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Summit BHC
Las Cruces, New Mexico

Behavioral Health Associate - PRN

Behavioral Health TechPer Diem

Compensation

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The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

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Job Description

Behavioral Health Associate - PRN | Las Cruces Recovery Center | Las Cruces, New Mexico

About the Job

PURPOSE STATEMENT:

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

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.

Why Las Cruces Recovery Center? Las Cruces Recovery Center offers a comprehensive benefit plan and a competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. Qualified candidates should apply by submitting a resume. Las Cruces Recovery Center is an EOE.

Veterans and military spouses are highly encouraged to apply. Summit BHC is dedicated to serving Veterans with specialized programming at our treatment centers across the country. We recognize and value the unique strengths of the military community in supporting our mission to serve those who have served.

Key Responsibilities

The Behavioral Health Associate monitors client behaviors, provides continuous care, and ensures a safe and supportive environment. They also facilitate educational-rehabilitative groups and assist in data collection and crisis management.

Requirements

Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent. Six months of experience with the specific population and CPR/de-escalation training are preferred.

Key Skills

Behavioral health monitoringCrisis interventionClient supervisionVital signs monitoringDocumentationPatient care

Healthcare Professional Career Context

The cost-of-living index for New Mexico is 92.2 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 61.4% of New Mexico clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active healthcare listings this role was benchmarked against, 78% have no call, 34% require no weekends.

What does the healthcare market look like in New Mexico?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedhealthcare median $52k (middle half $52k–$52k)83 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost of livingNew Mexico index 92.2US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
healthcare listings in New Mexico12 active1,728 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 78% no call · 34% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
healthcare pay trend−3.0% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Behavioral Health Associate - PRN at Summit BHC a 6.1 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 35% of all healthcare professional listings evaluated on our platform.

Top contract/1099 Behavioral Health Tech Jobs

32 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

24 jobs · 23 employers
6
<$40k
8
$40k-45k
7
$45k-50k
3
$52k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

23 jobs
401k / retirement match
96%
CME allowance
22%
Sign-on bonus
9%
Loan repayment
4%
PSLF eligible
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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$16-$25/hr
#2

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$20-$25/hr
#3

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$22-$25/hr
#4

Behavioral Health Technician (Greenbrook)

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+ 30 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

6.1/ 10
Listing-based score
  • On-site
Summit BHC logo

About Summit BHC

Hospitals and Health Care
Franklin, Tennessee
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive benefit plan

Living in Las Cruces

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$279k
Typical market rent
$1,439/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
90.2
State income tax
Up to 5.9%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Las Cruces, NM metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.