Apprentices progress at their own pace – they demonstrate
competency in skills and knowledge through assessment tests,
but are not required to complete a specific number of hours.
competency in skills and knowledge through assessment tests,
but are not required to complete a specific number of hours.
Behavioral Health Aide
Anonymous
National (OA)
Work Process Content
On the Job Training
Anonymous
148
Skills
Working with Others
6
Working with Others
6
- Engages in active and reflective listening
- Speaks clearly and slowly enough to be understood
- Uses non-judgmental words and behaviors
- Communicates directly with the client’s family & significant others (with client consent)
- Uses 'person centered/person first' language
- Uses technical language correctly, including clinical terminology
Screening & Assessment
17
Screening & Assessment
17
- Obtains information from providers knowledgeable of the client and family
- Collects demographic, psychological, social, and medical information through interviews of the client and family
- Summarizes all information verbally or in writing
- Demonstrates sound judgment in evaluating and using the information collected
- Assists clients in completing screening tools on substance use and mental health conditions
- Scores and interprets the results of screening tools correctly
- Assesses clients’ preferred method of communication and language barriers
- Identifies client and family strengths and resources
- Identifies client and family goals
- Assesses clients’ motivation and readiness to participate in services
- Identifies client problems, mental health and substance use conditions, and stressors
- Identifies signs of abuse and neglect
- Assesses level of risk for harm to self or others
- Determines whether additional assessment is required and arranges if necessary
- Assesses physical and psychological risk associated with acute intoxication, overdose, withdrawal, detoxification, and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
- Applies the criteria in the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM) in assessing clients’ behavioral health conditions
- Applies the ASAM criteria to guide treatment planning and recommend a level of care
Planning Services
10
Planning Services
10
- Identifies recommended short-term and longer-term service goals
- Identifies service options based on experience & research
- Evaluates eligibility and insurance coverage or ability to pay for recommended services
- Communicates outcome of the screening & assessment to the client & family
- Assists the client & family in understanding the client’s conditions and effects
- Discusses recommended goals and services with client & family & alternate options
- Assists client in communicating his or her needs to others
- Negotiates and finalizes a plan of care with the client & family based on their preferences
- Assists the client in developing a crisis plan for future episodes of illness
- Supports the client in developing wellness & recovery plans
Providing Services
43
Providing Services
43
- Arranges for assistance, if needed, with language translation or literacy
- Implements the plan of care (e.g., begins services, makes referrals)
- Monitors client’s condition, behavior, and progress on a continuous basis
- Recognizes when progress has slowed, addresses barriers, and works to motivate the client
- Evaluates progress and reviews and revises the plan of care on a regular basis
- Encourages client participation in services and reaches out when the client is not engaged
- Participates in developing, coordinating, and monitoring a discharge plan
- Establishes working relationships & coordinates care with other providers and teams in the BHA’s agency
- Establishes working relationships & coordinates care with other providers in other agencies
- Assists in establishing routine and formal working relationships with other agencies
- Reviews the list of the client’s medications and their effects and side effects
- Supports client and family education about medication effects and side effects
- Coaches the client on strategies for taking medications as prescribed
- Coaches the family on strategies for supporting the client in taking medications
- Supports the client’s participation in medical appointments, medical monitoring, and lab testing.
- Assists the client in monitoring and reporting medication effects and side effects to the medical prescriber
- Provides emotional support, encouragement, and reassurance
- Helps the client define the problem by telling their story, discussing their situation, and challenging his or her current perspective, when warranted.
- Helps the client set goals by discussing the possibilities and assisting the client to select and commit to new goals
- Helps the client take action through problem-solving, education and training, reflecting on past experiences and patterns, creating an action plan, contracting, and providing feedback
- Recognizes behavioral health crises and early warning signs of crises
- Assists in deescalating problems in their early phase
- Reports crises and seeks assistance from a supervisor or licensed behavioral health professional
- Seeks assistance, as needed, from Village Public Safety Officers, other first responders, or community members
- Assists in implementing the response to an individual, family, and community crises
- Communicates with the family and others about the crisis and the response
- Assists with notifications and investigations of reportable events (e.g., abuse, domestic violence, assaults, neglect, deaths)
- Provides support to those affected by the crisis and assists them in accessing supportive services
- Assists the client and family in obtaining services related to the crisis (e.g., domestic violence shelter; emergency foster care).
