Therapist

Job Qualifications:

Master's degree in counseling, psychology, social work or other related behavioral health field is preferred. At least 2 years of experience post master's in a similar role is preferred.

Summary of Job:

As a school-based behavioral health liaison, you will be responsible for providing face to face consultation with classroom teachers to assist them in creating positive, trauma-informed classroom environments, to enhance the learning environment for children at risk of developing an emotional/behavioral problem or substance use disorder, or with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Training and education regarding childhood mental health and trauma-informed behavior responses in the classroom will also be incorporated in the consultation to assist the teachers in promoting a healthy teaching environment. Each SBBHL shall provide psycho-educational groups and other support as needed to youth identified by teachers and/or or other school officials. The SBBHL program will provide Liaison support between the family and the school and will, when invited, assist parents and youth with the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process and with trauma-informed support plans.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

a. The Behavioral Health Liaison shall provide face-to-face consultation with classroom teachers to assist in creating a positive, trauma-informed classroom that enhances the learning environment, and to assist the classroom teacher in developing effective, trauma-informed behavior responses for the service population, as defined in Section A.4., and other students in the class.

b. The Behavioral Health Liaison shall provide training to LEA personnel on a variety of mental health and substance abuse prevention topics including but not limited to:

(1) The nature of childhood mental health including students at risk and with a SED;

(2) Adverse Childhood Experiences and their effect on students

(3) Trauma-informed techniques for managing challenging behavior in the classroom;

(4) Substance abuse prevention; and

(5) Stress management, including effective coping and de-escalation strategies for

students and/or self-care strategies for teachers.

(6) Additional topics by request such as, but not limited to, bullying, suicide, diagnoses of

mental illness, and cutting or self-mutilation.

c. The training will be offered in a variety of formats as meets the needs of the LEA personnel including but not limited to:

(1) Direct staff development training offered to a whole staff or subset group

(2) Individual student team coaching

(3) Webinar or technology links

(4) Phone call or conference call

(5) Observation of work with students

d. The Behavioral Health Liaison shall provide Liaison services to include communication between the school and the child's family to build open lines of communication and to build home-school partnerships. Liaison services can include assisting in the IEP process when requested, assisting in the alternative school placement process, developing trauma-informed support plans collaboratively with the school and families of the students to meet student individual needs, etc.

e. The Behavioral Health Liaison shall provide information and support for school personnel in navigating the local behavioral health system, including substance abuse and mental health services, and accessing mental health crisis services.

f. The Behavioral Health Liaison shall maintain logs, tracking documents or other appropriate management tools needed to track all aspects of these services. The State will review these documents during the annual monitoring visit.

g. The Behavioral Health Liaison shall ensure that each Liaison provides support opportunities to students at each school to include individual student consultations or interventions to assist in building positive coping and de-escalation skills, as needed; and at least one (1) group activity that covers the following topic(s): mental health problems and disorders; the risk of substance use/abuse and substance use/abuse disorders; healthy ways to deal with stress including mindfulness, coping and de-escalation strategies; and other topics as decided and requested by each school.

h. The Behavioral Health Liaison shall administer pre- and post-tests and satisfaction surveys as prescribed by the State.