A Behavioral health technician is a person who works as a paraprofessional who works under the supervision of a behavior analyst. This technician assists the behavior analyst when it comes to applied behavior analysis treatment plans.
While the technician does not actually do the assessments, he or she is in charge of carrying out the different treatment interventions that are created by the supervisor. Apart from that, a behavioral health technician can give direct assistance to the supervising behavior analyst in order to carry out data collection procedures.
This professional has different behavior interventions that he or she will carry out in a variety of settings. He or she may work in the clinic, in client’s homes, or in schools. Behavioral health technicians use ABA interventions to teach patients everyday living skills. This intervention tool also teaches clients how to improve their social communication skills.
What Are Some of the Tasks of a Behavioral Health Technician?
Some of the essential duties include giving one-on-one care to clients, following the protocols established by supervisors, communicating with caregivers and schools about clients’ progress.
What Type of Training Does a Behavioral Health Technician Receive?
A behavioral health technician can receive valuable training through a course. There are various colleges that offer these types of programs.
This is a course that can be done online or a person may choose to take the course in person. In order to qualify to receive the RBT certification from a reputable website like AppliedBehaviorAnalysisEdu.org, a person must be 18 years or older, have a high school diploma or equivalent, pass the competency assessment, pass the exam and pass a criminal background check.
The 40-hour training must include at least three hours of training on professional conduct and ethics. The test that must be passed has 75 multiple-choice questions, and it includes questions that have to do with skill acquisition, documentation and reporting, and behavior reduction.
More About Credentials
Legally, a registered behavior technician must practice under the close supervision of a board-certified technician. Various individuals such as hospital staff, nursing supervisors, home health aides, substitute teachers, and hospice staff may be interested in requiring this credential in order to serve their clients better.
The tasks that a technician is able to carry out are generally determined by the supervising analyst. The supervisor is there to ensure the high quality of service to clients, so a behavioral health technician has to be under supervision 5% of the time while they are carrying out their services.
Is This A Profession For You?
A behavioral health technician may be a career choice for you, or you may even choose to get the certification in addition to the career that you have already chosen.
When you are working in the field of behavior management, you want to be able to have all of the training that you possibly can have because more training means better service for your clients and more job satisfaction for you.
