Overview:

As a Lead Acute Mental Health Worker with the Barber Behavioral Health service line of the Barber National Institute, you will work onsite at our Children’s Acute Partial Hospitalization Program located at 1319 Sassafras Street. In this role, you’ll provide critical support to children facing acute emotional and behavioral challenges in a short-term, structured day treatment setting. You will lead therapeutic programming, behavioral tracking, and crisis intervention while collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to ensure consistent, individualized care.

This role offers an exciting opportunity for a dedicated professional who is eager to drive meaningful change in the lives of children. Ideal candidates thrive in fast-paced, evolving environments and are motivated by the chance to contribute directly to a child’s well-being. As part of our multidisciplinary team, you will engage in collaborative service planning, deliver high-quality behavioral health support, and positively impact children navigating complex emotional and developmental challenges.

What You’ll Bring:

• A strong understanding of emotional and behavioral health challenges in children.
• Experience using de-escalation and trauma-informed intervention techniques.
• Leadership skills to guide therapeutic classroom activities and support staff.
• Excellent communication skills to engage with families, caregivers, and treatment teams.
• The ability to document clinical progress and contribute to treatment planning.

What You’ll Have:

• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• One of the following:
  • Bachelor’s degree in a recognized clinical discipline (social work, psychology, nursing, etc.) from an accredited institution.
  • Graduate degree in a clinical discipline with 12 graduate-level credits in mental health or counseling.
  • Equivalent foreign degree evaluated by AICE or NACES.
• Experience working with children in behavioral health or similar settings is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in observing, documenting, and responding to behavioral patterns.
• Familiarity with therapeutic techniques such as CBT, motivational interviewing, or mindfulness-based interventions.

A Typical Day May Include:

• Leading therapeutic classroom activities and implementing structured lesson plans.
• Providing behavioral support and crisis intervention during emotional or behavioral escalations.
• Documenting behavior trends, progress notes, and treatment updates.
• Collaborating with clinicians, educators, and external providers to ensure consistent care.
• Communicating with caregivers and assisting in planning discharge and aftercare services.
• Attending classroom and staff meetings and participating in service quality initiatives.

Perks with a Purpose
Our benefits are created with YOU in mind.

Healthcare
• Highmark Medical and Mental Health
• Delta Dental and Davis Vision Coverage

• Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Accounts

• Teladoc Virtual Health
Financial Well-being
• 401K Retirement Plan with Employer Match
• On-Demand Pay
• Employee Referral Bonus Program
• Student Loan Forgiveness
• College Scholarship & Tuition Discounts
• Employee Discounts
Life & Family Support
• Company Paid Life Insurance

• Short & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Erie Campus*- discounted on-site weekday childcare
• Employee discounts for select BNI events and services

• Generous Paid Time Off

• Seven Paid Holidays

Who is Barber National Institute?

The Barber National Institute is a non-profit committed to its mission of providing the highest quality services for children and adults with autism, intellectual disabilities or behavioral health challenges and their families. Since our founding in 1952, we have evolved into a multi-faceted organization serving more than 6, 200 individuals annually with a wide range of educational, vocational, residential and behavioral health programs.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. If you need an accommodation to apply, please contact HR. EOE

Any consideration of the background check will be an individualized assessment based on the applicant or employee’s specific record and the duties and requirements of the specific job.