Behavioral Health Coordinator

When our neighbors are hurting, we want to help in the healing. Come join us at ELEVATE where our goal is to set the bar higher. We are a group of deeply committed people working together to provide each member-client with the services and assistance they need for meaningful progress in leading their best life. Our mission is to elevate care by serving our members when, where, and how they want.

Position Summary 

The Behavioral Health Coordinator (BHC) provides behavioral health coordination and support within the IRSH program. This position works collaboratively with persons supported, direct support professionals (DSPs), nurses, case managers, behavioral health providers, supervisors, and other members of the interdisciplinary team (IDT) to promote stability, safety, independence, community integration, and progress toward individualized goals. 

The BHC helps ensure behavioral supports are individualized, consistently implemented, clinically informed, and accurately documented. The position provides consultation and coaching to staff, assists with identifying patterns in behavior and environmental factors, supports crisis prevention and intervention, and helps ensure interventions are based on the individual's assessed needs. 

Job Responsibilities 
Person-Centered Behavioral Support 

• Develop and maintain respectful relationships with persons supported. 

• Promote dignity, autonomy, choice, independence, and individualized support. 

• Identify strengths, preferences, triggers, early warning signs, and successful interventions. 

• Participate in the development, review, and implementation of individualized behavioral support strategies. 

• Support coping skills, emotional regulation, communication skills, and alternative behaviors. 

• Encourage meaningful community integration and participation. 

• Monitor progress and identify when interventions may need to be modified. 

Behavioral Observation and Assessment 

• Observe behavioral patterns, changes in presentation, and environmental factors that may contribute to escalation. 

• Review ABC data, daily observations, incident reports, progress notes, and other documentation to identify trends. 

• Assist the team in identifying antecedents, behaviors, consequences, maintaining factors, and potential replacement behaviors. 

• Monitor changes in mental health presentation and communicate concerns to appropriate clinical providers or supervisors. 

• Assist with identifying early warning signs and proactive interventions. 

Crisis Prevention and Intervention 

• Participate in the development, implementation, and review of individualized crisis plans. 

• Help staff identify early signs of escalation and appropriate preventative interventions. 

• Provide clear guidance regarding appropriate responses during behavioral or mental health crises. 

• Assist with de-escalation and stabilization when appropriate. 

• Coordinate with behavioral health providers, emergency services, hospitals, crisis teams, and other professionals when needed. 

• Participate in post-crisis reviews to identify what occurred, what was effective, and what may need to change. 

• Assist in identifying opportunities to prevent unnecessary emergency department visits or higher levels of care when clinically appropriate. 

Staff Training and Coaching 

Provide behavioral health training, education, and coaching to DSCs. 

• Coach staff on validation, redirection, boundary setting, de-escalation, reinforcement, and individualized support strategies. 

• Model appropriate interactions and interventions. 

• Review staff implementation of behavioral strategies and provide corrective feedback when needed. 

• Assist with competency-based training related to behavioral support plans and crisis procedures. 

• Identify staff training needs and communicate them to leadership. 

Training Requirements and Program Education 

• Develop, maintain, and coordinate a training calendar for behavioral health and crisis-related staff education. 

• Create, update, and deliver quarterly training specific to program-level behavioral health needs, including individualized behavioral supports, crisis prevention strategies, program-specific interventions, and lessons learned from behavioral trends and incidents. 

• Ensure quarterly training content is relevant to the current needs of the IRSH program and reflects identified trends, changes in support needs, and approved agency practices. 

• Create and deliver annual training on department-approved de-escalation practices and techniques. 

• Ensure required behavioral health and de-escalation trainings are provided to applicable staff, tracked, and completed according to agency requirements. 

• Maintain training materials, attendance records, competency documentation, and refresher requirements associated with assigned behavioral health trainings. 

• Coordinate with leadership to obtain approval of training content before implementation when required. 

Quality Assurance 

• Attend weekly meetings with QA to review the following: 

• Review incident spreadsheets and identify trends or areas requiring follow-up. 

• Ensure behavioral data is used to inform leadership and support decisions. 

• Assist with audits, corrective action plans, regulatory reviews, and quality initiatives as assigned. 

• Identify gaps in documentation, staff implementation, or service delivery and communicate concerns to leadership. 

Interdisciplinary Team Coordination 

• Attend meetings with Program Manager and House Lead to communicate behavioral health concerns, progress, barriers, and recommendations. 

• Assist with continuity of behavioral health services during transitions, hospitalizations, admissions, discharges, and changes in placement. 

Mental Health Coordination 

• Monitor and communicate observed changes following medication changes when appropriate. 

• Assist with identifying behavioral or psychiatric concerns that warrant clinical follow-up. 

• The BHC does not independently prescribe, discontinue, or change medications and will defer medication-related decisions to appropriately licensed medical professionals. 

Program Development and Support 

• Assist leadership in developing and improving behavioral health practices within the IRSH program. 

• Identify opportunities to improve consistency among staff and across shifts. 

