Position Description

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING
Position Number: 00154281	Description Activated On: 6/6/2025 12:16:52 PM

Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively.

This position involves technical work providing psychological, counseling, and behavior support services at Selinsgrove Center. Services will be provided to persons with all ranges of intellectual disability and dually diagnosed, co-occurring mental health conditions.

Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor.

The Psychological Services Specialist (PSS) serves as the psychological services representative on the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT). In this role, the PSS completes FBAs, analyzes psychological and behavioral issues, provides recommendations to the team regarding psychological care, drafts and monitors progress on mental health support actions(MHSA), provides in person training to staff on the IDT on the implementation of and data collection associated with MHSA, and provides individual and group counseling. The PSS demonstrates and transfers the strategies in the MHSA to the direct care staff by directly interacting with the individual in the presence of the staff. The PSS will monitor and observe the staff to ensure that the skills and strategies contained in the MHSA have been learned and are being appropriately utilized and will correct staff as needed.
These functions are performed within the rules, regulations, and standards of the Department of Human Services as well as within the policies and procedures of Selinsgrove Center.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE JOB:

Ability to provide emergency psychological care and to coordinate team efforts during emergency behavioral interventions including responding to rapid responses.

Ability to receive information and provide training.

Mobility to travel to all individual living areas.

Ability to implement and monitor data collection procedures.

Ability to interpret and communicate data in various forms.

Ability to use common personal computer software to input and manipulate data and information.

Professional, Team, and General Responsibilities of the Job:

Functions as a member of an Interdisciplinary Team at Selinsgrove Center. Provides psychological services and behavioral support services to people on an assigned caseload. Models for staff the correct implementation of the skills and strategies contained in the MHSA. Trains and monitors staff in the conceptualization and implementation of psychological interventions. Maintains necessary documentation. Attends in-service and out-service training to keep skills current.

Promotes positive interaction for people who live and work at Selinsgrove Center by encouraging meaningful relationships which promote personal dignity and self-esteem; both by direct interaction and by training and example to Center staff.
Develops expertise and helps train direct care staff regarding special needs (including issues of mental health that may occur along with intellectual disability) of people on assigned caseload.
Assesses each person’s skills and adaptive behavior on a scheduled basis by utilizing psychological instruments and interpreting behavior assessment data. Performs FBAs and assists in developing an individualized habilitation program for each person by conferring with and/or providing written information to other members of the IDT (to insure program appropriateness).
Provides counseling and psychological services to people as indicated, on both an individual and group basis.
Participate in and/or leads the debriefing process for restraints and other critical incidents.
Develops, implements, and monitors individualized psychological support programs by collecting and interpreting baseline data, selecting appropriate operant techniques, writing and reviewing the program with the IDT (to decrease inappropriate individual and social behaviors and increase socially valued behaviors).
Trains IDT staff in utilization of MHSA and other psychological support techniques by explaining, demonstrating the utilization of skills with the individual, and using role play (to insure staff are knowledgeable and can appropriately utilize psychological support techniques).
Participates in avenues of professional growth by attending meetings, training sessions, and seminars, and by reviewing current literature in the field (to maintain any licensure/certifications and improve level of professional expertise).
Performs job related duties, including flexing schedule as necessary, to meet needs of person served or of IDT.
Performs other duties as assigned by the Psychology Manager or the Director of Program Services.
Job Knowledge:

1. Intelligence tests and measures of adaptive functioning are administered according to
facility policy.
A. Re-evaluations are done when person’s mental status or skill level changes
significantly.
2. Financial competencies are completed according to facility policy.
A. Each year for mild, moderate.
B. Every two years for severe, profound.
3. Assessments are completed and appropriately interpreted prior to each person’s ISP.
A. Psychology report is in hands of RSS/QIDP at least five days prior to review.
B. Report is not done more than 30 days prior to review.
4. Monthly notes have all necessary components and are entered each 30 (+5) days.
5. Behavior analyses are adequately completed. FBAs are completed timely for the new admissions and when the team identifies as necessary.
6. Provides correct information to Interdisciplinary Team regarding facility policy on mental health support issues.

