Mental Health Specialist / Coordinator

Waterloo Community School District•Waterloo, IA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is responsible for assessing the social and emotional well-being of our students and intervening when appropriate to address student needs, connecting students and families to district and community resources, and developing programs and systems to effectively respond to student needs.

Requirements

Master’s degree in education, organizational development, human relations, psychology, sociology or related field preferred
Licensed Social Worker, Mental Health Counselor and/or Marriage and Family therapist, preferred
Valid driver’s license and dependable vehicle for primarily in-district travel
3-5 years of experience working with youth in an educational setting, mental health service agency or community agency, preferred
3 years of work experience in a school district, preferred
Prior experience planning, designing and delivering training program preferred
Prior experience with survey implementation and survey data analysis preferred
Prior experience with implementing and sustaining systems preferred
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Knowledge of community mental health agencies, programs and needs
Ability to work effectively, cooperatively and respectfully with staff, parents, students and community members regardless of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic/national origin, religion, marital status, age, socio-economic status or disability
Knowledge of Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS)
Knowledge of counseling techniques and crisis intervention
Knowledge of special needs students and their behaviorally and educationally based mental health needs
Excellent presentation development and delivery skills
Ability to exercise good judgment in recognizing scope of authority and protecting confidential information
Ability to efficiently and effectively resolve complaints and conflicts while following district policies
Knowledge of and experience working with a diverse group of people
Ability to establish sound working relationships and cooperative arrangements with community groups and organizations
Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize
Ability to build effective working relationships
Ability to provide customer service in a fast-paced environment
Ability to provide direction and feedback to district personnel seeking solutions for student issues
Must be able to handle emotionally charged situations
Basic computer skills (computer navigation, email, web browser, Employee Portal)
Intermediate computer skills (Google Suites, search function, student information systems, basis promethean)
High computer skills (familiarity with Education Tech Tools, Informational systems specific to position
Ability to reach all skill levels listed if not already acquired
Successful completion of post-offer drug screening and physical as well as background check.

Responsibilities

Coordinates planning across the district and community systems, and raises awareness about mental health issues (mental health literacy) among students, families, school staff and community members.
Plans, organizes and facilitates Professional Development to train school staff to recognize potential risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems and how best to respond.
Builds capacity among district staff and community members to recognize potential mental health issues among students to enable them to make appropriate interventions and referrals.
Member of District Social Emotional Behavioral Health team responsible for developing and implementing an effective district-wide process that will identify students with mental health issues early, refers students to appropriate behavioral health supports and monitors student progress to ensure that supports are effective.
Collaborates closely with local law enforcement, juvenile justice, mental health and other child serving agencies to support youth.
Supports the district development and implementation of a multi-tiered system of supports to help all students succeed academically, socially and emotionally.
Provides professional development to small and large groups of adults and students.
Serves as a resource to administrative and instructional personnel and community members concerning programs and community resources.
Serves as a liaison between the agencies responsible for the provision of services under the Success Link/ Success Street MOU to ensure compliance with procedures and funding requirements.
Sustains a referral process to connect students to mental health supports.
Monitors school-based implementation of mental health initiatives and practices.
Facilitates and provides training, staff development, and ongoing support to teachers and administrators focused on effective mental health programs and strategies to address mental health needs of the student.
Facilitates training for families and community members to increase awareness of mental health issues in school-aged children.
Ensures mental health services are delivered in a culturally specific and developmentally appropriate manner and facilitates the training of cultural diversity for contracted service providers to ensure that the unique needs of special populations are adequately addressed.
Supports the district development and implementation of a multi-tiered system of support to help all students succeed academically, socially and emotionally.
Collaborates with school-based teams and provides support in the early identification of students with social/emotional needs, referring students to appropriate mental health supports and monitoring student progress to ensure the supports are effective.
Ensures that documentation (PLP) of family or student meetings are completed in a timely manner.
Develops and implements a communication plan to promote regular progress updates and ongoing dialogue with contracted or employed mental health staff, school administrators, counselors, teachers, building problem solving teams, and others involved with the student/family to ensure that services are provided that address the social/emotional/behavior needs.
Oversees district level data collection, management and analysis as it relates to mental health programs.
Provides support to the district school counseling team and building administrators regarding Re- Entry meetings.
Collaborate with school counselors and building administrators on developing safety plans for students in crisis.
Monitors district implementation and delivery of Social Emotional Lessons.
Assist staff with matching best practices in a Multi- Tiered system of support to meet students’ social and emotional needs.
Serves as a liaison with community agencies to assist with fostering ongoing communication between provider, parents/guardians and school personnel.
Provide support and guidance to the district school counselor team.
Assist with crisis intervention and response services.
Participate in IEP, Solutions, or IHP meetings as needed to assist with the mental health needs of the student.
Provides support with implementing the SEL initiatives within the district promoting students’ social and emotional development.
Monitors the implementation and delivery of school counselor lead SEL lessons.
Collaborates with elementary and secondary staff and students regarding Social Emotional Behavior Health needs.
Serves as a leader and content expert on the district wide Social Emotional Behavior Health Team
Performs other duties as may be assigned.