Title- Behavior and Mental Health Coordinator / School Psychologist Reports to: Building Administration, Assistant Superintendent, & Director of Special Education
Job Summary
The Behavior and Mental Health Coordinator/School Psychologist will provide leadership and support to the buildings to ensure all essential components of the School Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) are implemented and monitored with fidelity. This individual will support the development and implementation of the systems that lead to dramatic and quantifiable social-emotional, and behavioral growth for students. Additionally, this position is designed to support the implementation of the District’s comprehensive plan by providing job-embedded professional learning and collaboration with a focus on Social Emotional Growth.
The person in this role works closely with building principals, guidance counselors, community agencies, and leadership teams to support effective implementation of Professional Learning Communities and Progress Monitoring & Intervention, with a focus on Social Emotional Growth, school behavior and mental wellness for students. Small group or individual student intervention will be provided to students based upon collected data through screening measures. The Behavior and Mental Health Coordinator/School Psychologist is a district position with a focus on the secondary level. School assignment will be determined at the district level based upon identified needs. The School Psychologist component includes providing consultation, support, and direct assessment of behavioral health and academic achievement and within the school environment. The Behavior and Mental Health Coordinator/School Psychologist is responsible for conducting psychological, academic and behavioral assessments in the diagnosis and identification of diverse learners and their needs according to PA Code. The Behavior and Mental Health Coordinator/School Psychologist serves as a member of the school team to support a safe and positive school climate, promote and provide behavioral and mental health services, and coordinate care with private agencies.
Essential Functions:
The Behavior and Mental Health Coordinator /School Psychologist will:
- Support quality implementation of evidence-based behavioral/mental health interventions
- Assess student emotional and behavioral needs and design appropriate supports.
- Provide individual and group counseling to address student needs.
- Provide professional learning to teachers in utilizing district approved curriculum and materials.
- Promote and facilitate the effective management of student and classroom behavior.
- Promote positive behavior and mental health practices in resolving individual, group, and system level challenges in school behavior and mental health-related areas.
- Create safe, positive school climates by providing crisis prevention, intervention, and postvention services as needed along with consultation and direct services to promote social-emotional functioning and learning for students with or without disabilities from diverse backgrounds.
- Develop collaborative team capacity for effective data-based problem solving and systemic improvement of student learning.
- Facilitate building and District level staff development.
- Support coordinated effort and communication between school teams and community agencies
- Work with building administrators to ensureSWPBIS processes, protocols, timelines and implementation plans are implemented with fidelity and meet the needs of our students.
- Provide services to building administrators, teachers, parents/guardians on the SWPBIS processes.
- Coordinate high-quality SWPBIS professional development activities for all for school and district employees.
- Attend Student Assistance Program/PLC meetings to support teachers in problem-solving, goal setting, implementation, monitoring and the evaluation process of students in Tier II/III.
- Work with school counselors, teachers and administration on interventions and movement through the tiers.
- Consult with staff including guidance counselors, teachers, administrators, and/or other ancillary staff on program evaluation and effectiveness.
- Monitor the SWPBIS process to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations/ guidelines.
- Assist school teams in monitoring student progress through the collection and interpretation of student and classroom data.
- Work with the administration to compile, maintain and review data required for the educational, behavioral and social-emotional needs of students.
- Monitor the evaluation activities within all SWPBIS tiers.
- Schedule and attend all training in district-level response to intervention behavioral and social-emotional meetings.
- Attend local, regional and state meetings and conferences as required.
- Assist staff in defining and measuring behavior; understanding principles of reinforcement; teaching new behavior; implementing strategies for weakening behavior; and identifying antecedents.
- Work with individual teachers, groups of teachers and/or the entire staff on issues such as crisis intervention, learning and collaboration issues, and factors that can affect the development and implementation of interventions.
- Promote highly specialized positive behavior interventions in which “at risk” students thrive: behavior instruction that is explicit, intensive, accelerated and provides ample practice.
