Director of Mental Health

Washington, DC, United States

DC International School is hiring a full time Director of Mental Health . To apply, complete the employment application below , and be prepared to upload a copy of your cover letter and resume. You will need to pass a background check. No phone calls please.

Position Overview: The Director is responsible for programmatic oversight of DCI’s counseling program, management and supervision of counseling personnel, and supporting with key scheduling projects and timelines. The Director will also support the graduate verification process. This position will collaborate closely with Educational Leaders, the Student Support Team, Ed Office Administrators and the Director of Data and Assessments. The Director of Mental Health reports on a 12-month calendar.

Salary Range: $95,000-$120,000 (Starting salary is determined by education and years of relevant experience)

Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in School Counseling or Social Work required.

LPC or LICSW licensure preferred

Thorough knowledge of current trends and best practices for providing a comprehensive school counseling program at the secondary level; thorough knowledge of counseling theories and skills, group dynamics and small group processes, as well as, the ASCA Model

At least 5 years of experience as a MS or HS School Counselor and/or Social Worker

The ability to provide leadership, coaching and supervision of a school counseling department; the ability to motivate others to reach their fullest potential. Previous experience managing a team of clinicians is preferred.

The ability to create, execute and continuously refine an organization-wide Mental Health Strategic Plan.

The ability to implement evidence-based therapy practices across a school-wide counseling team, in keeping with the strategic plan.

Commitment to ensuring access and achievement for our learners with exceptional learning needs, as well as in-depth knowledge of laws and best practices related to students with IEPs and 504 plans.

Knowledge of and experience utilizing anti-racist practices in the field of mental health and mental health supervision

In-depth knowledge of child development, group and individual counseling techniques, conflict resolution techniques, and community resources

Experience with trauma-informed care and crisis response

The ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with school officials, parents, students, teachers, support staff and associates; excellent oral and written communication skills; expertise with internet and computer programs

Experience working in an urban school with diverse families.

Strong interest in, or experience with, language immersion, 1:1 technology, and IB Programme models.

Commitment to keeping current on best practices in technology and general education.

Bilingual in Spanish (preferred)

Duties & Responsibilities:

Work within the beliefs, philosophy, and mission statements that have been developed by DCIs counseling department to align with DCI’s mission statement.

Advocate for the elimination of barriers to access and assure a rigorous curriculum and environment for all students.

Ensure that student academic program planning is provided to assist each student in selecting appropriate and challenging courses based upon their educational and career goals.

Apply legal and ethical standards of ASCA and NASW.

Supervise, coach, and evaluate a team of counselors at DCI.

Manage the delivery of school counseling services to address the academic, social/emotional, and career domains as developmentally appropriate.

Document student records

Coordinate the Crisis Management Team, including during on-call periods after hours and on weekends.

Coordinate and plan all school counseling informational programs for staff, students, and parents in conjunction with individual school counselors assigned to each program.

Supervise and consult with the College & Career Counselors regarding delivery of career and college counseling services.

Prepare a school counseling handbook of all program activities, to include school counselor responsibilities.

Supervise the application and selection of students for special programs.

Participate in and attend various meetings related to school counseling services.

Provide information regarding professional development opportunities available for school counselors.

Assist in the screening and selection of new school counselors and support staff.

Provide leadership in the evaluative process for school counselors.

Coordinate referrals to outside agencies.

Provide school counseling services to students as designated by agreement with school administration.

Ensure that school counselors spend a minimum of 75% of their time counseling students.

Provide ongoing audits of the middle school and high school counseling program.

Demonstrates and maintains a knowledge of district regulations and policies that govern graduation, reporting of grades, promotion and retention, and all other relevant statutes.

Displays effective verbal and written communication skills and is able to provide exemplary customer services to all stakeholders through responsive and timely actions.

Analyzes the compatibility of program requirements and implementation procedures.

Supports the management of the MYP, DP and CP course to add, modify, or close courses offered within DCI; and similarly, manages the creation and modification of diploma types and requirement tracking for IB, OSSE and/or DC PCSB.

Processes case management concerns from schools, including concerns around graduation requirements, course credits, grade point averages, and transcript analysis.

Keeps abreast of projects, high-level initiatives, and emerging issues across DCI and pro-actively helps to adjust department approach based on changes in direction, priorities, and resources; and collaborates with colleagues in other departments to develop or modify policy.

Develops documents for school staff and administers policy updates, requirements, department manuals, and FAQs affecting academic planning and scheduling.

Other duties as assigned.

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