Behavioral Health Technician

TITLE: Behavioral Health Technician (BHT)

 

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Residential Manager/Coordinator

 

QUALIFICATIONS: Completion of High School or equivalent, 21 years of age, and have a clean motor vehicles report.  Experience working with persons in recovery from substance use disorders or completion of relevant training is preferred.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

A summary of the duties performed include: under general supervision monitors residents in a substance abuse recovery environment; observes, documents and reports resident behavior/progress on an ongoing basis; schedules activities and appointments; trains and assists residents in basic daily living skills; provides transportation to support meetings and related locations.  The BHT must also demonstrate good judgment and the ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing.  The BHT is expected to perform scheduled duties at assigned hours (to include late afternoons, evenings and weekends) however the scheduled hours may be flexed with prior approval to accommodate the emerging needs of the program and to provide back-up support for the Resident Manager/Coordinator.  Some duties are shared and/or coordinated with the Resident Manager/Coordinator.  The BHT duties are described below:

 

1.              Transports clients to meetings and/or other activities according to established guidelines and time frames.

2.              Provides on-site orientation and post admission support of clients and their children (if applicable) as a part of the intake process.

3.              Coordinates the documentation and reporting of maintenance requests as well as inventories of apartment furnishings.

4.              Conducts and documents housekeeping inspections and provides assistance to residents in improving housekeeping practices as needed.

5.              Assists the clinical staff by providing supervision of program participants, activities support, and other assistance as needed to ensure that program participants are engaged in healthy, safe and structured activities.

6.              Oversees and keeps accurate records of clients’ personal belonging, EBT cards, credit cards, funds, etc.

7.              During the scheduled shift, monitors operations of the residential program to ensure a safe physical and social environment.

8.              In circumstances when safety is a concern, inspections of residences will be conducted and a professional response provided if needed, including the documentation of findings.

9.              Employs good judgment and crisis management skills in response to circumstances in which they are needed.

10.           Serves as a liaison between program participants and program staff providing two-way communication.  That is, ensuring that needs and concerns presented by clients are communicated to the appropriate MARR staff and that MARR staff information intended to be communicated to residents after a shift change is so communicated.

11.           Serves as a member of the multi-disciplinary treatment team and conveys any relevant information about program participants that may be important to their treatment or therapeutic service delivery.  Prepares written reports/records based on knowledge of each client’s daily functioning (e.g., peer interactions, behavioral patterns, etc.) and contributes this information to the appropriate staff.

 

12.           Contributes to team decisions, as appropriate, regarding client readiness for job/program placement.

13.           Compliance with codes of ethics that govern professional behavior and the maintenance of appropriate boundaries with clients.

14.           Prepares written reports/records based on knowledge of each participant’s daily functioning (e.g., peer interactions, behavioral patterns, etc.)

15.           Maintains appropriate records, including incident reports in accordance with program policy and guidelines and informs supervisor or other designated staff in a timely manner of incidents that warrant such notification.

16.           Utilization of a positive, caring and supportive therapeutic approach as well as communication style with clients.

17.           Ability to work effectively as a member of a team.

18.           Ability to demonstrate fairness and flexibility as required to accommodate the emerging needs of clients as well as the needs of a developing program.

19.           Compliance with policies and procedures, including being on time for work and working the scheduled hours.

20.           Perform other duties as assigned.

 

Knowledge of:

ü  Basic addiction theory including the disease concept.

ü  Basic approaches to working with families.

ü  Local, state and federal regulatory requirements pertaining to program operation.

ü  Available crisis intervention community resources for children, adolescents and teens.

ü  Cultural, ethnic and community standards and norms.

ü  Crisis intervention services/resources available in the community (especially medical/health, behavioral health and disaster related).

 

Required Competencies:

ü  Ability to recognize situations that pose a threat and employing good judgment and crisis management strategies to safely prevent de-escalate or promptly address them.

ü  Ability to develop a good rapport with clients and their children.

ü  Ability to provide positive and effective communication with clients and their children.

ü  Ability to verbally and in writing document incidents in an accurate and timely manner.

ü  A nurturing and non-judgmental attitude.

ü  Ability to set and maintain appropriate boundaries with children, adolescents and teens.

ü  Ability to develop a good rapport with children, adolescents and teens.

ü  A nurturing and non-judgmental attitude.

ü  Ability to set and maintain appropriate boundaries with children, adolescents and teens.

ü  Participate in training opportunities related to parenting and child development.

ü  Cultural understanding, sensitivity and development towards cultural competency.

ü  Effective communication skills orally and in writing (e.g. for reports) to a variety of audiences.

ü  Develop and participate in collaborative processes.

ü  Practice ethical behavior.

ü  Practice of professional development by continually assessing personal performance and practice with the willingness to change behavior and seek assistance, if applicable, in order to model professionalism.

ü  Serve as a credible staff representative for MARR.

ü  Time-management.

ü  Dependability.

ü  Flexibility.

ü  Exercise of competent, professional judgment when dealing with clients, the public and other professionals to maintain the client’s best interests at all times.

ü  Maintaining professional standards and upholding the legal and accepted codes that pertain to professional conduct.

ü  Performance within the general policies and principles of MARR.