Behavior Support Assistant

Key/Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Assists with conducting Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and participates in the development and implementation of Behavior Support Plans (BSPs).
• Serves as a clinical role model for direct support staff (DSP-RBTs) and works with the interdisciplinary therapeutic team.
• Provides group/individual ABA counseling.
• Communicates with each person we support, their caregiver and support system regarding the person's habilitative and behavioral needs and significant issues.
• Coaches and trains support providers and the people we support (PWS) in a variety of areas, including but not limited to:
• Using progressive teaching to ensure that all clinical interventions are properly implemented
• Communicating clinical rationales
• Providing appropriate formal and informal feedback
• Role modeling use of person-centered philosophy and use of person-centered tools
• Implementing of habilitative and behavioral programming
• Appropriate data collection techniques
• ADLs and other skills, as needed
• Conducts and/or coordinates interest-driven and socialization groups and provides support on recreational and community outings as needed.
• Maintains timely and complete documentation, progress notes and other data, including incident and accident reports.
• Responds to individual safety needs, including reporting significant changes in behavior and health.
• Complies with all Federal, State, Local and other relevant regulatory agency requirements, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and cooperation with appropriate entities in any inspection, inquiry or investigation (e.g. DHS).
• Assists the BCBA with FBA and BSP assessment, BSP implementation, data collection and monitoring, fidelity checks and reporting of participation in and benefit of therapeutic activities.
• When assigned to a BHS Home, provides program/floor coverage, including provision of direct care and assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs) when necessary and/or support to BHS home staff in the absence of the Program or Assistant Supervisor.
• Performs all other duties, as assigned.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

• Shall be at least 18 years of age;
• High School Diploma or its educational equivalent;
• Two (2) years of experience working in an ABA environment or in a similar human services role in any setting demonstrating positive behavioral support and understanding and effectively interpreting behavior as communication, including at least one (1) year of experience working directly with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) or behavioral challenges;
• A satisfactory equivalent combination of education, experience and/or training;
• Must hold or obtain Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification within six months of appointment and maintain for duration of assignment;
• Holds and maintains a valid Driver’s license with no more than 5 points;
• New Jersey State drug test screening is mandatory prior to employment and randomly/for cause, as applicable;
• Basic computer skills – including email, utilizing Workday and related systems (DA, etc.) to complete tasks and appropriately document services and progress in accordance with requirements, including electronic health records and proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to engage, build relationships and work collaboratively with others.
• Ability to teach others technical skills and/or knowledge, both on-the-job and through formal training in group or individual settings.
• Ability to remain calm, act assertively and display professional competence and good judgment in stressful situations, including with challenging individuals or behaviors and work in a high energy, fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to take initiative
• Highly flexible personality type
• Ability to meet essential physical demands of position including frequent walking, sitting, standing, bending, twisting, stooping, kneeling, crouching, pushing, pulling and reaching with hands and arms; use hands to handle, finger or feel objects, tools or controls; assisting with lifting/moving individuals of any weight with assistance of mechanical lifts or other equipment and/or pushing individuals in wheelchairs; lifting and/or moving up to 25 pounds or running on occasion; having the physical capacity to work with and implement emergency interventions as per the person’s Individual Behavior Support Plan and Individual Emergency Intervention Plan, if/as needed, including lifting/moving individuals of any weight with or without assistance of equipment and/or other staff.

Preferred Qualification Requirements

• Formal training, including college coursework or degree in psychology, sociology, human behavior, mental health and/or I/DD
• Current Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification and/or similar professional credential or license
• One (1) or more years of experience mentoring, leading, training and/or supervising staff
• For Standalone Behavior Services: Current, active BCaBA or BCBA certification or active pursuit of similar professional credential, license and/or degree
• One (1) or more years of experience in training or peer modeling of behavior support plans