Behavioral Health Technician in West Palm Beach, Florida at Gulfstream Goodwill Industries

TITLE: Behavioral Health Technician (Day, Night & Weekend Working Shifts)

DEPARTMENT: Residential Housing Resource Centers

DIVISION: Human Services

REPORTS TO: Shift Supervisor/Associate Director/Senior Director of Shelter Services

SUPERVISES: No direct reports

FLSA STATUS: Non-exempt

SCOPE

The Behavioral Health Technician provides direct participant support, observation, safety monitoring, behavioral health assistance, crisis de-escalation, and documentation within Gulfstream Goodwill Industries Residential Housing Resource Centers serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The position helps maintain a safe, secure, welcoming, trauma-informed, and supportive environment while supporting individual service and/or treatment plans as directed by licensed medical, clinical, or behavioral health professionals. This role does not independently diagnose, prescribe, or provide clinical counseling, but works as part of an interdisciplinary team to support participant stability, safety, dignity, and movement toward self-sufficiency.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Facilitate Participant Orientation and Support: Orient participants/guests to the facility, assigned personal areas, program expectations, arrival and departure procedures, emergency exits, and responsibilities. Assist participants in use of facility amenities, including laundry, recreational spaces, dining areas, and other common areas.
2. Cultivate a Welcoming Environment: Establish and sustain a professional, respectful, culturally responsive, and equitable atmosphere for participants, visitors, volunteers, and staff to foster safety and engagement.
3. Execute Trauma-Informed Engagement: Implement and support the principles of trauma-informed care, person-centered services, harm reduction, dignity, empathy, and inclusion in all participant interactions.
4. Implement Service and Treatment Plans: Execute assigned portions of individual service plans and/or treatment plans as directed or prescribed by licensed medical, behavioral health, or clinical professionals and in accordance with program procedures.
5. Analyze and Monitor Environmental Safety: Monitor and assess participants while in facility spaces to detect, prevent, and report behavioral changes, emerging medical concerns, and environmental risks.
6. Generate Regulatory Documentation: Timely record accurate, objective, and specific observations, shift notes, incident reports, notice of infractions, medication-log entries as assigned, and other required documentation in paper logs and/or approved electronic systems.
7. Report Participant Progress: Provide detailed verbal and written updates regarding participant progress, behavioral health concerns, crisis indicators, safety risks, medical concerns, and other significant observations to the Shift Coordinator, Program Manager, clinical staff, nursing staff, or other designated personnel.
8. Intervene in Crises and De-escalate Conflict: Apply approved conflict-resolution and de-escalation protocols to manage behavioral outbursts and mitigate risks when participants present a danger to themselves or others.
9. Coordinate Emergency Response: Initiate immediate internal protocols and contact external emergency services (medical, law enforcement, or clinical supervisors) when responding to severe psychological distress, medical crises, or safety threats.
10. Provide Behavioral and Emotional Support: Provide appropriate emotional support, encouragement, active listening, and respectful redirection while maintaining professional boundaries and role clarity.
11. Assessments and Administrative Tasks: Assist with screenings, wellness checks, participant check-ins, safety checks, service documentation, data entry, and other administrative tasks as assigned and within scope of role.
12. Enforce Information Confidentiality: Protect sensitive participant data by adhering strictly to HIPAA guidelines, 42 CFR Part 2, and organizational privacy policies.
13. Maintain Medication Logs: Input accurate tracking details regarding participant medications in alignment with nursing directives, ensuring zero direct dispensing or administration of medication.
14. Enforce Facility Security Protocols: Execute scheduled security checks across interior and exterior grounds at designated intervals (e.g., every 30 minutes) to identify maintenance hazards, secure exits, and maintain perimeter control.
15. Process Participant Intake: Assist entering participants with approved intake procedures, including storage, Hot Box procedures, and handling of personal belongings in accordance with agency protocols.
16. Phone and Communication coverage. Manage the phone line during weekend, evening, overnight, or other assigned shifts and communicate effectively with team members across shifts to maintain flawless organizational communication.
17. Advocate for Inclusive Resources: Drive programmatic access and reduce systemic service barriers for vulnerable populations experiencing or at risk of homelessness and behavioral health crises.
18. Oversee Common Area Operations: Manage the daily layout, orderliness, and cleanliness of group event spaces, prompting and guiding participants through assigned chores to maintain community standards.
19. Contribute to Interdisciplinary Teams: Actively participate in shift briefings, clinical case staffing, and hazard meetings to coordinate individual care strategies across departmental lines.

