Specialist - I

Description

Department: Behavioral Health & Wellness

Program: School-Based Skill Building 

Status: Full-time, non-exempt

Pay: $23 hour

Location: San Ysidro School District

Schedule: General work schedule is 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and is based on the general operating hours of the schools served. Schedule may vary to meet the various needs of the program. 

# of Openings: 2

Who we are

SBCS (formerly South Bay Community Services) transforms communities to support the well-being and prosperity of children, youth, and families. For more than 50 years, we’ve worked throughout San Diego to provide safe shelter, transitional housing, intervention prevention programs, mental health support, and many other services that meet the ever-changing needs of our communities.

Our organization is dedicated to offering high-quality services and ensuring all services align with the community's needs. To best serve our communities, SBCS partners with various grassroots organizations throughout California to develop innovative strategies that enhance services, empower clients, and ensure that culturally appropriate and trauma-informed care is offered. SBCS provides a wide range of services tailored to meet each client's unique needs. At SBCS, our client-centered approach highlights the importance of respect, empathy, and compassion when interacting with all community members. 

As a mission-driven organization, our work is centered around providing exceptional, face-to-face support to our clients and community members to foster trust, accessibility and personal connection that are critical to our mission. 

About YOU

You are an advocate and champion of nurturing communities where families can pursue their dreams and fulfill their potential. 

You are dedicated to and energized by engaging directly with individuals and communities. 

You care deeply about the well-being and prosperity of ALL children and youth throughout San Diego.

You want to become a part of an energetic and effective team, and contribute your expertise, creativity, and insights to a unique role encompassing program management, development, and direct counseling services for at-risk children, adolescents, and families. 

About our organization

SBCS is home to a committed team of 470 dedicated employees and volunteers who diligently serve all of San Diego County. Having offered services for 52 years, SBCS is committed to providing hope and support for numerous young children, individuals, and families facing adversity. With an annual budget of $68 million, SBCS continues to be a beacon of assistance in the community. 

Competitive and Sustainable Employee Pay Package:

SBCS offers competitive pay and additional benefits for full-time employees, including generous vacation time, holidays, health, vision, dental, flexible spending accounts, an employee assistance program, discount programs, public service forgiveness loan, and an excellent retirement plan with matching contributions. Hybrid and remote schedules are available based on the program and job roles.  

Program

SBCS’ School-Based Skill Building program provides mental health services for Medi-Cal eligible children, helping them strengthen social-emotional skills that support academic success and overall well-being. Services include classroom-based instruction, small group interventions, and monthly family engagement activities designed to reinforce skill development and promote positive outcomes at home and at school. 

Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Program Director and Department Director, the School-Based Skill Building Specialist I is responsible for providing evidence-based social-emotional mental health prevention and early intervention services to Medi-Cal eligible students in grades 4 through 8 and their families. The Specialist delivers curriculum-based services in classroom, smaller group, and family settings, and may facilitate presentations for parents, caregivers, and school staff. This position collaborates closely with teachers, administrators, counselores, nurses, and families to foster a postive school climate, strengthen student’s development, improve behavior and support academic success. Services will be in keeping with the agency goals, objectives, mission, and style provided within a team framework.

Duties:

• Process and coordinate program referrals received from designated school sites, ensuring timely intake, accurate documentation, and appropriate follow-up. 
• Conduct student and family assessments, screenings, and outcome measures to identify service needs, monitor progress and support ongoing treatment planning and program evaluation, Deliver the Second Step curriculum to students in grades 4 through 8 through classroom instruction and small group interventions.
• Provide referrals, resource linkage, crisis intervention, case management and safety planning for students with higher levels of behavioral health, social-emotional, or psychosocial needs, ensuring timely access to appropriate supports and services.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and complete electronic case records, including data entry, assessments, progress notes, and service documentation, in accordance with agency, program, and school district regulations.
• Expected to meet required productivity and billable hour expectations. 
• Maintain an assigned caseload that meets program and County requirements.
• Travels between assigned school sites throughout the week as required. 
• Communicate and collaborate with school personnel regarding student participation in the program and support student progress. 
• Participate in school and community-based meetings, including student support and case coordination meetings, as requested or required. 
• Maintain accurate, timely, and complete client case files in accordance with County and Agency standards. 
• Complete accurate and timely documentation in the County Electronic Health Record (EHR).
• Participate in team meetings, training, individual supervision and clinical group supervision.
• Adhere to agency and County client confidentiality, HIPAA, and mandated reporting policies.
• Attend all agencies required trainings, staff meetings, and activities. 
• Other duties as assigned.\

Requirements

• Must have a bachelor’s degree in social sciences or a related field. 
• Minimum of 1 year of experience working with children and adolescents; experience should preferably have been in a school setting or community-based organization. 
• Must possess an ability to work with a diverse cultural population, as well as ability to take initiative, set goals, and prioritize. 
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with a diverse range of people and organizations, as well as strong public speaking skills. 
• Must possess good working knowledge of Microsoft Windows, including Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams to develop, update, maintain and manage spreadsheets and data reports.
• Possess initiative, ability to set goals, and prioritize while being highly organized.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.
• Ability to work with a diverse population, possess cultural sensitivity, and maintain appropriate boundaries with clients.

Conditions of Employment

• Employment may be conditioned upon satisfactory completion of certain background clearances which may include a Department of Justice criminal background check requiring my fingerprints (Live Scan), screening through the National Sex Offender Public Website, drug test, tuberculosis (TB) test, and such additional clearances as may be required under the program. 
• Candidate is required to have reliable transportation; therefore, the candidate must successfully complete a motor history check. Candidate must also possess and maintain a current valid California driver’s license and valid auto insurance policy. (Approximately 20% - 30% of the time.)

Physical Demands:

• Mentally and emotionally: Ability to work under deadlines, various projects and dealing with clients in crisis and difficult situations.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position during shift. 
• Moves throughout the building. 
• Moves, raises, or lowers (includes upward pulling) an object or equipment up to 50 lbs. 
• Transports an object, from 20 to 50 lbs. across the facility, for various needs.
• Ability to exert force upon an object so that the object moves away from the force. 
• Ability to exert force upon an object so that the object moves toward the force (includes jerking) 
• Ascending or descending stairs and ladders when applicable. Body agility is emphasized. 
• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when ascending, descending, traversing.  
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist, requiring full use of the lower extremities and back muscles. 
• Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with objects or office machinery. 
• Communicating: Expressing or exchanging ideas. Communicating is important for those activities in which workers must impart information to clients or to the public, and in those activities in which they must convey detailed or important instructions to other workers accurately, or quickly. 

The statements contained herein describe the scope of the responsibility and essential functions of this position but should not be considered to be an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time unless restricted by a negotiated contract.

Accessibility Accommodation

SBCS is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. 

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, parental status, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program – Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

At-Will Employment Status

Please note that all employment with SBCS is at-will, which means your employment may be terminated at any time by you or SBCS, without cause or advance notice. The terms and conditions of any employment may also be modified.