Behavioral Interventional Specialist

Birch Family Services is a leading provider of education, employment, and community support services for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities and their families in New York City. Every year, the organization supports more than 2,000 people across 31 locations in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. From preschool to graduation, employment, housing, and beyond, Birch Family Services provides fully integrated programs and services to support individuals in achieving their goals across their lifetime.

As a Behavioral Intervention Specialist (BIS) you will be responsible for behavioral assessments and intervention planning, the delivery, review, and monitoring of behavioral interventions, and behavioral support services provided in our system of residential group homes and day programs serving persons with developmental disabilities.

Working under the direction of the Residential Manager, Operations Coordinator and Psychology Coordinator, you will enjoy a flexible schedule that includes both onsite and remote responsibilities.

Opportunities for either full or part-time work. New grads welcome in a supportive and experienced team. Experienced therapeutic professionals looking to supplement their income around an existing practice or seeking a consistent full-time position in a unique and rewarding clinical environment encouraged to apply.

The ideal candidate will possess a person-centered philosophy, strong advocacy for individuals, openness, and transparency in times of uncertainty and exhibit leadership when working with families, members of the community and all levels of management, as well as staff.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Behavioral Assessments and Interventions for an assigned cluster of residential and/or day programs serving individuals with developmental disabilities.
• Ensure that individuals receive appropriate mental health care and act as a resource to the residential/day habilitative team with regards to individual mental health needs.
• Conduct assessments, both behavioral and habilitative via formal means (functional assessments, written questionnaires, rating scales, baseline data, etc.) and informal (observations).
• Develop behavior support plans in accordance with agency policy that are evidenced based and adhere to regulations. Ensure that timely modifications/revisions are made, as dictated by individual need.
• Ensure that all interventions receive the proper approval prior to implementation (informed consent, human rights).
• Recommend and initiate appropriate referrals for necessary psychological consultations and evaluations.
• Responsible for the completion of all required paperwork and ensure that all pertinent information is included on psychiatric reports shared with the psychiatrist.
• Ensure that all psychological records are maintained in accordance with OPWDD and BIRCH policy under the direction of the Residential Manager, Quality Assurance staff and Psychology Coordinator.
• Meet regularly with leadership including the Residential Manager/Coordinator and Psychology Coordinator.
• Participate in standing and scheduled meetings, including bi-monthly BIS meetings, team meetings and IDT meetings for each of their programs on a regular basis, case conferences/life planning meetings, and other collaborations as needed.
• Create the clinical agenda for these meetings and take an active role by leading the clinical discussion or providing training.
• Function as a resource to other programs when needed and to the community services department (including serving on various committees such as the Human Rights Committee, Informed Consent Committee, Incident Review Committee, etc.)
• Develop and design effective data collection systems that allow progress to be monitored and measured.
• Assist in the coordination of individual treatment between the residence and day habilitation, including visiting individuals at their Day/Vocational program as dictated by individual need.
• Meet with residential staff on a regular basis to provide clinical supervision and trainings.
• Interact with families and members of the community regarding clinical mental health issues for the individuals.
• Support the program in ensuring that all clinical programming is implemented consistently and in accordance with the agency policy.

REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s degree in the field of Psychology, Social Work, Mental Health Counseling or a national board certification in behavior analysis (BCBA) and a master’s degree in Behavior Analysis, or a field closely related to clinical or community psychology is required.
• Training in assessment techniques is required.
• Experience working with persons with developmental disabilities with dual diagnosis, preferably in residential, and or day habilitation settings is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated effective clinical leadership skills required.
• Experience giving and receiving feedback required.
• Experience conducting clinically focused training required.
• Ability to generate and maintain clinical documentation across multiple electronic platforms required.
• Ability to travel to and work onsite at assigned programs required.
• Birch will attempt to accommodate clinicians’ individual schedules but ability to work at least one day onsite at each assigned program in afternoons/evenings between 2:00pm – 8:00pm is required.

Birch Family Services provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Birch Family Services complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Birch Family Services expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Birch Family Services’ employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.