PURPOSE: The School Based Mental Health Prevention and Intervention program is a program in high-needs middle and high schools which provides counseling, professional development, classroom observations, group counseling for at-risk groups, case management and community linkages/referrals, etc. The project offers both prevention work for the entire school population, screening and brief intervention for vulnerable populations (LBGTQIA, new immigrants, etc.) and provides individual, family, group and collateral sessions for students and families with a behavioral health issues. This program aims to provide teachers with more options, increase student access to mental health services, and include greater family engagement through community referrals, family counseling, parent workshops, and trainings. The goal is to increase opportunities for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties and their families to receive high-quality mental health services in the school setting.
POSITION OVERVIEW: The PIP Social Worker/Behavioral Health Clinician will provide mental health support to the school community. Supports will be provided on selective and universal levels identified in conjunction with school administration and the office of School Mental Health. Services (listed but not limited to what is below) require timely documentation in EHR and data tracking documents.
KEY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: • Short-term counseling of children and families. • Crisis intervention, planning and post-vention. • Professional development for teachers and school staff. • Classroom observation, support (e.g. self-care, stress management), and case conferencing. • Push-in presentations for student groups or classes on behavioral health topics • Group counseling for at-risk students or students with identified behavioral health issues. • Attendance at school staff meetings and participation in crisis teams and other school committees. • Facilitation of peer mediation or other approaches if requested by the school. • Parent workshops on behavioral health topics. • Referrals to community providers; create linkages between community providers and school, work with parents on finding treatment resources. • Assistance to school in writing policies or initiating school wide prevention efforts related to behavioral health concerns or to improve school climate (e.g. anti-bullying campaigns, reducing mental health stigma, etc.). • Maintenance of accurate and up-to-date case records, statistics, and other documentation as required by the Office of School Health, JBFCS and the school. • Other duties as assigned.
CORE COMPETENCIES for the position include: • Commitment to recovery-oriented, trauma-informed practice · Embraces youth-guided and family-driven care · Promotes teamwork within PIP team and within school community · Takes initiative · Good interpersonal communication and collaboration skills · Solution-focused attitude toward work · Uses data to inform & guide practice · Values and demonstrates cultural humility · Values professional development and participation in clinical supervision and training
EDUCATIONAL/TRAINING REQUIRED: • Master's Degree and clinical license including LMSW, LCSW, LMHC, LCAT, or LMFT
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED/LANGUAGE PREFERENCE: Experience in school settings is preferred. Bilingual in Spanish also preferred.
COMPUTER SKILLS REQUIRED: Microsoft Office 365, Teams/Zoom, EHR and ability to learn MyAvatar workflow
VISUAL AND MANUAL DEXIERITY: Staff should be able to use computers for documentation purposes.
WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL EFFORT Majority of work in school building during traditional school hours but ability to work with families in community or after school hours when necessary.
We are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.