Behavioral Health Specialist III, IV - Honolulu District Administration

Salary: $5,107.00 - $6,468.00 Monthly
Location : Honolulu District Office: 4967 Kilauea Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816
Job Type: Various, 12-month
Job Number: 2026-00130P
District / Complex Area: Classified / Honolulu / Honolulu Dist Office
School / Office: Classified / Honolulu Dist-Administration
Opening Date: 03/16/2026
Max Number of Applicants: 35


Description


This posting is being used to fill Behavioral Health Specialist positions that provide services to students at various schools within the Honolulu District as needed and assigned by the Honolulu District Office. The authorized level of these positions is Behavioral Health Specialist IV. Applications are being accepted down to the Behavioral Health Specialist III in the event of recruiting difficulties.

Salary Range: All new external applicants will be placed on the initial step of the salary range. However, placement above the initial step of the salary range will be based on special characteristics and critical needs of the position, an applicant's exceptional qualifications, the availability of funds, and other relevant factors. Such appointments require prior approval.Hawaii State Department of Education employees will be placed on the salary range in accordance with Department regulations.
Behavioral Health Specialist III, SR-20: $5,107.00 - $6,221.00

Behavioral Health Specialist IV, SR-22: $5,753.00 - $6,468.00

Examples of Duties

1. Assess, through established professional protocol, when and why an individual is engaging in problem behavior by collecting and reviewing the individual's history through personal interviews with the individual and his/her family, discussions with school personnel/employers and others, and review of written records such as results of aptitude or psychological tests, and other reports regarding medical and social-familial aspects and adaptive behavior.
   
2. Develop an individualized behavior intervention/management plan focused on interrupting the development or continuation of problem behavior. Such a plan specifies techniques, methods and strategies to be employed, alternative skills to be taught, crisis prevention and intervention services, and lifestyle interventions that include long-term maintenance of alternative skills.
   
3. Work collaboratively with school personnel/employers and other professionals involved in the development/implementation of the behavior intervention/management plan.
   
4. Conduct behavior management counseling and skill training sessions for individuals and groups in order to achieve behavior management goals. Counseling and skill training may also include sessions to improve attention span, communication, social, recreational, coping, anger management, problem solving and other functional daily living skills through verbal instruction, modeling behavior, coaching, role-playing behavior practice and other appropriate modalities.
   
5. Conduct regular sessions with the individual together with his/her family designed to improve the individual/family functioning that allows the individual to reasonably benefit from his/her education, work and other functional activities. Assist the family to develop and maintain appropriate structure within the home, develop parenting skills and child management techniques, facilitate effective communication and problem solving between family members or between family members and the school/employer.
   
6. Advise school personnel/employers and others on the use of appropriate techniques, methods and strategies to be employed in order to facilitate achievement of behavior intervention/management plan goals.
   
7. Participate in the integration of services to the individual in a variety of settings to the extent appropriate for the individual.
   
8. Prepare and maintain assigned individual's case records, correspondence and other reports in accordance with established rules, policies and procedures, including those regarding confidentiality of the individual's case/services records.

Minimum Qualifications
Basic Education Requirements : Possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in counseling, marriage/family therapy, psychology or social work.

NOTE: If you will graduate within six (6) months of application from an accredited university and will meet the Education Requirement upon your graduation, you must provide a letter attesting to such from your department chair or university, along with your most current official transcripts. Final official transcript showing receipt of the degree must be submitted upon graduation.
Experience Requirements : Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience of the kind and quality described in the statements below and in the amounts shown below or any equivalent combination of training and experience.
Level III: None.
Level IV: One (1) year of progressively responsible professional post-Master's work experience providing counseling and/or therapy to individuals and/or their families which included assisting individuals resolve behavioral problems. This experience must have involved counseling or guidance in situations where individuals had difficulty in grasping or understanding the nature of their problem(s), choosing between various possible courses of action, adjusting to environmental conditions and/or acquiring or sustaining appropriate individual control or motivation.

Quality of Experience : Possession of the required number of years of experience will not in itself be accepted as proof of qualification for a position. The applicant's overall experience must have been of such scope and level of responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that he/she has the ability to perform the duties of the position for which he/she is being considered.

