05 Jul Pathways To A Rewarding Career: 4 Job Opportunities In Youth Behavioral Health

Choosing a career path in Youth Behavioral Health is a rewarding choice. With that said, some career opportunities in this field require more schooling and certification than others. Here are four job opportunities for those interested in working closely with children and adolescents in the Behavioral Health field, and some of the qualifications needed to land one of these important and valuable positions.

Case Manager
The Case Manager serves families through a collaborative process of assessing the individual and the family’s comprehensive health care needs. They work with a small number of clients and other agency team members, as well as external providers. One of their main responsibilities is to educate clients and their families by meeting with them in and out of the office. They collaborate on, develop, and implement treatment plans. Case Managers may also spend time in the community motivating and teaching patients to practice self-care, social skills, and practical living.

Qualifications: A Case Manager must have a B.A. in Human Services and should have one to two years of experience working with children and/or adolescents with behavioral issues. Helpful skills for this position include basic computer skills, ability to solve conflict, as well as knowledge in trauma.

Therapeutic Staff Support
This position provides one-on-one interventions for children and adolescents under the age of 21 with a serious emotional disturbance. Therapeutic Staff Support members also provide positive reinforcement and support to the parents and teachers. The goal of this position is is to prevent the client from entering a more restrictive setting or service. They may also assist with integrating or reintegrating the client into normalized settings and activities.

Qualifications: A Therapeutic Staff Support member must have a B.A. in a related Human Services field (Psychology, Education, Social Work, etc.) with no previous work experience, or an Associate’s Degree (or 60 college credits) with proper job experience in the field.

Behavior Specialist Consultant

This position includes developing and implementing Individualized Treatment Plans for children and adolescents diagnosed with behavioral and mental health disorders. These may include Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, or others. In addition to treatment plan development, The Behavior Specialist Consultant provides prescribed consultation to families. This includes observation, data collection, and analysis specific to identified target behaviors.

Qualifications: This position typically requires a Master’s Degree in a clinical Mental Health discipline and one year of documented paid experience working with children and/or adolescents. Beneficial traits for this position include leadership qualities, plus strong verbal and written communication and organizational skills.

Mobile Therapist
A Mobile Therapist provides individual and collateral therapy to patients between the ages of 24 months and twenty-one years. As the title implies, this position requires the therapist to go out into the community to assess individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Sessions occur outside of an office setting, and can include the client’s school or home. Mobile Therapists must use learned techniques to deescalate crises, and must take proper steps toward intervention.

Qualifications: This position typically requires a Master’s Degree in a clinical Mental Health discipline and one year of documented paid experience working with children and/or adolescents. Candidates must successfully hold an applicable license (LMSW, LCSW, LMHC, LPN or RN). Since travel is a must, a valid PA Driver’s License is also necessary.

Youth Counselor
A Youth Counselor is someone who provides support to young people who seem “at risk.” They may have committed crimes or could be from unstable homes. Youth Counselors work in a range of environments — from schools, to the criminal justice system, or in Social Services.

Qualifications: A Youth Counselor usually requires an Associate’s Degree or higher with at least 12 credits in Human Services. They may also accept a combination of Human Service credits and experience with children and/or adolescents totaling two years.

There are many levels of education and experience for the different job opportunities in Youth Behavioral Health, and additional training may be offered or required. We are looking for good people to add to our team! If you’re looking to make a difference in the life of a child, click here for even more career opportunities with Pathways, and join us for a live broadcast on our Facebook page on Monday, July 23rd, at 12pm as our recruiter Robert Angelo, will be discussing recruiting and jobs in the Behavioral Health field.

Pathways of Pennsylvania has been serving communities in Pennsylvania since 1981. Every individual has a right to lead a meaningful and positive life, and we are changing lives, one day at a time. Pathways of Pennsylvania is comprised of four companies: Children’s Behavioral Health, Inc., Pathways Community Services, LLC, Raystown Developmental Services, Inc., and The ReDCo Group, Inc.