Job Details

Behavioral Health Associate

The Behavioral Health Associate I serves as an integral part of the multidisciplinary treatment team and is responsible for monitoring and reporting of client behaviors; providing continuous client care, supervision, interaction, and role modeling; assisting in client data collection, recording, and maintenance; and responding in crisis situations and medical emergencies as needed.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Essential Functions:

• Ensures the wellbeing of clients and provides a safe, positive, supportive, and structured environment. Maintains a constant awareness and supervision of clients.
• Conducts safety checks, ensuring that supervision is conducted at intervals in accordance with individualized supervision guidelines.
• Checks clients for contraband and manages the client's valuables and belongings.
• Interacts routinely with clients, observes behaviors and communicates significant observations to supervisor. Encourages attendance at group therapy and promotes client participation in unit activities.
• Engages with clients in activities and interactions designed to encourage achievement of treatment goals.
• Facilitates client educational-rehabilitative groups which cover a variety of topics including social skills, coping skills and independent living skills.
• Takes and records vital signs properly and communicates significant changes in client's condition to the charge nurse.
• Charts in client records timely, accurately, and appropriately.
• Applies de-escalation techniques to help manage client's emotions, behavior and participation in treatment.
• Assists with unit cleaning, organization of new admits charts, discharge process, filing, etc. Initiates client/employee incident reports.
• Provides transfer or transportation for client or coordinates transportation with appropriate staff member, as required.
• Receives report from previous shift to utilize information in planning for shift and then provides an accurate and thorough report to oncoming shift.
• Serves as a resource for new clients introducing them to other clients and staff, explaining programs and encouraging participation. Orients clients to the activities program, explaining the benefits of activities.
• Maintains an awareness of client's needs and individual goals while motivating clients towards activities which are beneficial to them. Observes clients' interest levels and behaviors.
• Assists with activity planning by offering new activity ideas and diverse therapeutic recreation program.
• Organizes and sets up the equipment that is used in recreational activities. Provides clients with activity resources and supplies, as needed.
• Enforces safety rules to prevent injury and modifies activities to suit the needs of specific groups.
• Helps to develop and maintain departmental resources, sharing the responsibility to monitor equipment and supplies.

Education/Experience/Skill Requirements:

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Six months or more experience working with the specific population of the facility preferred.
• Knowledge of common psychiatric disorders and/or dual diagnosis and various treatment modalities of the population served preferred.

Licenses/Designations/Certifications:

• CPR certification and de-escalation training required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).
• First aid may be required based on state or facility requirements.

Work Location:

This position is onsite at the facility and is not a remote position.

Supervisory Requirements:

This position is an Individual Contributor.