Mental Health Specialist

This position is a 1.0 FTE position (260 days) assigned to work District Wide with the Elementary Schools. The annual salary range for this position is $65,770 - $82,285.

Nature of Work

Incumbents are responsible for providing mental health services to students and families. Responsibilities may include providing short and long term counseling; providing referrals; conducting diagnostic assessments; and performing crisis intervention.

Typical Class Responsibilities

• Provides short and long-term mental health services, consultations, and counseling to students and families; triages student needs; and determines the appropriate interventions.
• Collaborates, consults, facilitates, and attends meetings with administrators, teachers, staff, member districts, and others to coordinate, prioritize, and provide mental health support services.
• Administers and completes diagnostic assessments; analyzes student needs; conducts observations; interviews families; and creates plans of action to meet the individual needs of students.
• Provides educational consultation, information, and training to teachers, staff, and member districts on mental health related issues.
• Prepares documentation, reports, and/or other correspondence including assessments, evaluation reports, progress reports, and other related paperwork; and ensures compliance with applicable local, state and federal laws, rules, and regulations.
• Performs other duties of a similar nature or level.

Training and Experience Requirements

Master's degree in Psychology, Social Work or related field; and 3 years of experience

Licensing Requirements

Licensed Psychologist with MN Board of Psychology or a License Independent Clinical Social Worker with MN Board of Social Work

Knowledge Requirements

• Psychology, therapy, and counseling principles and practices;
• Symptoms and causes of mental illness;
• Mental health classifications;
• Problem solving techniques;
• Case management principles and practices;
• Child development and learning;
• Customer service principles;
• Applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations;
• Recordkeeping principles;
• Computers and related software applications.

Skill Requirements

• Providing counseling services;
• Conducting interventions and assessments;
• Identifying and recognizing abnormal behaviors associated with mental disorders;
• Managing crises;
• Identifying and resolving problems;
• Applying local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations;
• Preparing and maintaining records and reports;
• Operating a computer and applicable software applications;
• Communication and interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.

Physical Requirements

Positions in this class typically require: reaching, standing, walking, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions.

Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Walking and standing are required only occasionally.

Commitment to Equity

At Northeast Metro 916, equity means that everyone has access to what they need in order to learn, grow and thrive.
Northeast Metro 916 will not discriminate against individuals based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, parental status, status with regard to public assistance, disability, age or sexual orientation.