POSITION SUMMARY:

Mercer Island District is implementing a King County Best Starts for Kids SBIRT grant and we are expanding services in this area to add one middle and high school staff position. SBIRT is the shorthand notation for a mental health Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral To protocol designed to support students experiencing common mental health issues during early adolescence. We believe we can make a significant impact on students through a strengths-based approach to support, prevention and intervention. This position is responsible for coordination and implementation of both universal and indicated screenings for students, communication with staff, families, and students, and making connections to school and outside resources for students and families in need. This position will support the expansion of this successful program in our system and will hold core values that build effective partnerships with both staff and families and build team collective efficacy in support of success for all students.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrates a passion for the whole child, including student health and wellness.
• Demonstrates abilities necessary to develop and implement programs in support of students and parents who are experiencing challenges in school and life.
• Must be a self-starter, identifying needs and taking action to fill gaps and create new products and processes as necessary.
• Knowledge and experience with implementing MTSS and the PBIS framework preferred.
• Knowledge and experience in counseling or supporting problem solving with students one on one or in small groups.
• Knowledge and experience supporting adolescents experiencing trauma, substance abuse, mental health and behavioral health issues preferred.
• Maintains confidentiality and professional relationships.
• Engages in honest, productive, and focused conversations.
• Demonstrates excellent communication skills, listens carefully, maintains a humble attitude, demonstrates flexibility and appreciates humor.
• Demonstrates proficiency in co-developing and co-implementing high quality professional learning for adults.
• Builds trust, establishes credibility, develops relationships, and fosters professional growth.
• Collaborates with all teachers and other staff.
• Demonstrates high energy and enthusiasm.
• Develops positive relations with students, parents, staff and community members.
• Possesses effective problem solving, organizational, and time management skills.
• Cultivates the respect of peers as a highly capable educator and valued professional colleague.
• Works with flexible hours, varying school schedules, and varying programs.
• Possesses exemplary speaking, writing, and technology skills.
• Develop and promote wellness initiatives and support services for students, staff, and families.
• Skills to motivate students, communicate with individuals from varied educational and cultural backgrounds, direct support personnel, evaluate performance.

PRESENTATION SKILLS

• Is effective in a variety of formal and informal presentation settings.
• Practices active listening and can quickly change approaches when something isn’t working.
• Uses strong listening skills to formulate appropriate responsive answers to questions.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

• Is warm and easy to approach; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact to diffuse tense situations; has a style and charm that immediately puts others at ease and disarms hostility.
• Relates well with others.
• Build constructive and effective relationships.
• Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different situations.
• Is tactful, diplomatic and demonstrates consistency and fairness.

EXPERIENCE:

• Experience working with middle and high school-aged youth.
• Prior job-related experience preferred.
• Experience with facilitating small and large group adult meetings/trainings preferred.
• Experience in supporting program design/development preferred.
• Knowledge of youth risk behavior and their impact on academic success, strategies to reduce risk.
• Understanding of health disparities and the disproportionate risks facing subpopulations of youth, including youth of color and LGBTQ youth.
• Familiarity with local, state and federal grant reporting guidelines and evaluation.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with District staff, students, parents or guardians, outside agencies and the public in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual environment.
• Proficient use of current technology, data analysis and presentation tools.
• Facilitation skills, collaboration, and team building.
• Plan and deliver professional development, trainings.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Individual initiative and teamwork.

CONTINUED EDUCATION/TRAINING:

• Safe Schools training as assigned through Mercer Island School District
• SBIRT Training with King County

• Work closely with school-based SBIRT teams in the development, facilitation and implementation of the SBIRT process.
• Manage the SBIRT implementation, screening, referral and evaluation process.
• Track results of screening, interventions and treatments and complete all necessary reporting procedures.
• Manage and track results of screening, intervention and treatment provided by SBIRT funded community partnerships.
• Support administrative, counseling staff, and others in learning and applying the SBIRT protocol by coordinating training with Best Start for Kids, King County, etc.
• Participate fully in a cross-district SBIRT network improvement team in ongoing collaboration and learning. This may require some flexible hours as collaboration across districts is expected and may occur in late afternoon or early evenings periodically.
• Work with building administrators to set up the SBIRT screening.
• Ensure parent communication and engagement is effective including revisions of materials as needed and design and implementation of parent engagement activities.
• Provide leadership and training for mental health activities with school staff.
• Work closely with Teaching & Learning and King County staff as needed to facilitate program and project evaluation activities throughout the grant period including data collection and submitting grant reports.
• Attend building MTSS/PBIS and Student Support Team meetings and participate in MTSS framework implementation.
• Work closely with building administrators, counselors, teacher leaders, and Teaching and Learning toward program goals.
• Assist other personnel as may be required for the purpose of supporting them in the completion of their work activities.