Work Results:

1. Flow sheets are maintained for all persons who exhibit psychiatric symptoms/targeted behaviors and/or receive behavior modifying medications.
A. Flow sheets include target behaviors broken out by typography, seriousness, and
implementation data.
2. Restrictive programs are in compliance with Selinsgrove Center policy.
A. Only restrictive procedures listed in policy are used.
B. All approvals and consents occur before implementation.
C. Re-approvals occur each six months; re-consents annually.
D. Restraint documentation is completed for each instance of emergency restraint.
3. Staff are trained to carry out MHSA.
A. Train RSS/QIDP, RSW, RSAS/RSANS, RSAs, nursing and other departments as necessary.
B. RSS/QIDP, RSW may train others in the absence of the PSS.
4. You attend and/or provide a written report for the ISP of each individual assessed.
5. Each MHSA is reviewed at least monthly and documented.
A. Thirty-day note includes data collection period, narrative of progress, statement of
action regarding objectives.
6. Emergency restraint data is reviewed monthly.
A. Participate in community and administrative team meetings, implement plan as
required.
7. MHSAs are in correct format.
8. Substitute consent is obtained prior to use of psychiatric medications or restrictive procedures. Follow-up written consent is obtained as soon as reasonably possible.
9. Competency write-ups have all required components.
10. Attend annual staffing's.
11. Attend unit team meetings.
12. Attend facility professional meetings.
13. Committee approval of plans are timely.
14. Family re-consent to plans are timely.
15. Financial competencies are completed within 30 days of notification.
16. Assigned work is completed within designated time frames.

Communications:

1. Community staff are knowledgeable about how to deliver or augment supportive service to the person.
A.“Key” training issues in the positive cycle of the Mental Health Support Action are addressed in regular program settings throughout the day.
2. Trains staff on MHSAs. Model utilizing strategies with the individual in the presence of staff. Provide training by example regarding counseling and de-escalation of crises.
3. Training records containing dates, names, and subject matter covered are maintained for each training session.
A. Staff sign SIR after training on MHSAs.
B. Records of other training sessions are kept on facility training rosters.
4. MHSA's are explained and demonstrated to staff prior to implementation.
A. There must be trained staff signed on the plan the day it is implemented or earlier.
5. Communicates concepts of psychological programs to staff in ways that are clear and
understandable to staff.
6. Approval packets submitted to Peer-review and the Human Rights Committee have all
required forms, and all forms are properly completed.
7. MHSAs and supporting materials are legible.
8. Communicates scheduling conflicts to parties involved.
9. Each person with a priority need for a MHSA has a plan within 30 days of the staffing to discuss the plan.
10. Training needs are identified and training is requested.
A. Licensed Psychology Manager is consulted regarding work practices when questions
arise.
B. Need to improve expertise in specific areas to better serve people is brought to the
attention of the Licensed Psychology Manager.
C. Requests are made to attend teach conferences on topics relevant to performance of
the job.
11. Assists Licensed Psychology Manager in providing professional training to other
psychology staff, and to staff of facility at large.

Interpersonal Relations/Affirmative Action:

1. Meaningful relationships are encouraged by training and example.
A. During presence on living and program areas, relationship building is modeled by
Psychological Services staff.
2. Ineffective relationship building is identified by Psychological Services staff when
observed and suggestions are given for more skillful interaction.
3. Psychological Services staff recognizes and encourages strong effort put forth by
staff, and provides support to staff during and following crisis situations.

Initiative/Problem Solving:

1. Planned programs are observed at least bi-weekly, including positive aspects.
A. Visit all living areas daily, program areas at least weekly.
2. Counseling, relaxation training, and other supportive interventions are provided as
indicated by need.
3. Development of coping skills is designed into MHSA as indicated.
A. The positive cycle of the MHSA focuses on development of skills which reduce the
need for challenging behaviors or which are “key” to improvement in the person’s
quality of life.
4. Supportive services from MHSAs are integrated into the individualized program plan.
5. Staff are recognized for positive interactions and establishment of positive
relationships with people who live at Selinsgrove Center.
A. Skillful interaction is recognized by psychology staff and used as a basis to train
other staff in the same area.
6. Interactions of psychology staff toward people who live at Selinsgrove Center and
toward staff convey respect and are professional in nature.

Work Habits:

1. Attendance is acceptable.
2. Safety record is acceptable.

Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature.

Work is assigned by conference with the director for program services with input from other members of the Interdisciplinary Team. Specific assignments are the product of Team Meetings and ISP's which determine the specific work that must be performed.

Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License

Experience:

Licenses, registrations, or certifications:

1.   N/A

2.   N/A

3.   N/A

4.   N/A

5.   N/A

6.   N/A

Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.

1.	See above
2.	See above
3.	See above
4.	See above
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.