• Assist with developing staff resources, behavioral tools, crisis guides, tracking forms, and educational materials. 

• Participate in program meetings and provide behavioral health recommendations. 

• Support evidence-informed and trauma-informed practices. 

• Assist with reviewing unsuccessful interventions and identifying alternative approaches. 

• Promote a team culture focused on prevention, early intervention, consistency, and individualized support. 

Documentation and Communication Expectations 

The BHC is expected to maintain timely, accurate, objective, and professional documentation related to behavioral health services and coordination. 

Documentation should clearly reflect: 

• What occurred. 

• The individual's presentation and relevant circumstances. 

• Interventions attempted. 

• The individual's response to interventions. 

• Progress or lack of progress. 

• Recommendations or follow-up needs. 

• Communication with relevant members of the support team. 

Significant changes, safety concerns, behavioral escalation, and other issues requiring clinical or administrative follow-up must be communicated in accordance with agency policy. 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, behavioral health, human services, counseling, or a related field; or equivalent education and relevant experience. 

• Experience working with individuals experiencing mental health, behavioral, developmental, or other complex support needs. 

• Knowledge of behavioral health principles, person-centered practices, crisis prevention, and de-escalation. 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills. 

• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality. 

• Ability to collaborate with individuals, families, staff, providers, and interdisciplinary teams. 

• Ability to accurately document observations, interventions, and outcomes. 

Preferred: 

• Experience in IRSH, HCBS, residential, crisis stabilization, behavioral health, or similar programs. 

• Experience with serious mental illness, intellectual/developmental disabilities, trauma histories, personality disorders, substance use concerns, or complex behavioral needs. 

• Experience with behavioral data collection, ABC tracking, behavioral support plans, and crisis planning. 

• Experience providing staff training and coaching. 

• Knowledge of Iowa HCBS and behavioral health requirements. 

Core Competencies 

• Person-centered practice 

• Trauma-informed care 

• Behavioral observation and analysis 

• Crisis prevention and de-escalation 

• Clinical communication 

• Staff coaching and development 

• Problem-solving and professional judgment 

• Documentation and attention to detail 

• Collaboration and teamwork 

• Accountability and adaptability 

• Professional boundaries 

• Respect for individual choice and dignity 

Physical and Environmental Requirements 

The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. The position may require: 

• Frequent interaction with persons supported in home and community settings. 

• Sitting, standing, walking, and lifting. 

• Frequent traveling between program locations. 

• Responding to behavioral or mental health crises. 

• Working in environments that may involve elevated verbal or behavioral concerns. 

• Occasional evening, weekend, or on-call responsibilities as determined by program needs. 

Confidentiality and Information Sharing 

• The Behavioral Health Coordinator is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality, privacy, and dignity of persons supported and protecting sensitive program information. Information must be shared only with individuals who have a legitimate need to know and in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, agency policies, and professional standards. 

• Because the BHC may work across multiple IRSH homes and program locations, information learned at one location must not be shared with staff or persons supported at another location unless there is a legitimate need to know and the disclosure is necessary for the individual's care, safety, legal requirements, or another authorized business purpose. 

• Behavioral information, crisis events, incident reports, allegations, medical or mental health information, family concerns, staffing concerns, and other sensitive information related to one person or home must not be discussed or shared between IRSH homes simply for awareness, conversation, comparison, or general discussion. Information about one person supported must remain specific to that individual and the team responsible for their care, except when a broader disclosure is authorized and necessary. 

• Information discussed during interdisciplinary team meetings, internal program meetings, leadership meetings, clinical discussions, case reviews, and other confidential meetings is to remain confidential and must not be repeated, distributed, or shared outside the appropriate need-to-know group. Meeting information remains confidential until program leadership determines what information should be communicated, to whom, and when it is appropriate to communicate it. 

• The BHC is expected to use professional judgment when communicating sensitive information and to avoid discussing confidential matters in common areas, public settings, group chats, social media, or with employees who are not directly involved in the person's support. When uncertain whether information may be shared, the BHC must seek guidance from program leadership before disclosing it. 

• The BHC must also maintain appropriate professional boundaries and communicate objectively and respectfully with persons supported, families, staff, providers, and other stakeholders. 

Performance Expectations 

Successful performance in this position requires the employee to: 

• Maintain timely and accurate documentation. 

• Follow agency policies and applicable regulatory requirements. 

• Communicate concerns promptly. 

• Follow through on identified behavioral health needs. 

• Provide consistent and appropriate guidance to staff. 

• Promote individualized and evidence-informed interventions. 

• Use data and observation to inform recommendations. 

• Maintain effective working relationships with the IDT. 

• Demonstrate sound judgment when responding to behavioral and mental health concerns. 

• Continuously evaluate whether current interventions are effective and assist the team in identifying alternative approaches when they are not. 

Benefits 

• Competitive salary  

• Medical, Dental and Vision plans 

• Paid time off 

• Supplemental insurances available 

• 401k available 

ELEVATE is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for all employment, free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, religion, associational preferences, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran. 

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