What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Mental Health, Central Valley position at Aspire Public Schools?
ABOUT ASPIRE
Aspire Public Schools operates a network of high-performing, college preparatory charter schools serving TK-12 scholars in communities across California. Founded in 1998—in an effort to transform the inequitable racial, social, and gender outcomes that our communities persist through—Aspire is one of the largest and most forward-thinking open-enrollment public charter school systems in the nation.
Our purpose is to prepare our scholars for success in college, career, and life. At Aspire, we set a foundation for our scholars to gain knowledge, skills, and power to access and make choices for their families and post-secondary lives. Every day, our community of students, families, teachers and staff comes together to learn, work, and play in an environment grounded in our values of Bienestar (Well-Being), Culture of Belonging, Community Partnership, Agency & Self-Determination, and Joy.
JOB SUMMARY
The Director of Mental Health Services will lead Aspire Central Valley’s strategic vision for a comprehensive mental health and wellness framework that supports students and staff. This role is responsible for assessing, refining, and enhancing existing mental health programs, with an emphasis on evidence-based practices, crisis intervention, and ongoing support. The Director will oversee initiatives that ensure equitable, accessible mental health resources, including the development of crisis response protocols, preventive education, direct services, and professional development. Through this work, the Director will foster a supportive environment that prioritizes emotional well-being, resilience, and effective crisis management across the Aspire community.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Provide strategic vision and leadership for Aspire’s mental health programming, including developing best practices and evaluating initiatives relative to industry standards.
- Lead cross-departmental collaboration to align mental health initiatives with organizational goals and improve service delivery.
Collaboration and Community Partnerships
Partner with community-based organizations and engage strategic partners to increase access to mental health services and build supportive environments.
- Collaborate with SEL Program Leaders to ensure integration with Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) for a holistic approach to student wellness.
- Design and lead engagement strategies to support mental health awareness and involvement among parents/caregivers and the broader community.
Staff Supervision and Professional Development
Oversee and supervise mental health team members (including supervision and collaboration of MHT3 and/or lead MHTs), ensuring licensure compliance and supporting professional growth.
- Develop and implement professional development opportunities for staff, school administrators, and stakeholders.
- Develop Tier 1, 2 and 3 mental health best practices using an MTSS framework
- Establish and lead crisis based training program in the region (i.e. CSTAG and PREPaRE, etc.)
Compliance, Policy, and Financial Oversight
Ensure compliance with mental health laws, CA Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) policies, and licensure requirements.
- Ensuring and monitoring Aspire’s regulations reflect best practices for school-based mental health programs.
- Ensure all mental health team members maintain active and valid licensure in alignment with California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) requirements.
- Monitor budgets, lead and coordinate efforts on grant writing and management, and oversee financial aspects related to mental health programming.
Data and Outcomes Analysis
Use data analysis to monitor program outcomes, guide decision-making, and address inequities in mental health service access and impact across sites.
- Collect, analyze, and interpret mental health data from school sites and regional departments to identify trends, assess program effectiveness, and set targeted goals.
- Establish data-driven benchmarks for mental health initiatives, ensuring alignment with regional and equity-focused objectives.
- Support school and regional leaders in data literacy, helping them understand and utilize mental health data to inform site-based practices and interventions.
Other duties as assigned.
Competencies, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Knowledge of key concepts related to MTSS structures.
- Knowledge of current legal, philosophical and ethical topics related to mental health delivery
- Familiarity with California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) policies and practices related to licensure.
- Cultural competence regarding equity, racial justice and LGBTQ inclusion.
- Experience leading and forging productive collaborations across disciplines and levels of hierarchy.
- Exceptional writing, verbal and interpersonal skills, including public speaking.
- Keen analytical skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to think "big picture" as well as to translate ideas into realistic, actionable plans.
- Ability to handle and respond to multiple competing priorities.
- Ability to collaborate with other Aspire Public School departments, with a high level of personal investment in contributing to the priorities of the organization as a whole.
- Ability to synthesize and apply information for different audiences.
- Experience and adeptness in meeting facilitation.
Ability to work with minimal supervision.
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required.
- Master’s degree required in Psychology, Counseling, Social Work, Public Health, or a related field.
- Active and in good standing licensure with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences in one of the following areas: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP), or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC).
Experience required:
Minimum of 5-7 years of professional experience in mental health services, including clinical experience in a school, community, or healthcare setting.
- Demonstrated experience in crisis intervention and management, including developing and implementing crisis response protocols (i.e. CSTAG, PREPaRE, or other crisis response protocols)
- Proven track record in designing and implementing mental health programs, with a focus on student wellness.
- Experience in supervision and training of mental health staff, including clinicians, counselors, and support personnel.
- Strong background in collaborating with diverse communities and supporting equitable mental health practices.
- Knowledge of current best practices and legal regulations related to student mental health services in a school or educational setting.
Aspire Public Schools is dedicated to our teammate's well-being! In addition to a competitive base salary that is benchmarked against local districts and charter schools, we offer employees exceptional benefits, including paid time off, 100% core health benefits coverage on select plans, life insurance/long-term disability, participation in a CA state retirement plan, tuition reimbursement plan, and adoption assistance program.
Our salary schedule based on years of experience for this position type is reflected here:
Aspire Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Aspire promotes affirmative action for minorities, women, disabled persons, and veterans.
