Mental Health Specialist

About the role

The Mental Health Specialist will be a compassionate and dedicated staff member on the COMPASS team that will provide support, counseling, and therapeutic services to COMPASS participants experiencing emotional, behavioral, or psychological challenges. The Mental Health Specialist will work closely with the COMPASS leadership Team, School leadership, and families to support program participants experiencing crisis and mental health and wellbeing challenges.

Responsibilities

• Support Activity Specialist and Group leaders with individual behavior challenges in the classroom.
• Provide on-site mental health support if there is a crisis.
• Plan and conduct innovative wellbeing mental health, and socio-emotional weekly activities and workshops for each class using an approved SEL curriculum.
• Provide mental health and wellness support to youth demonstrating signs of mental health or wellness challenges.
• Complete the Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH's) Building Connections to Mental Health Support Training.
• Create, manage and respond to all mental health referrals completed by the COMPASS leadership team, and\or school leadership, or teachers.
• Keep track of all mental health referrals, document services and support provided, along with the follow-up steps and check-ins completed for each youth referred.
• Communicate and collaborate with parents, teachers, school officials and COMPASS leadership and team members to support youth experiencing crisis or mental health challenges.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required.
• Master's Degree preferred.
• 2 years' experience working with youth.
• CPR and RTE certification preferred.
• School counseling experience, and\or experience working with children with IEPs, 504 or mental health or behavioral challenges required.
• Strong time management and organizational skills.
• Experience working with diverse communities, and knowledge of multicultural issues including race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender expression, etc.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.