- Develop a repertoire of strategies consistent with instructional goals, teaching methods, and individual student needs to more accurately assess student behavior skills and understandings.
- Provide recognition of a variety of student accomplishments and positive behaviors .
- Engage in ongoing professional development to increase knowledge and skills of positive student behavior support for all students, targeted students and students who represent sub-group populations.
- Review behavior referrals and SWPBIS data.
- Participate in building level team and/or SAP level meetings, as appropriate.
- Consult with school counselors, teachers, and community agencies
- Provide leadership to others through example and sharing of knowledge/skill.
- Improve academic achievement by conducting psychological and academic assessments that inform interventions which improve student outcomes.
- Promote understanding of developmental expectations of children with diverse characteristics, cultures, linguistic, and economic backgrounds.
- Support diverse learners by assessing diverse learning needs and implementing appropriate supports and/or services.
- Conduct appropriate educationally relevant identifications within a time sensitive period as a part of the multidisciplinary team process for diagnostic information of recommendations for the purposes of determining the classification/identification of a student for special education including the Chapters 14, 15 and 16 Pennsylvania Code Eligible Disability Categories of: ○ Autism ○ Emotional Disturbance ○ Intellectual Disability ○ Specific Learning Disability (including but not limited to Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia) ○ Traumatic Brain Injury ○ Mentally Gifted ○ Multiple Disabilities ○ Other Health Impairment (including but not limited to ADHD).
- Strengthen family-school partnerships through support to families in understanding their child’s learning and mental health needs taking into account their diverse characteristics, cultures, and linguistic backgrounds as well as providing connections for families with community service providers.
- Participate in school-wide assessment and accountability by generating and interpreting useful student and school outcome data and conducting student and group progress monitoring in behavior.
- Coordinate the provision of special services and assessments through providers such as, but not limited to, the intermediate unit, consortium, neighboring districts, and/or other providers along with referrals and liaison services to mental health agencies, medical specialists, and private providers.
Essential Competencies:
- Demonstrates initiative in problem solving and completion of tasks.
- Schedules self effectively.
- Maintains self-control and decorum in the full range of professional activities.
- Demonstrates an ability to accomplish tasks under pressure.
- Shows respect for others through the use of courtesy and tact.
- Models and promotes high standards of professional ethics, honesty, and integrity.
- Prioritizes and follows through on tasks.
- Provides an open climate for communication.
- Implement independent policies for teachers and students dealing with behavior issues.
- Expresses ideas orally in an effective manner.
- Communicates effectively in writing.
- Demonstrates efficient time management skills, including, but not limited to following established routines, task completion and following timelines.
- Communicates recommendations and/or suggestions clearly to all persons involved.
Qualifications
- PA School Psychologist Certification
- Experience collaborating with community agencies to provide comprehensive services that target areas of need
- Expert Knowledge of School-Wide Positive Behavior Strategies, Techniques, and operational planning.
- Training in coaching techniques including data coaching.
- Experience with building leadership positions and/or roles (team leader, facilitating collaborative discussion, etc.).
- Experience collaborating as a member of a Professional Learning Community.
- Knowledge and experience with systems thinking and SWPBIS concepts.
- Experience facilitating professional development.
- Expert knowledge of function-based intervention planning for developing behavior change strategies that focus on reducing problem behavior and increasing more appropriate behavior.
- Expert knowledge of techniques needed to successfully complete Behavior Intervention Plans.
- Demonstrate the ability to plan and evaluate strategies for improving student outcomes.
- Adheres to the philosophy that all children can succeed and demonstrates the commitment to do what is necessary to make this a reality.
- Demonstrates exceptional skill in the roles of a teacher leader: collaborator, action researcher, reflective practitioner, and learner advocate.
Terms of Employment
According to the teachers’ contract and evaluated as a non-teaching profession with PDE Form 82-3