Driver's License Requirement : Some positions require possession of a current, valid driver's license.

Desirable Qualifications : Possession of a current National Certified Counselor credential from the National Board of Certified Counselors.

Supplemental Information

Salary: The advertised salary is based on full-time employment and includes shortage and school year differentials, if applicable.


Requirements: Applicants must meet all the requirements for the position they are seeking as of the date of the application, unless otherwise specified. Unless specifically indicated, the required education and experience may not be gained concurrently. Calculation of experience is based on full-time, 40-hour workweeks. Part-time experience is pro-rated. Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week is equivalent to six months of experience, not one year. Also, hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be credited. Example: Twelve months of experience at 60 hours/week is equivalent to one year of experience, not one and a half years.

Temporary Assignment: Claims of Temporary Assignment (TA) experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements must be verified and attached to the application using one of the options below:

1. A copy of the applicant's TA History Report or equivalent system-generated report;
   
2. A signed letter from the applicant's supervisor that includes the applicant's name, his/her TA job title, the TA start and end dates (from mm/yy to mm/yy), his/her specific TA duties performed, and either the TA hours worked per week or total TA hours worked; or,
   
3. Copies of the applicant's signed SF-10 Forms.

Documents: Attach all relevant supporting documents to your application. Documents that were attached to applications submitted before November 16, 2023 do not automatically attach or transfer to applications submitted on and after December 16, 2023. All submitted documents become the property of the Hawaii State Department of Education.

Information about Temporary Positions: Temporary positions may be extended year to year, dependent upon funding and departmental needs. Making yourself available for temporary positions increases your employment possibilities and may lead to permanent opportunities. A person hired for a temporary position may also become a temporary employee upon satisfactory completion of the initial probation period of at least six months. Once a temporary employee, you would be eligible to apply for promotion and transfer opportunities to permanent as well as other temporary positions. You may also enjoy other rights and benefits as afforded to an employee in a permanent position, with the exception of return rights and placement rights associated with a reduction-in-force.


Equal Opportunity

The Hawaii State Department of Education does not discriminate in its educational policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. The Department does not discriminate in its employment policies, programs, and activities on the basis of sexual orientation, arrest and court record, and National Guard participation, as well as on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, and disability, in accordance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, Equal Pay Act of 1963, and Chapter 378, Part I, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Payday

New employees can expect their first paycheck within the first 3 pay periods of their start date. Payday is on the 5th and 20th (or previous business day) of every month.
12-month civil service and SSP employees enjoy a range of competitive benefits:

• Holidays: You may be eligible for 13 paid holidays each year; 14 holidays during an election year.
• Vacation: Employees of Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 13 earn 21 days per year.
• Sick Leave: Employees of Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 13 earn 21 days per year. Accumulated (unused) credits may be used toward computing retirement benefits.
• Health Insurance: If eligible, the State pays a part of the premiums for each employee's enrollment in a State sponsored Medical, Drug, Vision, and Adult Dental Plan.
• Group Life Insurance: The State provides a free life insurance policy for employees and retirees.
• Premium Conversion Plan: Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct the cost of health care premiums before payroll taxes are withheld.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Eligible employees can reduce their federal and state income taxes and social security taxes through a tax-savings benefit program called Island Flex. This program allows employees to set aside money from their paychecks to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and eligible dependent care expenses on a BEFORE-TAX basis.
• Retirement Plan: The State contributes to a retirement plan for eligible employees. Generally, employees with at least 10 years of credited service and who have reached 62 years of age or have 30 years of credited service and are 55 years old may retire and receive benefits.
• Tax Shelter Annuity (TSA): If eligible, Department employees are able to participate in a tax shelter annuity program. The TSA plan allows eligible employees to contribute pre-tax dollars to an employee-selected investment service provider authorized to provide TSA products.
• Deferred Compensation: The State offers employees a tax deferred (sheltered) retirement investment program. This program is an opportunity to build a retirement nest egg through voluntary payroll deductions. Several investment options are available.
• Temporary Disability Insurance: Qualified employees may be eligible to receive benefits for a disability caused by a non-work related injury or illness under this program.
• Social Security: As an employer, the State also contributes to an employee's social security account.
• Workers' Compensation: If an employee is injured while on the job, benefits covering medical expenses and partial wage support may be available through workers' compensation.
• Union & Collective Bargaining: Employees have the right to join the union for collective bargaining with the State and employee representation. Some employee unions provide discounts, insurance and other opportunities. Employees may also decide not to join a union, however, employees are required to pay union service fees unless the employee's job is excluded from collective bargaining.

