Assistant Behavior Intervention Specialist

About the Position

We are hiring Assistant Behavior Intervention Specialists ( ABIS ) in Brooklyn !

The ABIS works closely with people of all ages who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Depending on the supports needed, the ABIS may work in a person's home, in their family's home, in a YAI residence, at a day habilitation center, or out in the community.

Ready to join our 4,000+ employees in a career at YAI? Working at YAI means effecting real change in people's lives. It means going home at the end of the day knowing you have helped someone accomplish a goal. If you want a career supporting others, creatively finding solutions to life's challenges, and building a more inclusive community, YAI is the place for you!

Join us in our mission to create opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, love, work, and learn in their communities. Learn more /careers .

Residential Services

Brooklyn, New York

Sunday - Thursday evenings; hours vary by location

All Assistant Behavior Intervention Specialists (ABIS) perform the following tasks:
Performs all duties of a Direct Support Professional (DSP 1
- 3) as indicated in job descriptions, in addition to ABIS duties on a regular basis and/or as requested to ensure the overall supervision, protection and care of individuals in program, assisting in maximizing their strengths, interests and abilities while upholding their personal rights and facilitating activities that provide social capital and connections to the community. Leads the identification, facilitation and scheduling of community inclusion activities for assigned program based on feedback from and needs of persons supported, coordinating resources, securing necessary funds and ensuring that activities are completed and appropriately documented.

Supports provision of appropriate, therapeutically documented levels of supervision to ensure and protect the health, safety and well-being of individuals at all times by ensuring updates and changes to levels of supervision for persons we support are regularly communicated to all staff and appropriately documented; may run shift meetings, assigning duties, completing shift sheet and making recommendations to ensure staff are qualified and able to maintain current prescribed levels of supervision.

Understands and uses specialized clinical knowledge of person-specific needs and signs or symptoms of ailments/syndromes including mental health/medical conditions to provide effective supports to individuals, identify and elevate concerns to leadership and inform activities, training or specialized education or augmented trainings for staff. Stays up to date with current issues, diagnoses, needs and levels of supervision for the persons supported in assigned program under the supervision of BIS.

Works with BIS to identify habilitative, behavioral and psychiatric needs of the persons supported and to ensure all programming and activities relating to clinical interventions are implemented consistently, in accordance with individualized plans. Provides guidance to program staff, setting the appropriate tone and ensuring that the standards of care are followed by modeling excellent counseling skills and interactions with persons supported and through use of person-centered philosophy and tools.

Implements Behavior Support Plans, demonstrating understanding of behavior as communication and employing person-centered thinking to support positive interactions and prevent further escalation. Trains direct care staff individually, on the floor and/or in groups using the EMOE training system to support effective implementation of habilitative and behavioral programming by program staff through regular observations, direct feedback, communicating clinical rationales and ensuring appropriate data collection techniques.

Serves as lead trainer for weekend staff and supports new staff in developing and demonstrating the OPWDD Core Competencies. Participates in the development of treatment plans including individualized habilitative plans, collaborating with BIS to write services, goals, outcomes and/or supports in accordance with the agency philosophy, as determined by assessments of individual needs and learning capabilities. Assists BIS with gathering and collecting data required to conduct formal and informal behavioral and habilitative assessments (written…