Behavioral Health Associate - PRN

Summit BHC; Las Cruces (NM); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Las Cruces Recovery Center seeks a Behavioral Health Associate I for on-site support in Las Cruces, NM. The role involves monitoring clients, providing care, and assisting in data collection while staying ready to respond in crises and medical emergencies.

Responsibilities include safety supervision, group activities, vital signs, charts, de-escalation, and coordination of transport or reports between shifts to ensure continuous, structured care for the population served.

Qualifications

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Six months or more experience working with the specific population preferred.
• Knowledge of common psychiatric disorders and/or dual diagnosis and various treatment modalities of the population served preferred.

Responsibilities

• Maintains a safe, structured environment and supervises clients.
• Performs safety checks and follows supervision guidelines.
• Checks clients for contraband and manages belongings.
• Interacts with clients, encourages participation in group therapy and activities.
• Assists with educational-rehabilitative groups on social skills and coping skills.
• Takes and records vital signs and reports changes to the charge nurse.
• Documents in client records timely and accurately.
• Applies de-escalation techniques to manage emotions and participation.
• Supports unit cleaning, admits/discharge processes, and incident reporting.
• Provides transfer or transportation as needed.
• Receives shift reports and provides thorough handover.
• Introduces new clients to staff and activities; orients to activities program.
• Maintains awareness of client needs and motivates toward beneficial activities.
• Assists with activity planning and equipment setup for recreational activities.
• Enforces safety rules and adapts activities for groups.
• Supports departmental resources and equipment monitoring.

Skills

De-escalation techniques

Client interaction

Safety monitoring

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Six months experience with the facility population

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:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• 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. Las Cruces Recovery Center is an EOE.