Job Information
St. Catherine's Center for Children Behavior Support Counselor in Albany, New York
Position Description
Position Title: Behavior Support Counselor Status: Non-Exempt
Department/Program: Special Ed/Day Treatment (R&E May School)
About Our Organization:
St. Catherine’s Center for Children (SCCC) is a non-profit organization that offers a wide array of services designed to meet the needs of vulnerable children, families, and adults, including residential and foster care programs for children and youth, homeless and community-based services for adults and families, and a special education elementary school for ages 5-13.
Our Mission:
St. Catherine's Center for Children provides a comprehensive range of human services designed to offer hope, foster growth, and improve the lives of the children, families, and adults we serve.
Function:
The Behavior Support Counselor is responsible for assisting students who are temporarily unable to function in their classroom program. The Behavior Support Counselor utilizes crisis de-escalation techniques, and their relationship with the student, in order to bring the student back to baseline, assists with resolving the situation, and helps the student to develop a plan to return to academic programming and achieve success within the school environment. This is a Full-Time position. Monday-Friday, 8am-3:30pm. Candidates with relatable life experience are encouraged to apply!
Duties/Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Utilizing a wide variety of agency approved techniques to de-escalate students experiencing crisis.
Conducts life space interviews with students when necessary.
Conducts classroom “re-entry” interviews between student and teacher.
Prepares incident reports and documents interventions when necessary.
Responsible for reporting back on progress from ICSP meetings.
Attends Tier 2, Universal and Classroom Meetings.
Must be able to model appropriate de-escalation and processing skills for other employees.
Utilizing Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) strategies to de-escalate students and develop a plan for them to return to the classroom and achieve success throughout the school day.
Builds positive relationships with all students and staff members.
Assists students in developing effective emotional coping and problem-solving skills, as well as prosocial skills.
The Behavior Support Counselor coordinates with the Behavior Support Team to prepare and submit all Critical Incident Reports for the day, prior to the end of the shift.
Creates and submits Incident Reports (as necessary): Accident reports, Critical Incident Reports, Justice Center reports , etc.
May be requested to attend TCI “Train the Trainer” as professional development and to join the agency’s TCI training team.
May be requested to attend various meetings (i.e. Med Review, Suspension Re-Entry meetings, Treatment Plan Meetings, etc.).
Works collaboratively with Master Teachers, Teacher Assistants and other staff in order to provide a comprehensive, inclusive and supportive program for all students.
Must be able to model and coach appropriate de-escalation and processing skills for other employees.
Knowledgeable and assists with implementation of all students’ Individual Crisis Support Plans (IC S P), Individual Education Plan (IEP) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP).
Responsible for logging student data when utilizing Therapeutic Support Spaces.
Works in a classroom as indicated by the Behavior Support Supervisor, Principal, or other school administrators.
Meets with Supervisors to review progress toward professional goals, and design and implement specific treatment strategies for individual students, whole classes, and/or the student population as a whole.
Additional position-related duties and responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor or director.
Organizational Relationships:
Works under the supervision of the Behavior Support Supervisor and w orks collaboratively with program staff to effectively assist all students.
Position Specifications:
Bachelor’s degree in human services or a related field, preferred. In lieu of a college degree, a combination of relevant professional experience and relatable life experience will be considered. High school diploma or equivalency is required.
Experience working with children who exhibit significant emotional, behavioral and interpersonal challenges, trauma history and mental health diagnoses within a Special Education/Day Treatment program, preferred.
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) strategies and techniques experience, strongly preferred.
Ability to work in a therapeutic manner with the students of the R&E May School.
Ability to adapt individual mindset and de-escalation skills based on each encounter with students (grades K-6).
Ability to use developmentally appropriate practices for each student.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Ability to build strong working relationships with regulatory bodies.
Proficiency in various computer applications such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google (Docs, Sheets, etc.) , and the Internet.
Ability to function well in a high-paced and, at times, stressful environment.
Ability to handle sensitive data with strict confidentiality.
Self-motivated and engaged, with a strong attention to detail; Excellent writing aptitude.
Outstanding communication skills, both orally and in written form.
Demonstrated placidity and patience; flexibility and adaptability.
Must be willing and able to work in close proximity with the students we serve.
Must have the ability to pass required pre-employment background checks, to include fingerprinting.
Essential Functions:
A philosophical framework which is consistent with the view that therapeutic intervention involves the use of positive techniques with the purpose of helping the student resolve the current problem creating the immediate difficulties and teaching the student more productive social and personal problem-solving techniques.
Ability to communicate with a wide range of people, including those who are culturally and socio-economically diverse, as well as people with various developmental and functional levels.
Excellent communication skills in both oral and written forms.
Ability to understand, communicate, represent and carry out the mission, values, philosoph y and policies of St. Catherine’s Center for Children.
Ability to work effectively in a shared decision-making model as a team member .
The ability to establish a respectful relationship with the students of the R&E May School to help them gain skills and confidence to thrive independently.
The ability to work collaboratively with other personnel and/or service providers or professionals.
The capacity to maintain a helping role and to intervene appropriately to meet service goals, while setting appropriate limits.
Ability to organize and effectively manage (in a timely manner) the varied tasks of the position.
This position has full access to client Protected Health Information (PHI) in order to carry out the required duties and responsibilities. The ability to process and actively protect client protected health information and maintain strict client confidentiality is essential.
What We Offer*:
Competitive Pay with an excellent Benefits package
Health Insurance options: medical, dental and vision
Generous Combined Leave Time and Holiday Pay
$500 Employee Referral Bonus*
On-going Professional Development & Career Growth Opportunities
Pension Plan with Aggressive Agency contribution
Life Insurance – Automatic Benefit!
Paid Training & Tuition Reimbursement*
Travel/ Mileage Reimbursement*
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Comfort of a Business Casual work Environment.
*some conditions may apply
EOE Statement: We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Background Checks : We run a thorough and complete pre-employment background check on all candidates being considered for a position, this includes fingerprinting. All candidates must successfully clear the pre-employment background check process, which follows NYS/DOJ requirements. We pay for all pre-employment background checks!