Behavior Specialist (25-26 SY)

Job purpose:

In keeping a tradition of excellence, the purpose of the Behavior Specialist Special Education is to provide behavior support for Special Education students across the district as designated by their IEP or other Special Education forms. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below 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.

Duties and responsibilities: 

• Provide direct intervention, counseling, behavior consultation, and assist with behavioral management programs for students who are in need of an individual support plan/functional behavior assessment, to include follow-up on specific recommended learning strategies with students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

• Assist with transition of SPED students from learning center to their home schools.

• Direct caseload contact for individual and group counseling with students for schools designated by the Special Education Director.

• Conduct Social Skills instruction in-group counseling settings at assigned schools as needed.

• Attend IEP and eligibility meetings to provide parent/staff information and to ensure behavior supports are properly implemented.

• Provide Crisis Management.

• Liaison with outside mental health agencies/organizations, placements, physicians, psychologists and counselors.

• Attend weekly staff/team meetings with department behavior team.

• Provide assistance with the development of behavior goals for student individualized education plans.

• Develop targeted support plans for students displaying behavioral deficits in the school setting.

• Collect and analyze student behavioral data to make data driven decisions in regards to student behavior.

• Conduct IEP meetings to obtain consent when a functional behavior assessment is warranted.

• Conduct functional behavior assessments.

• Review the findings of the functional behavior assessment with parents and staff in the form  of an IEP meeting.

• Develop a behavior intervention plan based on the findings of the functional behavior assessment.

• Train staff working with students with behavior intervention plans on data collection for progress  monitoring of behavior.

• Be willing to acquire crisis prevention intervention certification.

• Conduct manifestation determination reviews based on data collected and reviewed.

• Oversee the completion of paperwork that is completed as a part of a manifestation determination review/change in placement.

• Attend 45 day review meetings that are held for students placed in alternative settings.

• Provide weekly support/collaboration with special education teachers in the school settings covered.

• Lead and attend staff meetings/trainings as applicable; serve on staff committees

• Assume responsibility for own professional growth and development, for keeping current with literature, new research findings, for attending appropriate professional meetings and conferences, and to maintain any credits and/or continued education for maintenance of licensure/qualifications required for the position

• Maintain and accept responsibility for any district owned fixed asset item assigned to employee and ensure appropriate use by following district policies for acceptable use

• Undergo periodic evaluations according to state and board policy procedures

• Maintain confidentiality

• Regular, dependable, in person, and punctual attendance is an essential function of this position

• Perform such other and not specifically enumerated duties as may be requested by the Board of Education, superintendent, administrator, director or established by district policy

• Read, understand, and abide by Employee Conduct Policy, GAB, all other district, state and federal policies, and procedures and protocols as established by RCSD and the Mississippi Educator Code of Conduct

Qualifications:

• Education Level: Minimum of Master’s degree issued by an accredited college or university

• Licensure:  Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

• Other Requirements:  Experience working with individuals who have behavioral difficulties in a any additional qualifications as the Board may find appropriate and acceptable

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands for fine manipulation, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms using equipment such as a keyboard and video display terminal. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, reach, crouch or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and move up to 35 pounds and occasionally up to 75 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.    

Work Environment:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The work environment is not a standard office setting; but rather encompasses the entire active school campus both inside and outside the facilities. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate and occasionally high.

Terms of Employment:

Salary, days and work year as established by the Rankin County Board of Education 

Evaluation:

Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with the provisions of the Rankin County School Board policy on Evaluation of Employees. 

Reviewed and agreed to by:  ___________________________  Date:  _____________

                    (employee)

Reviewed and agreed to by: ___________________________ Date:  _______________

           (supervisor)