

About the role

The Behavior Assistant works within the Office of Student Services at the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. The position provides intense behavioral support and supervision to K-12 and Transition-age students requiring targeted intervention.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with IEP teams to develop and implement functional behavior assessments, behavior intervention plans, crisis plans, positive behavior support plans, and effective behavior management strategies for students with behavioral needs.
• Provide direct intervention and support to students with intensive behavioral needs by using behavior strategies, positive reinforcements, social stories, peer support, and individualized techniques.
• Support students in a group, or on an individual basis, with specific instructional tasks and/or specific student goals for the purposes of accommodating their development and growth.
• Implement and direct a behavioral model for the students of the program. Use principles of applied behavior analysis to extinguish negative behaviors and promote positive replacement behaviors as developed in a student's IEP.
• Absorb daily data into designated systems and collect and prepare data on behavior goals, interventions, observations, and incidents for the purpose of monitoring and reporting progress with identified goals.
• Communicate with teachers and other members of the instructional team regarding assigned students' daily progress for the purpose of assessing students' progress.
• Utilize de-escalation and conflict resolution techniques to manage student-student or student-staff conflicts.
• Work independently with students to provide opportunities to reinforce and practice newly taught replacement behaviors and to generalize learned replacement behaviors to new learning environments.
• May transport and accompany students in the community to develop and reinforce social, recreational, and vocational skills per IEP goals.

Requirements

• Associate's degree (or 60 credit hours or more) in Psychology, Education, or in a behavior/mental health related field required; Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 1 year experience working with students with special needs, particularly those with autism and/or emotional disturbances, in a clinical or educational setting.
• Current Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification or willingness to obtain RBT certification within six months of hire required. Enrollment in BCBA program preferred.
• Strong behavior management skills and knowledge of applied behavior techniques preferred.
• Ability to communicate and interact effectively with students, staff, parents, administrators.
• Ability to track and monitor student progress using prescribed process.
• Ability to build positive, mentoring relationships with students to enhance student progress.
• Ability to act as an appropriate role model for students.
• Ability to work as a member of a team, be courteous and able to deal effectively with people, able to work in an environment with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to cope with needs and behavior patterns of children, able to withstand emotional stress, must have a warm, friendly, helpful personality.
• Ability to follow written and verbal directions.
• Ability to complete Safety Cares training and CPR/First Aid training.
• Ability to work independently, make work-related decisions, and exercise good judgement with student interaction.

Qualifications

• Original certificates of clearance from the State Police, Child Abuse Registry, and PDE FBI.