**Pending Board Approval**

The WISD's Mission is to promote the continuous improvement of achievement for every student while providing high-quality service to our customers through leadership, innovation, and collaboration.

The WISD’s Vision is to be a leader in empowering, facilitating, and delivering a high-quality, boundary-spanning educational system that educates all children through an equitable, inclusive, and holistic approach.

SUMMARY:
The Mental Health Practitioner is a grant-funded position assigned to work in partnership with the Community Mental Health and local school districts to identify and support youth with mental health needs in assigned schools. The Mental Health Practitioner will work with students to assess and identify needs, provide necessary brief strategic treatment/interventions, and develop and implement care plans. The Mental Health Practitioner will monitor client services, directly assist students in achieving desired outcomes, and serve on the student's identified team of support. This role involves collaborating with various stakeholders to develop comprehensive plans that address the unique needs of each family, ensuring access to necessary resources and support systems. The Mental Health Practitioner serves as a liaison between families, service providers, and community organizations, advocating for the well-being and success of the individuals they serve. The Mental Health Practitioner will work as a member of a team, coordinating work with other professionals.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Demonstrates a strong commitment to equity, social justice, and inclusion in all practices and position responsibilities.
• Demonstrates the ability to examine how his/her/their position (directly or indirectly) impacts educational inequities in student achievement outcomes.
• Engages in reflection and ongoing learning and development on critical concepts and terms identified in the Washtenaw ISD Educational Equity Policy, including concepts such as cultural proficiency, racial equity, and systemic and structural inequities.
• Provides care coordination and assists families with removing the barriers to accessing identified treatment.
• Provides services to youth using a variety of modalities, including, but not limited to, crisis intervention.
• Provides client service management to youth and/or parent/guardian in emergency situations as well as the continuum of care.
• Participates as a team member with other staff in the review of services for youth as well as for the program.
• Represents WISD and CMH to the community in a way that fosters the mission and goals of the agency.
• Promotes inter-agency cooperation through working with other community agencies.
• Participates in meetings, workshops, and conferences.
• Supports youth in sustaining positive interpersonal connections in their environment.
• Provides supportive counseling and cognitive and/or behavioral therapeutic intervention.
• Coordinates and collaborates with a youth’s network of care, including primary healthcare, family, and natural supports.
• Serves as liaison between school personnel, family, and other agencies.
• Consults with and provides a supportive and interpretive liaison service among parents, school personnel, and students.
• Provides materials and consultant services to the parents and educational staff so they may better understand and appreciate the nature and degree of mental health diagnosis.
• Working knowledge of DSM-5 criteria to evaluate and diagnose persons with psychiatric disorders accurately.
• Assess for risk of suicide/homicide and to differentiate the intensity of service needed.
• Conduct structured interviews with persons seeking service by telephone and/or in-person to apply diagnostic and CMH criteria.
• Organize information and present cogent descriptions or symptoms, history, and functioning of persons seeking services with the ability to support decisions about diagnosis and treatment recommendations, both orally and in written form.
• Works cooperatively and communicates with Districts and constituent district staff, students, and parents/guardians.
• Maintains accurate and concise records.
• Adheres to assigned Districts’ health and safety rules, policies, and procedures.
• Supports WISD's vision and mission to enhance achievement for all students.
• Supports a team-based approach to problem-solving.
• Maintains regular, predictable attendance.
• Performs such other tasks as may, from time to time, be assigned by the supervisor.
• OTHER RELATED DUTIES AS ASSIGNED.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• N/A.

QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Alternative requirements that may be appropriate and acceptable to the Board of Education may be considered. 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 essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Licensed Master Social Work (LMSW) (LLMSW), Licensed master’s level professional counselor (LPC), or licensed doctorate-level psychologist (PsyD/PhD in psychology)
• 4 years clinical experience preferred; Two years clinical experience required.
• Experience working in K-12 setting preferred.
• Possesses the skills and desire to work in a collaborative team with others.
• Demonstrated knowledge of common mental health conditions, substance abuse conditions, and mental health treatments/supports.
• Demonstrated knowledge of behavioral and cognitive techniques and psychotherapeutic treatment interventions.
• Knowledge of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS)
• Common knowledge of universal behavioral supports and programs.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the Mental Health practitioner's role in a team environment.
• Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Board may find appropriate and acceptable.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• Must hold a valid license (LMSW, LLMSW, LPC, PsyD) through the Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

• Ability to effectively communicate and engage with elementary and secondary students.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret information, including assessments, periodicals and professional journals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of educators, parents, students and the general public.

TECHNICAL SKILLS:

• Ability to integrate technology into the everyday workflow is necessary.
• Ability to utilize District technology and work to maintain proficiency, as required skill sets change with technology and/or the needs of the district.
• Ability to use computer technology for research, data management, communications and other instruction.
• Ability to use a personal computer (PC) or MAC in a networked environment to utilize the Internet and other electronic communication mechanisms.
• Knowledge of productivity applications such as Microsoft Office (word processing, spreadsheets, database and presentation software) is required.
• Ability to use computer technology for research, data management, communications and other instruction.
• Ability to select and administer appropriate assessment tools and interpret results of assessment.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

• Ability to apply the concepts of basic math, algebra and geometry consistent with the duties of this position.

REASONING ABILITY:

• Highly proficient in subject areas of reasoning, problem solving, organizational dynamics, and emotional intelligence.
• Ability to apply understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form.
• 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.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

• Ability to build rapport with others and to serve diverse communities.
• Ability to take initiative, work well with others as a collaborative team member and exhibit good communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with other departments, agencies and individuals.
• Ability to work creatively and skillfully with students.
• Ability to demonstrate initiative and understanding in working with students, staff and parents/guardians.

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 to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to sit and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds such as books and teaching material or when assisting in student interventions. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distant vision and the ability to adjust focus. The ability to travel to other buildings is required. The position requires the individual to sometimes work irregular or extended work hours and meet multiple demands from several people. The ability to travel to other buildings is required.

ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTABILITY:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is quiet to loud depending upon the activity in the particular part of the day. The employee is frequently required to interact with the public and other staff. The employee is directly responsible for the safety and well-being of students. The employee is exposed to infections at a greater risk than the average person. Occasionally the employee may be required to be outdoors for a short period of time, and therefore subject to varying weather conditions, for purposes of accomplishing the essential functions of this job.

FUNCTIONS OF POSITION DESCRIPTION:
This position description has been prepared to define the general duties of the position, provide examples of work and to detail the required knowledge, skills and ability as well as the acceptable experience and training for the position. The description is not intended to limit or modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct and control the duties of employees under supervision. The WISD retains and reserves any and all rights to change, modify, amend, add to or delete from any portion of this description in its sole judgment.

This position description is not a contract for employment.

The WISD is an equal opportunity employer, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The District will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

TERMS:
Position subject to the terms, conditions and calendar of the Master Agreement between the District and Unit II AFT Local 3760. Starting salary ranging (dependent upon experience) $51,256 - $110,612.

Washtenaw Intermediate School District is a drug-free workplace.

The employee shall remain free of any alcohol or nonprescribed controlled substance in the workplace throughout his/her employment in the District.

It is the policy and commitment of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, height, weight, familial status, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation or any legally protected characteristic, in its educational programs, activities, admissions, or employment policies in accordance with Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments, executive order 11246 as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and all other pertinent state and Federal regulations.

Job Types: Full-time, Contract

Pay: $51,256.00 - $110,612.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Education:

• Master's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Clinical: 2 years (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• LMSW, LLMSW LPC PsyD (Preferred)

Work Location: In person