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Summit BHC
Portsmouth, Virginia

Behavioral Health Associate (PRN)

Behavioral Health TechPer Diem

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

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

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 42m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Behavioral Health Associate (PRN) | Safe Harbor Recovery Center | Portsmouth, Virginia

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 Safe Harbor Recovery Center? Safe Harbor Recovery Center offers a comprehensive benefit plan and a competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. Qualified candidates should apply by submitting a resume. Safe Harbor 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 supervision, and assists in data collection and crisis management. They also facilitate educational-rehabilitative groups and maintain a safe, supportive environment for clients.

Requirements

Candidates must have a high school diploma or equivalent and are preferred to have six months of experience with the relevant population. CPR certification and de-escalation training are required, with training provided upon hire.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Behavioral health monitoringCrisis interventionClient supervisionVital signs monitoringGroup therapy facilitationDocumentationPatient carePsychiatric disorder knowledge

Behavioral Health Career Context

Of the 50 active Behavioral Health listings this role was benchmarked against, 84% have no call, 38% require no weekends.

Behavioral Health pay on WeekdayDoc is down 4.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

Behavioral Health by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score4.5 / 10 · above average in behavioral healthranked against 1,215 Behavioral Health listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed paynot listedBehavioral Health median $43k (middle half $33k–$49k)31 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingVirginia index 101.1US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Behavioral Health listings in Virginia30 active—live on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
All behavioral health listings in Virginia46 active1,625 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 84% no call · 38% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS healthcare professional listings (all specialties): 5% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 13% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Behavioral Health listings837 in the last 30 days501 the 30 days before (+67%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Behavioral Health pay trend (all specialties)−4.5% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (1,215 Behavioral Health listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page. Virginia figures use all behavioral healths: too few Virginia Behavioral Health postings state pay.

Top contract/1099 Behavioral Health Tech Jobs

37 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

28 jobs · 26 employers
8
<$40k
16
$40k-50k
4
$50k-60k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

23 jobs
401k / retirement match
100%
CME allowance
17%
Sign-on bonus
13%
PSLF eligible
9%
Loan repayment
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Therapeutic Recreation Behavioral Health Technician (BHT)

New Horizon Community Care · Tolleson, Arizona

$23-$27/hr
#2

Behavioral Health Technician

Discovery Behavioral Health · Fairfax, Virginia

$16-$25/hr
#3

Behavioral Health Tech IV

$22-$25/hr
#4

Behavioral Health Associate I

$20-$25/hr
+ 35 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 1.5this job 4.5
Better work-life than 70% of Behavioral Health listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 1,215 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site

Living in Portsmouth

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$268k
Typical market rent
$1,642/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

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

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