Description

Nexus Family Healing is hiring a Behavior Specialist for the Safe Harbor School at our Manteno, IL location!  Join a team that values collaboration, care, and student success. Apply today!

Nexus Family Healing is a national nonprofit with over 45 years of experience restoring hope for children and families through mental health services, foster care, adoption, and residential treatment. At Nexus Family Healing in Manteno, IL, youth in residential care attend Safe Harbor School, an accredited special education program for grades 612, offering individualized curricula with transferable credits upon discharge.

At Nexus Family Healing, we embrace diversity, promote equity, and foster inclusion. As a national mental health organization, we serve a diverse group of youth and families, and we strive for our workforce to support and represent that diversity.

Work Schedule & Salary:

• Schedule: Full-Time - Monday-Friday 
• Salary:  $20 - 23 per hour.

Position Summary: The Behavior Specialist provides therapeutic crisis intervention services within the school setting while working closely with the residential treatment team to provide consistent treatment approach. 

Primary responsibilities:

1. Student Supervision & Safety

• Maintains the orderly transition of students during key times: morning arrivals, class transitions, lunch and breaks, afternoon departures and off-campus field trips or other outings. 
• Assists and supports teaching staff in maintaining a classroom environment conducive to learning. 
• Ensures student compliance with rules relating to personal conduct, personal appearance, hygiene, grooming, housekeeping as well as individual behavior goals. 
• Assists with monitoring compliance of student population to established attendance policy and takes appropriate action to address truancy issues. 
• Transports students when necessary and appropriate per established guidelines. 

 2. Integrated Mental Health

• Participates in developing Individual Education Plans (IEPs) behavior goals for Social/Emotional Function section. b. Participates in progress meetings with teaching staff and parents. 
• Maintains comprehensive documentation on student behavior progress and intervention activities. 
• Assists in the development of policy and procedure surrounding student behavior and conduct expectations. 
• Participates in field trips and special event planning and organizing. 
• Coordinates and implements, student activities and events that are part of the regular school day program and extracurricular programming.  

 3. Program Policy, Procedure & Training

• Complies with Nexus' policies involving privacy and confidentiality for students and their families. 
• Exhibits clear, professional, respectful, and effective communication when interfacing with clients, coworkers, families and external contacts and willingly share knowledge, information and resources 
• Remains current on all company policies, assigned trainings and/or certification requirements; exhibits a high degree of ethical conduct, discretion and confidentiality while exemplifying professional behavior.  
• Continually seeks knowledge of and exhibits an understanding and acceptance of differences in gender, race, age, culture, ethnicity, class, religion and disability to better appreciate staff, children, and families.  
• Engages in crisis interventions and applying de-escalation techniques when appropriate, while maintaining appropriate boundaries and relationships with students. 
• Participates in all required trainings and remains current on any required certifications including obtaining and maintaining certification in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) techniques. 

Required Education and Licensure:

• High School diploma or GED required 
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a school, day treatment or residential treatment setting with demonstrated emphasis on behavior intervention responsibilities required 
• Illinois: Paraprofessional Licensure through ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) or willing to obtain within 3 months of employment is required 
• Illinois: MHP eligible in the state of IL preferred (MHP qualifications)  
• Valid driver's license required. Must meet state regulating agency and Home Office driving requirements  
• Must successfully pass an IL DCFS criminal background check. 

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Associates or Bachelor's degree preferred 

ICARE Values & Behavioral Competencies:

• Innovation: Leading the way and implementing creative, cutting-edge ideas and approaches. 
• Compassion: Listening, honoring differences, and showing respect, kindness, empathy care, and concern. 
• Agility: Exhibiting flexibility and adapting quickly. 
• Responsiveness: Being quick, positive, and accurate. 
• Excellence: Demonstrating quality results that surpass ordinary standards. 

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion:  At Nexus Family Healing, our voices and actions will be focused on recognizing, affirming and respecting people of every race, ethnic background, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender expression and faith.  

APPLY TODAY TO BE CONTACTED BY OUR RECRUITING TEAM!  When you work at Nexus, you have the opportunity to change lives — including your own! 

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