Commission On Economic Opportunity·City of Troy, New York
The Behavior Specialist provides support to staff and children by modeling positive behavior interventions and developing individualized behavior plans. They conduct regular site visits to monitor classroom quality and ensure compliance with Early Head Start/Head Start programming standards.
CEO is a Community Action Agency committed to making a positive impact by supporting our customers, colleagues, and community. We are looking for individuals who share and demonstrate our core values of Helping Others, Respect, Accountability, Innovation, and Teamwork. Through our wide range of programs and services, CEO works to meet the diverse needs of the communities we serve.
CEO’s Early Head Start/Head Start program creates partnerships and develops opportunities for social and economic growth and empowerment in individuals, families, and communities. We are a federally funded program that provides comprehensive early childhood services to children aged 6 weeks to age 5 and families throughout Rensselaer County.
CEO is seeking a Behavior Specialist to provide staff with support regarding the behavioral needs, strengths, interventions, progress, and recommendations for children.
Provide short and long-term positive management behavior support to classrooms, staff, and children. Directly model how to intervene when a child is displaying challenging behaviors for classroom staff.
Utilize positive behavior support strategies and encourage all classroom staff members to do the same consistently. Locate resources for teachers and families relating to child behavior.
Utilize knowledge of child development to differentiate between developmentally appropriate behavior and behavior challenges.
Provide classrooms with supports based on child's individualized special education needs and assist staff with developing strategies for children with special needs.
Participate in the collaborative process for developing, monitoring, and modifying behavior plans. Meet with classroom staff and managers to develop, monitor, and modify individual child behavior plans
Implement child behavior plans with classroom teachers. Demonstrate implementation of individual child behavior plans with classrooms teachers and appropriate center staff. Support classroom staff and children with behavior plans. Review and revisit child behavior plans with teachers and appropriate staff.
Maintain a regular schedule of site visits to all CEO center/sites, as assigned. Conduct regular classroom observations of Head Start classrooms to ensure compliance and quality. Provide specialized training, coaching, and support to classrooms. Develop plans for the improvement of classroom functioning as needed.
Implement and enhance the comprehensive support of Early Head Start/Head Start programming. This position will assist with the implementation of positive behavior support systems, ensure curriculum quality and monitoring, and provide hands on support to classrooms throughout the program.
Participate in all Education Team meetings.
Collaborate with ECS management team to ensure recommended services are implemented for children in a timely manner.
Work in collaboration with program management to support the programs School Readiness efforts.
applicants for this position will be required to complete standard background clearances. We are proud to be an EEO employer.
https://www.ceoempowers.org/about/join-us/ [https://www.ceoempowers.org/about/join-us/].
518-272-6012, ext. 284
Candidates must hold at least a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field and have experience working with preschool children with challenging behaviors. A valid driver's license and access to a vehicle are required for site visits.
Market context
Behavior specialist roles in New York are often in steady demand across schools and related support settings, especially for candidates who can work with behavior plans and crisis response. These roles can be competitive because employers typically look for a bachelor’s degree in a related field, at least one year of behaviorist experience, and comfort with the physical demands of intervention work. Before applying, compare the listed intervention and crisis-training requirements with your background, and use the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to save time reviewing the original posting.