What are the responsibilities and job description for the MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST, UPPER SCHOOL (FOCUS ON 5TH TO 8TH GRADE) position at Bank Street?
Job Description
Mental Health Specialist, Upper School (Focus on 5th to 8th Grade)
Start Date : August 27, 2025 Salary : 61K-150K
Schedule : This role is a 10-month position, and is in the Professional Employees' Federation (PEF), the union for faculty members at Bank Street College. The hours for this position are 8 : 00 AM-4 : 00 PM, Mondays through Fridays, and until 5 : 00 PM on Wednesdays for a weekly afternoon faculty meeting. This role also includes occasional overnight work and occasional event support that may happen early mornings, evenings, or weekends.
About the School
A leader in progressive education for more than 100 years, the Bank Street School for Children provides students, from nursery through 8th grade, an education that engages their natural curiosity, nurtures critical thinking, and helps to develop a sense of community and social responsibility. Through a teaching approach that is fundamentally hands-on and child-centered, Bank Street students develop the courage and confidence to think independently, work collaboratively, understand themselves and others more deeply, and possess the compassion to make meaning of the world around them.
About the Position
The Bank Street School for Children is seeking a collaborative, experienced and knowledgeable individual to fill the position of Mental Health Specialist in our Upper School (5th to 8th Grade). While this role will primarily support the Upper School, it may also support other age levels when needs arise. This specialist may be a psychologist, social worker, or counselor and serves as a resource to our youngest students and their families and teachers. This role is a part of the school's Mental Health Team.
The right candidate must be welcoming, discrete, professional, playful and able to initiate and lead when needed. The ideal candidate will be passionate about supporting children as they navigate the joys and challenges of a progressive school community.
Responsibilities :
Work with Children & Parents
- Facilitate or co-facilitate workshops for teachers and parents about child development
- Co-facilitate student support team meetings for each classroom as well as specialist teams
- Collaborate with the DEI director around themes of identity, power and privilege and how they impact the emotional wellbeing of children
- Meet with families and teachers to develop strategies to support the social-emotional growth, behavior, and learning needs of children
- Meet with parents / caregivers individually or in groups as needed to further the growth of their children and provide psycho-education
- Make therapeutic referrals to outside providers when appropriate
- Interpret results of outside neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluations
- Actively engage with children in their classrooms and during recess to be integrated fully into the community
- Create and teach about social emotional themes in classrooms at developmentally appropriate level
- Respond to student behavioral and emotional crises across Children's Programs when needed
- Support children individually and in groups. This may include pull-out work, supporting children within classrooms, and accompanying students on field trips.
- Maintain contact and liaison with outside therapists and other appropriate services such as social skills groups
- Teach some classes on mental health, SEL, human growth & development, or related topics to students
- Maintain up to date notes through documenting sessions, contacts, and mental health files within the school's data systems
- Meet and collaborate regularly with other members of the Mental Health Team, your supervisor, and other members of the school. These meetings include but are not limited to weekly division meetings, supervision meetings, mental health team meetings, and grade-level team meetings
Other Responsibilities
Qualifications :
About Us
Bank Street is a leader in education, a pioneer in improving the quality of classroom practice, and a national advocate for children and their families.
Since its beginnings in 1916, Bank Street has been at the forefront of understanding how children learn and grow. From early childhood centers and schools to hospitals and museums, Bank Street has built a national reputation on the simple fact that our graduates know how to do the work that is right for children.
At Bank Street's Graduate School of Education, students are trained in a model that combines the study of human development, learning theory, and sustained clinical placement to promote significant development as a teacher prior to graduation. Our children's programs-Bank Street School for Children, Family Center, Bank Street Head Start, and Liberty LEADS-foster children's development in the broadest sense by providing diverse opportunities for social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. The Bank Street Education Center disrupts inequity through system-level change to help design better educational experiences for both children and adults. The College further supports and influences positive outcomes for children every day through professional development programs, research projects, and other key efforts engaging educators, intermediary organizations, and government officials at the district, state, and federal levels.
