Education Specialist - Substitute - Day Treatment Program
About The Position
This is a substitute, PRN position in the Day Treatment Program. Under the supervision of an Education Specialist - Licensed Teacher or the Education Specialist Administrator, the Education Specialist assesses patients’ academic and behavioral performance, provides instruction and curriculum suited to their needs, reports academic progress, advocates for academic supports, and conducts academic assessments when clinically appropriate. The role collaborates with a multidisciplinary health team and supports children with varied academic, emotional, and behavioral needs. It includes communicating with families and schools, documenting educational activities in the electronic medical record, participating in education and transition planning, and helping coordinate students’ return to their boundary schools. Academic assessments, transition activities, and curriculum modifications are performed with appropriate supervision or sign-off. The position is part of University of Utah Health, an organization focused on patient care, research, and education and guided by values including compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality, and trust.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Education or Special Education.
- Current RQI Healthcare Provider eCredential through the University of Utah Health RQI system; must be obtained within 30 days of hire.
- Additional license requirements as determined by the hiring department.
- Ability to perform the essential functions of the job.
- Strong executive functioning skills to balance classroom instruction, case management, and advocacy duties.
- Effective communication skills with patients, parents, clinicians, guidance counselors, and school administrators.
- Ability to work with children with a wide range of academic, emotional, and behavioral needs.
- Strong behavioral management techniques and skills in a classroom or group setting.
- Ability to differentiate and modify curriculum as needed to make school interesting and meaningful for patients.
- Ability to interact with patients and parents to help them understand curriculum and school expectations.
- Ability to explain to parents how academic services are delivered and coach them on accessing academic support services.
- Ability to effectively advocate for children with academic, emotional, and behavioral issues.
- Experience and competence with Microsoft Teams, Outlook, electronic medical record systems, video conferencing technology, and Microsoft Word.
- Ability to meet the listed physical demands with or without an accommodation; the position involves intermediate work that may exert up to 50 pounds and may consistently require moving objects while providing patient care to people requiring psychiatric care.
Responsibilities
- Assess patients’ present academic and behavioral performance using informal curriculum-based assessments.
- Provide instruction and appropriate curriculum to meet patients’ academic needs.
- Report patients’ academic progress and advocate for academic supports.
- Conduct academic assessments or testing when clinically appropriate and with supervision.
- Collaborate with a multidisciplinary health team to promote educational and behavioral care.
- Attend and participate in weekly clinical rounds and relevant patient care conferences.
- Obtain information from patients’ schools to help assess academic and behavioral performance.
- Maintain communication with patients’ families regarding academic progress.
- Document patients’ educational activities and progress in the electronic medical record.
- Use Utah Core Standards to support the educational growth and enrichment of patients enrolled in University Academy.
- Participate in IEP/504 meetings and transition meetings, or provide psychoeducational training to school personnel regarding mental health diagnoses via video conferencing, with mentorship and oversight.
- When relevant, coordinate patients’ transitions from the hospital back to their boundary schools, including assignment of grades and credit, with oversight.
- Differentiate and modify curriculum as needed, with appropriate supervisory sign-off.
- Help parents understand curriculum and school expectations, explain how academic services are delivered, and coach them on accessing academic support services.
- Advocate for children with academic, emotional, and behavioral issues.
