Behavior Professional

General Statement of Function

Supporting the Mission, Vision and Values of the Opportunity Foundation by Empowering People of Diverse Abilities; Envisioning All People Living, Learning and Working Together; Valuing Dignity, Equality, Integrity, Inclusion, Choice, Excellence and Empowerment.

The Behavior Specialist works under the direction of the Behavior Services Director. All tasks are performed in the various programs that Opportunity Foundation operates, to support the agency mission and to provide situations of growth and independence to people with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues as it relates to supportive settings. The Behavior Specialist is expected to act in a professional manner, continuing to strive for excellence by developing skills and expertise directly related to the position, and will be evaluated on their skills, conduct and their adherence to the Mission, Vision and Values of the organization.

Essential Job Functions

• Regular attendance and punctuality is an essential job function – keep assigned hours unless pre-arranged with Behavior Services Director;
• Will provide on-call services to managers and supporters working with individuals throughout the agency;
• Maintain professional dress/attire;
• Demonstrate a positive attitude and professional behavior with co-workers, clients and customers;
• Develop respectful, positive working relationships with community partners including, but not limited to, case managers, brokerage personal agents, consultants, residential and vocational program staff, family, guardians, and friends who support Opportunity Foundation clients;
• Must be teachable and value team input;
• Able to take direction;
• Good organizational and time management skills;
• Understand and comply with State and Federal regulations that are applicable to the agency to ensure best practices to meet and exceed licensing standards;
• Attend regularly scheduled meetings and trainings, including: In-service training, staff/team meetings and other meetings as needed;
• Implement Opportunity Foundation Policies and Procedures and changes as mandated by the organization;
• Ensure the maintenance of safe and clean work environments, address safety concerns, perform the job in a safe manner, and follow program policies as they pertain to best practices;
• Occasionally may be required to travel to offsite functions/training, paid at the prevailing travel rate of pay (use company vehicle when available);
• Keep Behavior Services Director informed and up to date with work challenges, changes, schedules, concerns etc;
• Agency Trainer
  • Review and follow State of Oregon policy and procedures “Agency Wide Behavior Support Services” OAR 411-304-0110;
• Monthly visits and documentation for residential homes and vocational sites – ensure staff are reviewing plans quarterly;
• Complete and maintain training certification as an OIS trainer, and deliver regular OIS workshop training to Opportunity Foundation staff members;
• Issue certificates to all staff trained in G, IF and O-levels of OIS. Inform Program Managers and the training data entry person that certificates have been issued;
• Provide training to program staff which is specific to the behavioral support needs of the incoming individual. Monitor training needs and effectiveness of staff supports, and provide retraining as needed;
• Train staff to any Behavior Support Plan (BSP) developed for any individuals in their program and the data tracking prescribed in the plan;
• Conduct reviews as needed for any Protective Physical Intervention (PPI) to support clients in the agency at monthly staff meetings, or as needed;
• Develop and keep up to date (which includes continuous research and reading books and journal articles) training presentations. Keep current on best practices and individual support needs;
• Behavior Specialist and Consultant
  • Assure adherence of all staff to OIS philosophy;
  • Review and give feedback on General Event Reports (GER) within reasonable time of the event;
  • Personally conduct Functional Assessments, collect all relevant data through observation, interviews and records review, and review findings with the individual’s ISP team. Develop Behavior Support Plans to include skills to be taught, supports to be deployed and ways the staff working with the individual need to change themselves, to better support the individual;
  • Modify, update and revise Behavior Support documents as needed. Keep all Behavior Support documents current;
  • Develop and maintain observation skills needed to identify behavior and health needs, and support client’s choices in all settings, as well as in community activities including transportation;
  • Attend ISP Client meetings to promote positive behavioral supports, staff understanding of behavior challenges, mental illness, etc.;
  • Visit assigned programs to ensure accurate implementation of Staff Interaction Guidelines (SIGs) and BSPs, developing methods to track individual progress and interpret data, and recommend revisions to treatment plans as needed:
    • Work so that when supervisors are present they are not the staff who are primarily supports the individual;
    • The purpose of the observation is to ensure direct support staff knows how to support the individual and implement the plan effectively;
    • Each visit will be documented in THERAP using t-logs and kept up to date in behavior record books. Document staff issues to House Managers through s-comms and copy Program Directors. Documentation will include individual, any relevant conversations, date, time , observations, plans for follow through;
  • The Behavior Specialist is responsible to develop and keep a personal calendar to achieve a high degree of reliability and accountability;
  • They will be assigned a case load. This will be their primary responsibility but they may need to fill in for others when needed or emergencies arise;
  • Keep professional deadlines for documentation/meetings unless there has been prior communication;
  • Complete monthly all Behavior Support review documentation;
  • Train staff on all SIGs, BSPs and OIS;
  • The Behavioral Specialist will help the agency to support staff in their work by promoting “mindful wellness” and stress management. This support will take the form of training staff generally on ways to notice stress building and skills to help them deal with and diffuse stress buildup.

Education/Work Experience Requirements

• Minimum of a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Sociology, Human Services, Education or Social Work
• Minimum of at least one year work experience using Positive Behavior Supports with individuals who experience intellectual and/or developmental disabilities
• Possesses excellent oral and written communication skills
• Monitoring and observation skills sufficient to assure implementation if ISP
• Basic computer skills
• Must pass the criminal investigation and background check required by the Oregon Mental Health Division
• Must pass pre-employment and random drug screening
• Must possess a valid Oregon driver’s license and driving record acceptable to our insurance carrier, as well as proof of personal automobile insurance
• Must be able to be First Aid and CPR certified
• Must complete Oregon Intervention System training
• Must complete 12 hours of job related in-service training annually