- Participates in debriefing meetings to discuss the crisis and the response
- Assesses family norms and roles (in nuclear and extended families, clans, biological and non-biological families
- Uses genograms and sociograms to assess and work with families
- Identifies family dynamics, functional and dysfunctional units, and barriers to communication
- Identifies the impact within the family of an individual with a mental health or substance use condition and accommodations made by the family for the individual
- Identifies the impact on family functioning of stressors (e.g., medical illness, separation, divorce, abuse, financial concerns, housing issues, legal trouble)
- Engages members of the family in constructive problem-solving
- Assists the family in improving its functioning
- Identifies the functions, limitations, and risks of different types of groups (educational, psycho-educational, self-help, support, activity, skill development, therapeutic)
- Identifies appropriate members for the different types of groups
- Orients new members to groups addressing the purpose, rules, boundaries, levels of self-disclosure
- Runs groups effectively, providing adequate structure, encouraging member interaction, and maintaining safety
- Assists clients in ending participation in a group or transitioning to another group
- Manages the ending of groups
Linking to Community Resources
11
Linking to Community Resources
11
- Maintains information on a range of community resources (e.g., service, medical, financial, housing, spiritual, volunteer)
- Maintains information on traditional support & intervention resources (Elders, traditional healers)
- Identifies recommended resources and traditional supports for the client and family based on need and eligibility
- Identifies resources outside of the community that may need to be brought into the community
- Discusses resource recommendations & options with the client & family
- Motivates the client & family to access and use resources
- Negotiates a plan with the client & family about accessing resources based on their preferences
- Makes a referral and actively connects the client or family to selected resources
- Ensures that the referral was accepted and client or family is receiving services
- Makes an alternate referral if the initial referral was unsuccessful
- Draws on individuals in the community to offer support to the client & family
Community Education & Advocacy
12
Community Education & Advocacy
12
- Educates clients, families, and the community about behavioral health conditions and their prevention and treatment
- Provides information to destigmatize people with mental health and substance use conditions
- Uses community gatherings to encourage healthy behaviors
- Serves in community workgroups focused on prevention and early intervention with behavioral health conditions
- Works with community leaders to develop supports for individuals and families at risk
- Engages and provides support to individuals and families at risk
- Educates clients and families about strategies for improving physical and mental health
- Assists in assessing community needs and readiness for prevention and early interventions activities
- Provides information to clients and families about their rights and responsibilities
- Supports individual and family goals and wishes within the agency and with other organizations
- Arranges access for clients and families to service planning meetings
- Refers clients and families to peer and family support activities and advocacy organizations
Cultural Competency & Individualizing Care
14
Cultural Competency & Individualizing Care
14
- Recognizes and adapts to different cultures, including the varied Alaska Native tribes and communities.
- Recognizes and respects diversity, differences, and cultural traditions.
- Assesses and manages one's own personal biases.
- Is aware of the traditions of the community.
- Demonstrates awareness of and sensitivity to the client's degree of involvement in their traditions, values, and community
- Adapts services to the unique characteristics and preferences of the client and family
- Applies knowledge of gender, sexual orientation, life span development, financial status, religion, disability, and intergenerational differences in delivering services
- Promotes empowerment as a goal by fostering client and family decision-making, problem-solving, and self-determination.
