Behavior Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Director of Youth Services, the Behavior Specialist is responsible for training staff on behavior plans and doing follow-up, on-site monitoring of the implementation of behavior plans.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:  Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university in Psychology, Applied behavior analysis (ABA), or a related field of study. Master’s preferred.

Experience:  Minimum of one (1) year experience desirable in training on behavior plan implementation, or relevant formal educational training in applied behavior analysis. 

Skills:   Must possess strong written and oral communication skills, as well as good organizational and coordinative ability. Must possess and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills with the ability to exercise patience, caring and concern in new and sometimes stressful situations. Computer literacy required, with a proficiency in standard business software applications (i.e., word processing, e-mail and spreadsheets).

Hours:  Day, evening and weekend hours are available. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Responsible for training all new staff in school setting, and in residences throughout Montgomery County, MD, on the behavior management plan (BMP).

• Responsible for re-training staff on the BMP as directed by the Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA.)

• Behavior Specialist travels onsite to student educational settings and residential settings to monitor BMP implementation, coach staff, and provide follow up consultation to staff on the BMP. 

• Conducts on-site visits and trainings, as determined by the BCBA.  

• Interfaces with BCBA, as well as Director of Education, to arrange school staff behavioral trainings and retrainings. 

• Interfaces with BCBA, as well as Residential Managers, to arrange residential staff trainings, as applicable.

• Provides direct feedback to residential and educational staff on BMP and instructional programs.

• Follows guidance and direction of the BCBA, and provides feedback to staff in accordance with the BMP.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (cont’d)

• The behavior specialist will review behavioral and instructional data and communicate data clearly to the supervising BCBA, including recurring, new, or increasing maladaptive behaviors and behavior and instructional changes. 

• Behavior specialist will review and monitor electronic data, including performing data entry and monthly data review.

• Writes a complete summary of follow-up visit so that the recommendations are useful to CSAAC staff and to the BCBA.  

• Reports of follow-up site visits and direct observations (called behavior specialist notes) are due within a maximum of 48 hours of the visit.  

• Distributes the notes to all designated personnel.

• Invites questions from staff and relays staff questions or updates to BCBA.

• Conducts evaluations of staff implementation of the BMP in residential and school settings, as assigned by the BCBA; Conducts reliabilities, and observations of staff implementation of the BMP in residential and school settings, as assigned by the BCBA.

• Coordinates and consults with educational staff and teachers to investigate behavioral difficulties of individuals in school setting; Coordinates and consults with residential managers and residential staff to investigate behavioral difficulties of individuals in residential setting; makes recommendations on possible solutions and approaches to the problems and provides notifications to the supervising BCBA.

• Completes behavior questionnaires, assessments, interviews, and/or functional assessment measures as directed by the BCBA. 

• Communicates clearly to BCBA and Director of Youth Services of student/staff/environmental concerns or needed student supports.

• Adheres to mandatory use of CIMS system to access, send email, and access and report health information, data and incidents for individuals supported in CSAAC program. Adheres to mandatory use of VIBEHCM  for Human Resource and Accounting related duties.

REQUIRED TRAINING/PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology or ABA related field. 
• Completion and demonstration of techniques taught in the MANDT Training. 
• Successfully complete annual recertification of the MANDT Training. 
• MANDT training provided upon hire.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. 

Employee must be able to effectively complete a non-adverse physical intervention with autistic individuals of varying heights, weights, and levels of physical strength according to the guidelines presented in MANDT Strategies training.