Residential Behavioral Health Specialist 1

General Description of Duties and Responsibilites

The Residential Behavioral Health Specialist I provides functional milieu engagement, recovery support, life-skills coaching, safety rounds, and incident reporting in a residential SUD/MH program. This tier co-facilitates structured activities, documents objective observations in the EMR, and escalates clinical concerns to AP/QP/LP staff.

Major Responsibilitites

• Conduct access control, safety rounds, and hazard checks; promptly escalate risks/emergencies to supervisory staff.

• Use de-escalation and crisis techniques per training; complete incident reports and follow chain-of-custody procedures when applicable.
• Coach residents in ADLs/IADLs (hygiene, room care, meal prep, time management, budgeting, transportation readiness).
• Co-facilitate non-clinical groups and recovery-focused activities using approved materials.
• Support transportation readiness and accompany residents to appointments/activities as assigned.
• Participate in shift handoffs and communicate objective observations to the treatment team.

Document & Compliance

• Complete objective, behavior-based notes in the EMR within required timelines (generally within 24 hours for billable encounters).
• Maintain confidentiality under HIPAA/42 CFR Part 2 and program policy.
• Document incidents immediately per incident reporting policy.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position does not oversee staff.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience

• Must possess at a minimum High School Diploma/GED
• Experience in residential / SUD / MH settings preferred

Required Skills/Abilities

• At least 21 years of age
• Valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record
• Ability to work varied shifts
• Strong verbal de-escalation, customer service, and milieu engagement skills

Additional Training and Requirements

• Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI/NCI) and de-escalation.
• CPR/First Aid; Blood-borne Pathogens; Infection Control.
• HIPAA/Client Rights; Incident Reporting; Workplace Violence Prevention.
• Obtain IAHSS Basic (unarmed healthcare security) within 90 days of hire.

PERFORMANCE METRICS (KPIs)

• Timeliness and quality of documentation (objective, complete, within program timelines – typically within 24 hours for billable encounters).
• Effective de-escalation and incident response; accuracy of incident reports.
• Resident engagement in groups/activities and observable skill acquisition.
• Quality of handoffs and inter-disciplinary communication.
• Compliance with HIPAA/42 CFR Part 2 and program policy; audit readiness.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• 24/7 residential milieu; shifts may include evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Work occurs in residential living areas and community settings; possible exposure to cigarette smoke, pets/pests, and temperature variation.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequent standing/walking; frequent reaching, stooping, kneeling; occasional sitting and climbing/balancing.
• Lift/carry up to 20 pounds routinely and up to 50 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to safely operate a personal or agency vehicle when assigned.