Behavior Technician Trainee - Paid ABA Training in Central, South Carolina at Project Hope Foundation

Location: Clemson Campus
Position Type: Full-time or part-time, nonexempt
Schedule: Monday through Friday, with assigned hours between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Starting Pay: $18.00 per hour
Promotion Opportunity: $22.00 per hour upon successful promotion to Behavior Technician 1 after passing RBT exam, typically within your first 60 days.
RBT Starting Pay: RBTs start at $22.00 per hour, with potential for more depending on experience

Project Hope Foundation provides a lifespan of services for the autism community. Our work is guided by compassion, dedication, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Employees are expected to help families, open minds, promote inclusion, and expand potential through professional, ethical, and consistent service.

Due to the nature of the role, schedules are based on organizational needs. Scheduled sessions with clients generally run 8AM-10AM, 10AM-12PM, 12PM-1230/1PM, 1230/1PM-230PM, 230PM-4/430PM.

• ABA experience is not required. Prior hands-on direct-support experience is required.
• Project Hope Foundation provides paid training in applied behavior analysis, treatment procedures, data collection, safety protocols, and preparation for the Registered Behavior Technician examination.
• This position may be a good fit for applicants with at least 6 months of consistent experience in childcare, education, healthcare, human services, direct support, caregiving, coaching, camps, residential services, or a comparable setting.

We will teach the ABA-specific skills. We are looking for applicants who already bring reliability, sound judgment, professionalism, and experience supervising, instructing, caring for, ensuring safety, or supporting another person.Qualified applicants should already understand what it means to:

• Remain actively responsible for another person’s safety.
• Follow written procedures and supervisory direction.
• Maintain professional boundaries.
• Communicate professionally with coworkers and supervisors.
• Receive direct feedback and adjust performance accordingly.
• Remain calm and engaged when another person is distressed or behavior becomes challenging.
• Report to work consistently when clients and coworkers are relying on them.

Behavior Technician Trainees work directly with individual clients with autism and other developmental disabilities. This is an active, closely supervised position. It is not primarily observational, recreational, administrative, or sedentary.Responsibilities may include:

• Providing continuous one-to-one supervision and support.
• Working with clients on communication, social, academic, leisure, behavioral, and daily living skills.
• Following individualized treatment plans and clinical instructions.
• Collecting data throughout each session using a tablet or electronic system.
• Working on the floor and transitioning frequently between sitting, standing, walking, bending, kneeling, and squatting.
• Responding promptly when a client attempts to leave the assigned area or when a safety concern occurs.
• Assisting with personal care, mobility, positioning, transitions, or daily living needs.
• Using approved physical safety or behavioral intervention procedures when trained and directed to do so.
• Receiving frequent observation, coaching, and performance feedback from clinical supervisors.
• Adjusting activities and interactions based on client needs while continuing to follow the treatment plan.

The Behavior Technician Trainee position is a temporary developmental role that is generally expected to last up to 60 days.During the Trainee period, employees must:

• Complete all assigned onboarding and ABA training.
• Demonstrate satisfactory progress in required competencies.
• Prepare for and pass the Registered Behavior Technician examination.
• Maintain reliable attendance and required schedule availability.
• Follow clinical, safety, ethical, and organizational requirements.
• Demonstrate the professionalism, communication, judgment, and performance required for direct client work.

Promotion to Behavior Technician 1 is not automatic or based only on passing the RBT examination. Employees must also complete required competencies and meet attendance, conduct, compliance, performance, and career-pathway requirements. Employees who successfully complete these requirements may be promoted to Behavior Technician 1 at $22.00 per hour. Continued employment and advancement depend on satisfactory progress, attendance, conduct, compliance, and performance. Applicants with an active RBT certification should provide their certification number so they can be evaluated for the appropriate Behavior Technician level.

Applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a high school diploma, GED, or higher education credential.
• Have at least six months of consistent experience working directly with children, individuals with disabilities, students, patients, clients, or others requiring active supervision, instruction, care, or support.
• Be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Successfully complete required background checks and clearances in accordance with applicable law.
• Be available for a consistent Monday-through-Friday schedule within the location’s operating hours.
• Be able to use a tablet or electronic system for data collection and documentation.
• Be able to follow multi-step procedures and apply feedback promptly.
• Be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

This role may not be the right fit for applicants who:

• Are looking for their first experience being responsible for children or individuals requiring direct support.
• Prefer work that is primarily observational, recreational, administrative, or sedentary.
• Are uncomfortable receiving frequent performance feedback or having their work directly observed.
• Have difficulty following detailed procedures consistently.
• Cannot maintain dependable attendance and recurring schedule availability during training.
• Are uncomfortable providing personal-care assistance or responding to challenging behavior.
• Are unable or unwilling to collect data throughout client sessions.
• Are not prepared for an active role that requires frequent movement and prompt responses to client safety needs.

This is an active, client-facing position. Employees must be able to perform the following essential functions, with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Transition frequently between standing, walking, sitting, bending, kneeling, squatting, and floor-level positions.
• Remain physically active throughout periods of direct service.
• Move rapidly within the treatment environment when responding to client movement or immediate safety concerns.
• Provide physical, mobility, positioning, or personal-care assistance when needed.
• Perform approved physical safety and behavioral intervention procedures after completing required training.
• Lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise physically assist up to 50 pounds when required for client care or safety.
• The work environment may include varying noise and activity levels, bodily fluids, personal-care activities, elopement risk, and other client behavior that requires prompt and appropriate intervention.

• Paid ABA-specific training.
• Preparation and support for the Registered Behavior Technician examination.
• Clinical supervision and ongoing performance coaching.
• A Monday-through-Friday operating schedule without regularly scheduled nights or weekends.
• Flexible Time Off and other benefits for eligible full-time employees in accordance with company policy.
• Opportunities to progress in direct client services or pursue advanced ABA credentials.

Project Hope Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace.

This posting does not contain a comprehensive listing of every activity, duty, or responsibility required of the employee. Job duties, responsibilities, schedules, and assignments may change based on client and organizational needs.