Behavioral Health Support Specialist

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Provide day to day care and ensure needs of individuals residing at Mental Health Respite are met.
• Effectively promote, teach and assist individuals with skill building and daily living skills.
• Absorb and assist individuals in planning and participating in group, social and recreational activities.
• Complete and maintain required documentation to include as appropriate client intake paperwork.
• Provide a safe environment to meet the individuals needs and enhance skill acquisition.
• Monitor participants for warning signs of crisis and intervene to prevent crisis.
• Deliver crisis intervention when needed by participant regarding personal, symptomatic, or system related issues.
• Establish and maintain professional and productive working relationships.
• Maintain open communication with co-workers through shift briefings and emails regarding staff, program, building and participant announcements, barriers, and progress.
• Complete check of unit (sharps, doors locked, etc.) and participants’ whereabouts at beginning, end and throughout shift (hourly).
• Document findings in the appropriate setting.
• Prepare and monitor meals for participants.
• Communicate with professionals and other supports of the participants through phone, fax, email, etc., to coordinate services or support systems in a professional, factual, accurate, and timely manner while upholding confidentiality.
• Transport participant when necessary to complete goal related activities in accordance to policy and procedures for on-going treatment concerns.
• Observe medications being taken by participants and complete appropriate documentation.
• Set up weekly medi-sets and set up monthly MORs for assigned participants.
• Attend and participate in staff meetings and trainings as scheduled.
• Administer brief assessment of participants wellbeing and make appropriate accommodations to assure safety.
• Complete 12 hours of intensive on-going training per year based on program/participant population need such as Emergency Protective Custody training (EPC), Board of Mental Health (BOMH), Behavioral Health Diagnosis, symptomology and interventions annually.

Supervisory Responsibilities

N/A

Education and/or Experience

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED) required.
• One to two years related experience preferred.

Qualifications

• The requirements listed below are representative of the minimal knowledge, skill, and/or ability required for this position.
• An individual must be 19 years of age or older and able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
• Ability to be flexible and able to work on multiple projects or tasks simultaneously.
• The ability to access payroll, timekeeping and personal data via a web-based system.
• Administrative skills to include utilization of standard office equipment, data entry, 10-key, attention to detail and filing.
• Good communication skills both written and spoken, and ability to maintain effective working relationships.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.

Other Qualifications

• Must pass all applicable background checks.
• Must possess a valid driver's license from the state in which you reside.
• Must be approved through The Salvation Army Fleet Safety Program to drive either a Salvation Army or personal vehicle on Salvation Army business.
• Must successfully complete Safe from Harm training within 90 days of hire, as established by The Salvation Army.

On-Call Requirement

Staff hired for on-call position(s) must pick up a minimum of three (3) shifts per month, as applicable. On-call staff must also have availability for a minimum of three (3) additional shifts per month.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• Attain Medication Aide Certification within 90 days of employment.
• Attain CPR/First Aid Certification within 6 months of employment.
• Keep certification and update when required.

Physical Requirements

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
• The employee frequently is required to sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel.
• The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Working Conditions

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but will range from quiet to loud.
• All employees recognize that The Salvation Army is a church and agree that they will do nothing as an employee of The Salvation Army to undermine its religious mission.