Mental Health Technician; Day School - Danville

Responsibilities

Mental Health Technician (MHT) - Full Time

Located in South Central Virginia, The Hughes Center is a highly-structured psychiatric residential treatment facility for youth ages 10 to 22 with neurodevelopmental disorders. The Hughes Center also provides private, community-based educational services. We provide both individualized and holistic care for adolescents and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a nurturing, family-friendly environment. We utilize a multidisciplinary team approach to provide comprehensive evaluations and evidence-based treatment (and educational) interventions with the intent to increase each youth’s level of functional independence.

Our team also works diligently to address or manage medical conditions and challenging behaviors that are often associated with individuals who are diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders. We challenge our residents to adapt to and apply learned skills within new environments and situations, and to maintain functional use of these skills when they return to their homes or other community-based settings.

The Hughes Educational Center operates day schools in Danville, South Boston, and Christiansburg. We offer structured learning environments for students with low student-to-teacher ratios (4:1) and specialized programming with an emphasis on classroom ecology, individualized and direct academic instruction, differentiation, sensory integration, comprehensive evaluation, and parent collaboration. Programming is designed to improve socialization, reduce maladaptive behaviors, and successfully transition our students to a less restrictive educational setting.

We are currently looking for an attentive, knowledgeable, flexible, dependable, and self-motivated individual to fulfill the role of Mental Health Technician (MHT) at our Danville Day School location. This is a full-time position with a comprehensive benefits package and generous paid time off.

The MHT is responsible for generating and implementing programs to remediate behavioral and social issues for students eligible for special educational programs involving Intellectual Disability (), developmental delay, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and these programs also include availability for consultation to school personnel and parent(s) of these specific students.

Job Description & Essential Duties:

• Provide direct supervision and care for students in a classroom setting
• Provide daily living skills direction, examples, and demonstration to students at different levels of ability
• Provide positive and appropriate intervention, limit-setting, response, problem-solving, and guidance when needed
• Provide effective, accurate, and legible documentation in a timely fashion
• Demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and follow-thru with student educational plans and interventions
• Respond to students in a caring, mature manner while demonstrating sound professional boundaries with both residents and staff
• Serve as a role model for students
• Assist in management of aggressive behavior
• Assist in implementation of alternative educational and behavioral programs
• Assist in identification of social/behavioral issues

Qualifications

Successful candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Must be at least 21 years of age
• Must have a High School Diploma or equivalent;
  Bachelor's Degree in a Human Services field of study preferred
• Hold a valid driver's license with acceptable driving record
• Experience working with individuals with special needs preferred

Other Requirements:

• Able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds
• Effectively use the full range of body motion - sit, bend, kneel or stand for more than an hour if needed
• Reflect behavior, attitude, and appearance appropriate to the position and be supportive of the facility and division philosophy, goals, and objectives
• Successfully complete and pass all components of Handle With Care & Verbal De-escalation Crisis Intervention Training
• Effectively perform facility approved First Aid and CPR techniques
• Able to understand demonstrate therapeutic boundaries
• Willing to be a team player and offer valuable insight to the team
• Able to effectively…