Mental Health Coordinator

Mental Health Coordinator

Job Title: Mental Health Coordinator

Reports To: Director of Special Education

Locations: District Wide

Salary: Placement on the Certified salary schedule is commensurate with education and experience. $56,243-$116,845

Position Summary: The Mental Health Coordinator plays a critical role in advancing the mental health and well-being of students and staff in Moffat County School District. The coordinator will lead efforts to implement, coordinate, and manage a comprehensive mental health program for the district, with a strong focus on mental health programming, crisis intervention, and collaboration with community resources. This role is integral to ensuring the district's adherence to state and district mental health goals and promoting a safe, supportive environment where all students can thrive.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

• Suicide Awareness and Prevention: Stay updated on district and state laws/goals regarding suicide prevention and ensure training and protocols align with these regulations. Help coordinate suicide prevention for students, staff, and families to identify warning signs of suicide and teach intervention techniques.
• Full Staff Support and Mentoring for Mental Health Programming: Support leaders, as needed, to staff the mental health team with necessary FTEs (Full-Time Equivalents) and interns to ensure comprehensive service delivery. Mentor and support new mental health staff by providing guidance, training, and ongoing support. Support with recruitment and retention efforts to attract qualified mental health professionals to the district. Build and sustain an intern program that offers training and hands-on experience in school mental health services.
• Coordinating with Outside Resources: Support in the creation and implementation of streamlined referral systems and collaboration processes with courts, probation officers, and diversion programs, ensuring students receive appropriate mental health support when interfacing with the justice system. Establish and maintain partnerships with the Department of Human Services and other community mental health resources, to support the connection of students and families with necessary services. Work with community partners to build and maintain relationships which allow for better collaboration of evidence based interventions for students, families, and staff.
• Policy and Procedure Development: In collaboration with others, review and update policies and procedures for emergency situations including violent threats, abuse & neglect reports, and suicidal ideation, ensuring compliance with district regulations. Ensure that the district's Crisis Manual is up-to-date and accessible to all relevant staff.
• Feedback and Data Utilization: In collaboration with others, develop and implement necessary student/staff surveys to collect data on mental health needs, and collaborate with other departments to streamline this process.
• Comprehensive School Mental Health Assessment: Under the direction of the SuperIntendent and/or the Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, lead the creation of a diverse Advisory Board for School Mental Health, ensuring involvement from school staff, students, families, and community members. Explore various survey options, such as SHAPE or PROJECT AWARE, to assess the needs of the school community. Facilitate the development of a multidisciplinary school mental health team, ensuring the team addresses all levels of support (Tier 1, 2, and 3). Implement a system of mental health referrals for school-based and community-based services. Work with others to collect and share data on mental health service needs, ensuring efficient use of resources.
• Mental Health Promotion and Intervention (Tiers 1, 2, and 3): Guide district wide efforts in promoting mental health literacy, SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) skills, and healthy relationships for both students and staff. Promote Tier 1 interventions such as improving school climate, setting expectations for positive behavior, and addressing staff well-being. Oversee Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions, focusing on early intervention and treatment for students identified with mental health needs. Work collaboratively with leaders and staff to create a positive school environment that reduces disciplinary actions like suspensions and expulsions, focusing instead on restorative practices. Work with others to find, create, and implement evidence based mental health interventions to support students, families, and staff. Help to ensure agreed upon interventions/programming are implemented with fidelity. Work with others to create and maintain continuous improvement processes along the continuum of expectations.
• Funding and Sustainability: Explore and implement strategies for funding and sustainability of mental health services within the district. Actively participate in gaining and managing grants to secure additional funding for mental health programming.
• Alignment with District Goals: Support the district's efforts to meet state and district-wide mental health priorities by working with leaders to develop and maintain a comprehensive mental health program that supports student success and well-being. Regularly assess and adjust the program based on needs assessments, available resources, and ongoing data collection.
• Collaboration with the CDE's Mental Health Initiatives, such as The Landscape of Wellbeing and Belonging: Promote approved and adopted CDE curricula expectation as adopted by Moffat County School District. Collaboratively, address areas such as school safety, social-emotional learning, mental health literacy, trauma-informed practices, and bullying prevention as part of the broader mental health program.
• Continuous Improvement: Support in regularly assessing the impact of mental health services and making adjustments as needed to meet the evolving needs of students and staff. Coordinate with leadership to prioritize needs to use available resources to meet goals efficiently and explore needed resources.

Minimum Education and Formal Training

Master's degree in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, or a related field.

Minimum Experience

Minimum of 5 years of experience in school mental health, counseling, or social work.

Preferred Education, Formal Training, and Experience

Experience in school-based mental health programs. Familiarity with mental health screening tools and assessment processes. Experience in grant writing and securing funding for mental health initiatives. Familiarity with frameworks like SHAPE or PROJECT AWARE.

Licenses, Registrations & Certifications

Certification or licensure in mental health counseling or a related field (LCSW, LPC, LAC, or similar).

Technical Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

Knowledge of QPR, suicide prevention, and crisis intervention. Experience with multidisciplinary teams, community collaboration, and resource mapping. Understanding of state and federal mental health laws, particularly those affecting students. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with students, staff, families, and community partners. Verbal and written communication skills in English and a demonstrated ability to read and comprehend written/graphic and oral instructions Strong organizational and time management skills Effective oral and written communication skills Collaborative team player Maintains a generally positive attitude Observes all District policies and procedures

Materials and Equipment Operating Knowledge

Operating knowledge of and experience with personal computers and peripherals.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of this unit. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include, interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees and students; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Benefits

Benefits include: PERA retirement, health insurance, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, other optional benefit elections.

Additional Information

*Salary/pay rate is determined based on qualifications and experience relevant to the job description requirements. Full pay range may be found on the appropriate salary schedule. Employees hired new into a position are rarely qualified to receive the maximum of the pay range shown on the salary schedule. Qualification Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Language Skills: Ability to read and analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of administrators, staff, and the general public. Mathematical Skills: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry. Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. Other Skills and Abilities: Ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory to instructional programs; ability to plan and implement lessons based on division and school objectives and the needs and abilities of students to whom assigned. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, peers, parents, and community; ability to speak clear and concisely in written or oral communication. Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made