School Prevention Specialist

The School Prevention Specialist will serve schools K-12 in multiple school, providing support and interventions to at-risk youth and their family to prevent bullying, cyberbullying, school avoidance, physical fighting and school threats. To create a positive learning environment, this position requires a working alliance with LBS therapists, teachers, administrators and community members.

Essential Duties:

• Completes all required trainings
• Educate school staff on bullying, cyberbullying, school avoidance, school violence and school threats
• Provide students, family, teachers and administrators with relevant information and treatment referral process
• Track incidents of violence, bullying, cyberbullying physical fighting and school threats
• Monitor student attendance, track absences and identify students with school avoidance history
• Perform home visits to chronically absent and high-risk students to assess needs and family functioning
• Build relationships with schools and neighboring communities to engage high-risk youth
• Provide intervention in situations where violence is likely to occur
• Responsible for gaining student trust (Motivational Interviewing) to maintain active youth/family engagement
• Participate in collaborative efforts, meetings, and other events with partner organizations/communities to educate on prevention and treatment of school bullying, cyberbullying, physical fighting, threats, school avoidance, trauma, resiliency-building, and EBP approaches
• Formulate action plans to help resolve conflicts with high-risk individuals through mediation activities
• Provide support, role modeling and creative interventions including group for youth and family
• Provide preventive safety measures such as threat assessments, resiliency communication skill development
• Monitor and guide student behavior to align with the Student Code of Conduct
• Monitor morning student entrance and afternoon exit to school and cafeteria during lunch and events
• Conduct classroom walk-throughs to promote positive behavior
• Monitor gym when youth are engaged in structured or unstructured activities
• Identify youth and family with needed resources, through referrals to wraparound, home-based or other services

COMPETENCIES

Strategic Thinking-Considers the future of the organization proactively and responsively; weighs diverse inputs to inform strategies; identifies innovative opportunities when relevant:

• Gathering data/input
• Formulating strategies

To identify school/district, student/family needs, and assess for safety and potential insecurities in the community, the C&F School Prevention Specialist (CF SPS) utilizes relevant data (bullying, chronic absenteeism, violence) through Community Needs Assessment, Michigan Public Health Institute, US Department of Education, etc. Based on input and data, CF SPS formulates performance improvement strategies to ensure efficient service delivery and best possible outcomes.

Decision-Making- Effectively structures and facilitates decision-making processes; makes decisions effectively and responsibly to improve organizational health and impact:

• Gathering and interpreting data
• Identifying and mitigating risk related to decision-making
• Executing decisions

C&F SPS reviews data and input from others (students, family, school/district staff, community organizations, etc.) prior to decision-making. Considers potential risk/benefit to students/family, schools, community and agency. Makes sound decisions and implements necessary and ongoing changes to decrease identified insecurities, threats of violence, physical altercations, bullying and chronic absenteeism.

Organizational Growth Orientation- Has a future-oriented mindset for the organization; identifies and pursues business development and growth opportunities.

• Assessing growth opportunities
• Communicating impact of growth
• Balancing resources and growth

C&F SPS understands agency’s standards for program success. Considers impact of growth: increased number of families served, additional districts/school served, and community involvement. SPS communicates the impact of growth, both negative/positive to the team and CCO. Balances allotted program resources with degree of identified needs, growth and sustained success.

Organization & Systems Knowledge- Has a robust understanding of the community served and the landscape in which the organization operates, and actively applies that knowledge.

• Understands the context
• Applying knowledge

C&F SPS attains a robust understanding of the CMH process, needs of the local communities, schools and school districts. C&F SPS develops strategies to strengthen meaningful, value-focused services.

Values and Prioritizes Inclusivity- Consistently sees, learns from, and takes strategic action-related to diverse perspectives; and demonstrates the self-awareness and behaviors to work with stakeholders (of various identities and levels of power) respectfully and effectively. Actively seeks to build and retain a diverse workforce and fosters an equitable inclusive workplace.

• Valuing diverse perspectives and seeking to learn from them.
• Building and advancing diversity and inclusion.

C&F SPS actively fosters equity and inclusivity with all students, families, agencies, workplace colleagues, community, and school partners. Maintains open-mindedness and considers Connection and Engagement as a workplace essential.

Emotional Awareness- Understands emotions of self and others, and responds with empathy.

• Demonstrating self-awareness and control
• Showing empathy

C&F SPS understands emotions of self, co-workers, students/family, school/community partners, (including burnout, hopelessness, anger, etc.) while demonstrating self-awareness and control. Demonstrates appropriate and genuine empathy.

Responsibilities include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Practice person centered planning principles
• Complete progress notes to reflect progress toward established goals and objectives

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a human service field from an accredited college or university
• Prefer 2 years mental health experience in working with youth and family

Licensure

• Possession of a valid Michigan Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record according to Lincoln Behavioral Services policy, including issuance for a minimum of 3 years.
• Ability to pass required background checks

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written with the ability to establish professional relationships
• Demonstrates knowledge of community resources.
• Works as part of a treatment team to facilitate efficient operation of the program and consumer services.

Qualifications - To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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 the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.