Job Description

Requisition No: 849966 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: BEHAVIORAL PROGRAM SPECIALIST - 60008015

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 60008015 

Salary: $33,760.00- $54,092.40 Annually 

Posting Closing Date: 04/07/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator 

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)  is   the state of Florida’s social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and public assistance. The agency’s mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services. The Office of SAMH is statutorily responsible for the planning, evaluation, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

Northeast Florida State Hospital (NEFSH) is a 613-bed, licensed mental health treatment facility that provides person-centered services to adults suffering from severe and persistent mental illness. The hospital, located in Macclenny, was established in 1959 and is the largest state operated civil treatment facility.

NORTHEAST FLORIDA STATE HOSPITAL IS A TOBACCO FREE FACILITY.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION RESPONSES TO THE QUALIFYING QUESTIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE VERIFIABLE BASED ON YOUR SUBMITTED APPLICATION.

This is a highly responsible and professional position that will serve as a Behavioral Program Specialist at the Northeast Florida State Hospital. T his position will collaborate with each section within the state facilities and be required to use independent judgement, take initiative in carrying out duties and responsibilities and should be extraordinarily detail oriented.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Upon referral from the Team and the Psychology Staff, evaluates persons having significant behavioral issues that delay/prevent discharge.
• Collaborates with attending physicians and team to ensure continuity of services.
• Conducts functional assessments as appropriate.
• Develops observational strategies and assists living area staff engage in measurement of target behaviors.
• In conjunction with psychology staff, develops, trains, and implements intervention strategies to effectively address target behaviors.
• Monitors intervention delivery to ensure program integrity.
• Adjusts interventions in conjunction with psychology staff as data indicates.
• Completes monthly progress notes for persons receiving behavioral services.
• Works with unit direct care staff to provide coaching and feedback regarding interventions.
• Maintains an active presence on the living areas of the targeted persons.
• Assists psychology, rehabilitation, and other clinical staff in designing instructional techniques/practices appropriate for persons with significant behavioral disorders, including those persons who refuse to attend scheduled activities.
• Develops/conducts reinforcer preference inventories in conjunction with psychology staff as appropriate.
• Maintains personal safety plans for persons as assigned.
• Provides enrichment/enhancement activities and/or provides group coverage for the psychology department as indicated and directed by supervisor.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Knowledge of the principles and techniques of self-care program activities.
• Ability to make behavioral assessments.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate activities.
• Ability to develop and monitor self-care behavioral modification prescriptive treatment plans, activities and programs.
• Ability to teach and apply behavior modification principles.
• Ability to evaluate client services for compliance with program objectives.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.

Minimum Qualifications:

• An associate's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in nursing, education, or a social, behavioral or rehabilitative science is preferred and two years of experience involving the application of behavior modification principles; or
• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in nursing, education, or a social, behavioral or rehabilitative science is preferred.
• Experience as described above can substitute on a year-for-year basis for the preferred college education.
• Class E Florida Driver’s License.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

• Health insurance
• Life insurance; $25,000 policy is free plus option to purchase additional life insurance
• Dental, vision and supplemental insurance
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions
  • (For more information, please click );
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year;
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Opportunities for career advancement
• Tuition waiver for public college courses

For a more complete list of benefits, visit  .

DCF EMPLOYMENT DISCLOSURES

US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT   Only US citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers will be hired.

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM REGISTRATION  All selected male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS). Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire . For more information, please visit the SSS website:  .

RETIREE NOTICE  If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.

BACKGROUND SCREENING  It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and Chapter 408, F.S. No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency. Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here . All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement. 

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