20. Maintain Operational Continuity and Adaptability: Adapt to changing facility needs by executing targeted departmental assignments, special projects, and shift-coverage adjustments as directed to actively maintain seamless program operations and regulatory compliance.

OTHER DUTIES MAY INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO

1. Demonstrate by words and actions a commitment to the Goodwill mission to help people experiencing homelessness become self-sufficient, working members of the community.
2. Perform or assist with duties or operations required to maintain workflow, continuity of coverage, safety, schedules, and quality requirements.
3. Maintain a safe work area and comply with safety procedures, emergency protocols, infection-control practices, and equipment operating rules, keeping work areas clean and orderly.
4. Participate in meetings, quality-improvement activities, and training courses to integrate services, communicate issues, obtain approvals, resolve problems, and maintain current knowledge of new developments, requirements, and policies.
5. Support collaboration with community providers, outreach teams, behavioral health partners, medical professionals, and emergency responders as directed by program leadership.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• High school diploma or equivalent. (Required)
• Behavioral Health Technician (BHT) certification or an associate degree in behavioral health required. Must maintain certification status throughout employment. (Required)
• One year of experience in a residential, shelter, human services, crisis stabilization, behavioral health, substance-use, or supportive-housing setting preferred; two years of customer service experience may be considered. (Required)
• Experience working in a mental health institution, psychiatric ward, crisis unit, substance-use treatment program, housing resource center, or similar behavioral health environment is highly desirable. (Preferred)
• Must successfully complete all Gulfstream Goodwill Industries (GGI) mandatory training modules within established organizational timeframes. Training topics include, but are not limited to: behavioral health, crisis intervention, abuse and neglect reporting, trauma-informed care, participant confidentiality, workplace safety, emergency response, and human trafficking awareness. (Required)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

1. Ability to interact with participants with dignity, empathy, respect, cultural humility, and appropriate professional boundaries.
2. Strong listening, verbal communication, written communication, and conflict-resolution skills.
3. Strong environmental assessment skills and the ability to identify changes in participant mood, behavior, appearance, affect, orientation, medical condition, safety risk, or environmental risk.
4. Demonstrated ability to use sound judgment, follow directions, maintain confidentiality, and seek supervisory or medical/clinical guidance when participant needs exceed role scope.
5. Computer literacy, including ability to enter notes, complete logs, use email, and work in approved case-management, HMIS, or electronic documentation systems.
6. Ability to work effectively as part of a team in a fast-paced, residential environment with a wide variety of people and changing priorities.
7. Individuals with lived experience of homelessness, recovery, or behavioral health system navigation are encouraged to apply when they meet role requirements.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Mobility & Positioning: Ability to remain in a stationary position, move about the facility, or navigate indoor and outdoor program spaces for prolonged periods, including completing routine safety checks across all buildings and grounds.
• Physical Maneuvers: Ability to routinely position oneself, reach, stretch, bend, stoop, kneel, or utilize push/pull forces to support facility operations, manage inventory, and assist participants.
• Object Transportation: Ability to safely lift, move, transport, or position personal belongings, supplies, or facility objects weighing up to 45 pounds.
• Rapid Emergency Response: Ability to react quickly, navigate safely, and intervene immediately during urgent situations, physical alarms, participant conflicts, medical distress, or environmental hazards.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Operational Setting: Work is performed within a dynamic residential housing and shelter environment. The atmosphere can occasionally become highly stressful, loud, or emotionally charged due to behavioral health crises or participant conflicts.
• Scheduling Flexibility: Requires the ability to maintain regular attendance and work variable shifts, including days, evenings, overnights, weekends, holidays, and emergency coverage as operationally required.
• Crisis Resilience: Ability to maintain a calm demeanor, exercise sound judgment, and maintain high cognitive alertness and situational awareness during stressful or crisis-driven events.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT USED

• Digital & Communication Technology: Personal computers, standard office peripherals, telephonic communication tools, two-way radios, and specialized digital databases (including case management software, medication logging programs, and HMIS systems).
• Facility & Safety Assets: Standard kitchen and laundry appliances, building security mechanisms, emergency response tools, and mandated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

Gulfstream Goodwill Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Gulfstream Goodwill Industries is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or hiring process, please contact: (561) 848-7200 or HR@goggi.org