The Center for Excellence in Disabilities at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for an (Onsite) Positive Behavior Support Specialist.
About the Opportunity
The purpose of this position is to 1) provide individual in-home behavioral therapy services to individuals and families with serious challenging behaviors to reduce the risk of out of home placement, 2) educate and build comprehensive educational platforms for community health providers in trauma informed positive behavior therapy to decrease challenging behaviors and improve quality of life and build capacity throughout West Virginia regarding positive behavior therapy techniques, and 3) Coordinate case management to the highest risk youth for out of home placement in WV.
The candidate will work with individuals with serious emotional disorders who are at risk of out of home placement, to evaluate their support needs. The candidate will work with the individual and their caregivers to develop and implement a therapeutic positive behavior support plan. In addition, this individual will work with children’s mental health providers throughout West Virginia to provide behavioral case consultation services, develop and conduct trainings, and coach staff in the implementation of trauma informed positive behavior support therapy.
We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:
-
37.5-hour work week
-
13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
-
24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
-
18 sick days per year (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family’s, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
-
WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
-
401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ’s.
-
Wellness programs
What You'll Do
-
Supervise mentoring meetings to provide technical assistance and guide treatment implementation of Behavior Specialists throughout the state to maintain the fidelity of the Positive Behavioral Support Behavioral Therapy techniques.
-
Educate clinical and mental health providers at local and state-wide conferences regarding Positive Behavior Support behavioral therapy best practices.
-
Oversee and manage (with supervision) a clinical case load of individual patient cases at high-risk of out of home placement with behavioral health diagnoses with goal of maintaining continued care within the client’s community and home.
-
Facilitate and deliver trainings on a regular and reoccurring basis to mental health and community providers/professionals in the field of Positive Behavior Support behavioral therapy.
-
Execute future training program content and produce evidence-based cited resource articles and trainings to build work-force capacity in the behavioral health field that meets the needs of the community behavioral health providers and clients to maintain mental health treatment for families in their communities and reduces out of home placements. This includes but is not limited to: mobile crisis first responders, community behavioral health providers, teachers and parents.
-
Create new training content based on the most recent data and information in the field of Positive Behavior Support behavioral therapy
-
Actively participate in the West Virginia Association for Positive Behavior Support and the international Association for Positive Behavior Support.
-
Record existing trainings content and expand the delivery and accessibility of educational trainings to the state of WV including in-person, interactive tele-educational conferences, and create self-paced platforms for education that is accessible for learners at various ability levels.
-
Collaborate and enhance quality and research initiatives that build work force capacity and skills, increase quality in behavioral care as delivered to children and families in WV and increase the capacity for community delivered healthcare with the purpose of maintaining treatment of children’ mental health care in the community with reducing out of home placements.
-
Participate in mental health continuing educational activities for professional development and licensure.
-
Participate and expand competency in tele-health delivery of clinical mental health services to patient, families and providers and community agencies.
-
Participate in research initiatives in assuring high quality outcomes from positive behavioral support implementation with continued efforts to meet the states quality standards regarding behavioral outcomes to maintain children in their communities, reduce out of home placements and reduce the burden of mental health and adverse childhood experiences within the state of WV.
-
Implement data collection procedures that are person centered in nature for the individuals and families served and train their families on the implementation of the data collection procedures.
-
Participate in data analysis for future research and quality initiatives s to improve behavioral and mental health clinical outcomes in the state of WV
-
Address technology concerns to prevent disruption in telehealth services and help expand tele-health options in rural WV to children and families
-
Implement educational program and access to Positive Behavior Support therapy skills and resources throughout West Virginia by increasing the work force capacity of other professionals throughout the state to care and deliver behavioral therapy services to children and families in WV.
-
Deliver case consultation and provide emergency clinical reviews and support as needed to front line mental health providers to reduce hospitalizations, suicide rates and keep children placed with their families for continued behavioral health care in their communities.
-
Expand Positive Behavior Support services by assistance with a WV Medicaid code and professional development track that will allow for appropriate funding and reimbursement to trained providers to maintain a reimbursement program for those trained in the delivery of evidenced based care in positive behavioral support therapy.
-
Provide subject matter expertise in Positive Behavior Support.
-
Produce and incorporate data from various sources to enhance knowledge of services for the data needs of the Department of Justice through DHHR data collection methods to maintain high quality behavioral health care in the community for children and families.
-
Provide training and information dissemination activities to agencies, staff, parents, foster families, first responders, mental health professionals, etc. using on-site visits and/or distance technologies.
-
Coach professionals in children’s mental health wraparound, children’s mobile crisis, the bureau for juvenile services, family coordinators, school personnel, psychiatric residential treatment facilities and other mental health services regarding the implementation of trauma informed positive behavior support by serving on human rights committees and quality improvement councils with supervision.
-
Provide technical assistance/mentoring to elevate professionals to WV-APBS Endorsement status to ensure fidelity of services throughout WV.
-
Conduct trainings and deliver point of care services directly to families and agencies.
-
Consult with all state stakeholders (mental health and community behavioral health providers, department of health and human services bureau of medical services, and school-based personnel as a resource and to provide expertise on trauma informed positive behavior support and trauma informed practices.
-
Facilitate person-centered therapy planning techniques for individuals, families, and agencies with supervision.
-
Provide functional behavior assessments, develop individualized positive behavior support plans (PBSPs), train and support the individuals and their teams in implementing the PBSPs with supervision.
-
Disseminate a variety of written materials including functional assessments, behavioral recommendations, behavior support plans and quarterly newsletters.
-
Assist in project evaluation activities, including submitting required data and case consultation notes.
Qualifications
-
Bachelor’s degree in psychology, educational psychology, special education, social work, counseling or related field.
-
A minimum of one (1) year experience in the following:
-
Working with individuals with mental illness, and or other co-existing mental health and IDD diagnoses.
-
Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
-
All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
-
Experience working with individuals who have serious emotional concerns, mental illness and other complex support needs, knowledge of behavioral principles and their application.
-
Experience facilitating group processes such as brainstorming and person-centered planning.
-
Experience developing and conducting training on issues related to person-centered planning, trauma-informed care, positive psychology and positive behavior support.
-
Knowledge of West Virginia service delivery systems for individuals with complex support needs and ability to link people to existing resources.
-
Ability to read, analyze and interpret professional journals in trauma informed care and positive behavior support, technical procedures, and governmental regulations.
-
Ability to think creatively and develop solutions to complex problems.
-
Good written and oral communication skills are necessary.
-
Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
-
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of consumers, professionals, administrators, parents, first responders and the public.
-
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of challenges. Capacity to consider and respond appropriately to a broad range of continuously changing circumstances and potential outcomes.
-
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.
-
Knowledge of disability services and awareness of cultural and political issues pertaining to various populations and disabilities.
-
Knowledge of federal and state law requirements protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
-
Computer Skill – must be proficient with Microsoft Office software.
-
Ability to travel to parts of the state not accessible by public transportation.
-
Acquire and maintain certification in the WV CANS Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment.
-
Ability to work with and facilitate services in a congenial, respectful and professional manner.
About WVU
West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.
From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across the state, touching lives and shaping futures.
At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values — service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation — unite us as Mountaineers.
Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.
West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or Veteran status.
Job Posting: Jun 15, 2026
Posting Classification: Non-Classified
Exemption Status: Exempt
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Schedule: Full-time