The above is intended as a general summary of the benefits offered and is subject to change. This does not constitute a contract or binding agreement. Benefits vary by type of employment appointment and collective bargaining agreements.
01



EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must possess a Master Degree with a major in Counseling, Marriage/Family Therapy, Psychology, or Social Work. Do you meet this requirement?

• Yes, I possess a Master Degree in Counseling, Marriage/Family Therapy, Psychology, or Social Work. I will submit my official or copy of official transcript to verify my claim.
• No, I possess a Master Degree in a different major. However, I possess an Educational Specialist and/or Doctorate Degree with a major in Counseling, Marriage/Family Therapy, Psychology, or Social Work. I will submit my official or copy of official transcript to verify my claim.
• No, I possess a Master Degree in a different major. (Submittal of transcript not required.)
• No, I do not meet this requirement at this time. However, I will graduate within six (6) months of submitting my application and will possess a Master Degree in Counseling, Marriage/Family Therapy, Psychology, or Social Work upon my graduation. I understand that I must provide a letter signed by my department chair or university that confirms the anticipated conferral date of my Master Degree, along with my most current official or copy of official transcript.
• No, I do not possess a Master Degree.

02



EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: In the space provided, only list professional experiences gained AFTER conferral of your Master's Degree that fully meet this requirement. Include complete responses to all of the following items for each experience you held, SEPARATELY: (a) Your official job title; (b) Employer's name, type of establishment (e.g., clinic, hospital, school, private practice, etc.), and primary services provided and to whom (describe clientele); (c) Department you worked in, the job titles (and how many of each) of all other personnel in that department, and the role of your position as compared to others in your department; (d) Supervisor's official job title, qualifications (e.g., MSW, Licensed Psychologist, etc.), and duties (briefly describe); (e) Complete dates of employment while in this position (from mm/yy to mm/yy); and, (f) Average hours you worked per week.
If you held more than one position for the same employer, you must provide separate responses to items (a) through (f) for each position you held. Furthermore, your application will be deemed incomplete if you copy/paste/reference your resume in the space provided since doing so is not considered a complete response to this question. Consequently, if your write-up is unclear, you may be asked to provide a copy of your official Job/Position Description and/or requirements.
03



EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT (cont.): Also provide complete and detailed responses to the following items for each of the experiences you listed above, SEPARATELY:
(h) Description of your official job duties that includes a list of the specific tasks you performed, responsibilities you held, types of behavioral problems you helped your clients to overcome/manage, process you followed to assess/diagnose/treat these behavioral problems, how often you met with each client (frequency and duration) and the average number of clients you had at any single time, and your level of participation and role in multi-disciplinary teams; and, (i) Indicate the average hours per week that you performed each job duty listed in (h) above (Do not provide the total hours you worked per week; each job duty should have the amount of time you spent performing it on a weekly basis).
Providing a complete and thorough response to this question is essential in our evaluation of your qualifications. As noted in the previous question, your application will be deemed incomplete if you copy/paste/reference your resume in the space provided; and if your write-up is unclear, you may be asked to provide a copy of your official Job/Position Description and/or requirements.
04



DRIVER'S LICENSE:
Some positions require possession of a current, valid driver's license.

Are you interested in being considered for positions with this requirement?

Note: If you mark "Yes," you must submit a copy of your current, valid driver's license.

• Yes
• No

05



TRANSCRIPTS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER VERIFYING DOCUMENTS:
Official or copies of official transcripts, certifications (front and back), and other documents that verify you meet the minimum qualification requirements must be submitted with your application. If these documents are NOT received, your application may be rejected.

• My documents are attached to this application.
• My documents were attached to a previously submitted application.
• I may or may not submit my documents at a later date. I understand that my application will be evaluated based on the information available at that time.

Required Question