Mental Health Technician

Responsibilities Teacher Assistant - 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 Teacher Assistant at our South Boston Day School location. This is a full-time position with a comprehensive benefits package and generous paid time off. The TA is responsible for generating and implementing programs to remediate behavioral and social issues for students eligible for special educational programs involving Intellectual Disability (ID), 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‑through 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 communicate both verbally and via written documentation Benefits Benefits: https://benefits.uhsguest.com/ Home/Work Life Balance Excellent Medical, Dental, Vision, and Prescription Drug plans 401(k) Retirement Plan with company match Life Insurance Flexible Spending or Health Savings Account Generous Paid Time Off Career Development Opportunities within UHS and its subsidiaries A Challenging and Rewarding Work Environment Free meals Company stock purchase discount Employee Assistance Program Pay is Hourly (bi‑weekly) and is commensurate with education and experience. The Hughes Center is a drug‑free and alcohol‑free workplace. A pre‑hire drug screen, pre‑hire background checks, and education verification are required of all new employees. Universal Health Services is licensed by the Virginia Department of Education and accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Special Education Facilities (VAISEF) and by COGNIA (national accreditation). About Universal Health Services One of the nation’s largest and most respected providers of hospital and healthcare services, Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE: UHS) has built an impressive record of achievement and performance, growing since its inception into a Fortune 500 corporation. Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, UHS has 99,000 employees. Through its subsidiaries, UHS operates 28 acute care hospitals, 331 behavioral health facilities, 60 outpatient and other facilities in 39 U.S. States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. 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During the recruitment process, no recruiter or employee will request financial or personal information (e.g., Social Security Number, credit card or bank information, etc.) from you via email. Our recruiters will not email you from a public webmail client like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc. If you suspect a fraudulent job posting or job‑related email mentioning UHS or its subsidiaries, we encourage you to report such concerns to appropriate law enforcement. We encourage you to refer to legitimate UHS and UHS subsidiary career websites to verify job opportunities and not rely on unsolicited calls from recruiters. #J-18808-Ljbffr