- Effectively discusses cultural issues and differences with clients
- Uses cultural views of health and family when assisting in providing services
- Utilizes cultural resources and traditional practices when providing services (e.g., storytelling, talking circles, and deferring to elders)
- Identifies and addresses issues of difference to reduce conflict between individuals and groups
- Routinely considers and discusses cultural issues in supervision and team meetings
- Consults with elders or traditional healers in the community
Documenting
5
Documenting
5
- Completes all required documentation (e.g., screening & assessment, intake, service plans, progress notes, discharge summaries)
- Produces documentation that is objective, accurate, and legible with correct language, grammar, and spelling
- Completes documentation in a timely manner
- Reviews client documentation with clients when they request to do so and when approved by the agency
- Demonstrates sensitivity when assisting clients in understanding their documentation during a records review
Professional & Ethical Practice
23
Professional & Ethical Practice
23
- Minimizes absences, arrives on time, and completes a full work day
- Completes assigned duties in a timely way and follows through on instructions received, reasonable requests, and promises made
- Acts professional in interactions with the client, family, community and other professionals
- Works within the limits of assigned duties and role
- Recognizes personal limits of knowledge and skills
- Seeks additional supervision or consultation when uncertain about what to do or concerned about the performance of others
- Complies with the BHA Code of Ethics
- Complies with laws, regulations, and agency policies
- Manages effectively personal and professional boundaries with clients, families, and the community
- Models appropriate personal and professional behavior
- Respects client and family rights
- Provides information and obtains informed consent
- Complies with special rules and procedures related to consent for: involuntary commitment; mandated reporting; minors; or individuals unable to consent, under guardianship, or subject to a court order
- Complies with laws, regulations, and agency policies regarding confidentiality and privacy (e.g., HIPAA, Federal Privacy Act, 42 C.F.R, Part 2)
- Complies with the procedures regarding disclosure of confidential information (e.g., mandated reporting, duty to warn, client authorized releases of information)
- Maintains the physical security of confidential information (electronic and hard copy)
- Educates clients and families about confidentiality, privacy, and their limits
- Assists clients with decisions and process to release confidential information
- Maintains the confidences and privacy of clients and families, even when not required by law, regulation or policy
- Protects client and family anonymity when providing information for statistical information and research
- Assists in ensuring that other individuals providing services comply with the laws, regulations, and policy on confidentiality and privacy
- Recognizes signs of personal stress
- Uses self-care strategies to manage stress, maintain health, and prevent burnout
Professional Development
7
Professional Development
7
- Sets personal goals for professional development
- Participates in employer sponsored training and other continuing education activities
- Adopts best practices learned through continuing education
- Participates routinely and constructively in supervision
- Uses supervision, peer consultation, and self-evaluation to enhance self-awareness and improve professional performance
- Uses formal evaluations to improve professional performance and the quality of services provided
- Provides guidance and mentoring to others.
Related Instruction Content
Training Provider(s):
640
RI hours
Behavioral Health Aide Level One
180
Behavioral Health Aide Level One
180
General Orientation
28
General Orientation
28
Orientation to Village-based Behavioral Health Services
8
Orientation to Village-based Behavioral Health Services
8
Ethics & Consent
6
Ethics & Consent
6
Confidentiality & Privacy
6
Confidentiality & Privacy
6
Intro to Behavioral Health
24
Intro to Behavioral Health
24
Intro to Counseling
12
Intro to Counseling
12
Intro to Documentation
12
Intro to Documentation
12
Survey of Community Resources & Case Management
8
Survey of Community Resources & Case Management
8
Working with Diverse Populations
12
Working with Diverse Populations
12
Intro to Group Counseling
8
Intro to Group Counseling
8
Crisis Intervention
16
Crisis Intervention
16
HIV/AIDS & Blood-Borne Pathogens
8
HIV/AIDS & Blood-Borne Pathogens
8
Community Approach to Promoting Behavioral Health
8
Community Approach to Promoting Behavioral Health
8
Family Systems I
16
Family Systems I
16
Recovery, Health, Wellness, & Balance
8
Recovery, Health, Wellness, & Balance
8
Behavioral Health Aide Level Two
140
Behavioral Health Aide Level Two
140
Psycho-physiology & Behavioral Health
16
Psycho-physiology & Behavioral Health
16
Intro to Co-Occurring Disorders
8
Intro to Co-Occurring Disorders
8
Tobacco Dependency Treatment
8
Tobacco Dependency Treatment
8
DSM Practice Application
12
DSM Practice Application
12
Advance Interviewing Skills
16
Advance Interviewing Skills
16
ASAM Practice Application
12
ASAM Practice Application
12
Case Studies & Clinical Case Management
8
Case Studies & Clinical Case Management
8
Traditional Health Based Practices
8
Traditional Health Based Practices
8
Intermediate Therapeutic Groups Counseling
16
Intermediate Therapeutic Groups Counseling
16
Applied Crisis Management
8
Applied Crisis Management
8
Community Development Approach to Prevention
12
Community Development Approach to Prevention
12
Family Systems II
16
Family Systems II
16