School Mental Health Specialist

Job Description

Forefront Suicide Prevention and the UW School of Social Work have an excellent opportunity for a full-time (1.0 FTE) School Mental Health Specialist.

 

About this Opportunity

The School Mental Health Specialist role is dedicated to building community-level support in suicide prevention across Washington State, supporting systems-wide school mental health transformation through a guided process of strategic assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. This position will support Forefront’s School Based programs and our partnership with the JED Foundation to scale JED High School in Washington state. The Jed Foundation’s Comprehensive Approach for Mental Health Promotion provides trusted and evidence-based practice recommendations for schools and districts to building and enhancing their school mental health and suicide prevention programs

The School Mental Health Specialist serves a primary role in coordinating the administrative, operational, and programmatic components of our school-based programing:

Key Responsibilities

Program Implementation and Technical Assistance (75%)

● Recruit and manage a consulting portfolio of 30-40 high schools across the state of Washington, developed over the course of 3 years.

● Guide schools through the full cycle of JED’s PK-12 programs with an emphasis on

collaboration through consultation.

● Leveraging school mental health expertise, provide direct technical assistance to

schools/districts on best practices in mental health practices, programming, and policies in

the PK-12 sector.

● Analyze and synthesize data from a variety of sources to inform development of feedback

reports, strategic plans, and other support resources for school/district partners, and help

partners to draw meaningful conclusions from data.

● Lead collaboration with school/district personnel to develop a data-informed strategic

plan to improve their practices, procedures, and policies around school mental health.

support and suicide prevention, including the related fields encompassing student support.

● Support school/district personnel and leadership in their efforts to leverage community

engagement throughout various phases of JED’s PK-12 programs.

● Assist in the curation and development of mental health support and suicide prevention

activities, materials, presentations, and other related resources for school/district

professional development, community meetings, etc.

● Recommend evidence-based strategies and creative solutions to meet individual

school/district challenges throughout multi-year project execution.

● Leverage expertise to assist with other school mental health and related consulting

projects, as assigned.

 

Monitoring and Evaluation (15%)

● Motivate and advise schools/districts in completion of baseline assessment protocols,

surveys, and other program activities and data collection methods.

● Lead school/district partners through a continuous evaluation process to review progress

and measure effectiveness.

● Utilize Salesforce and comply with other JED procedures to record and track program

metrics for quality assurance and evaluation.

 

Project Management (10%)

● Build and maintain positive and effective working relationships with school and district

leaders to ensure success throughout the duration of program engagement.

● Monitor school/district progress throughout the engagement lifecycle.

● Oversee project timelines and ensure schools/districts are meeting program milestones in

a timely manner.

And other duties, as assigned, to help support the overall work of Forefront School Based programs.

Required Qualifications:

To be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of master’s level training in psychology, social work, school counseling, or related field required
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with adolescents in educational, healthcare, or community settings is required.

Applicants who do not meet these qualifications WILL NOT be forwarded to the Hiring Manager.

Additional Qualifications:

• Self-driven and results-oriented with a positive outlook and strong problem-solving skills.
• Strong research, analytical, and critical thinking abilities, and the ability to analyze and apply data to draw meaningful conclusions.
• Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Strong written communication with experience in drafting report-style formats.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills, including the ability and initiative to establish new partnerships. 
• Strong commitment to the mission and vision of Forefront and promoting access to comprehensive suicide prevention efforts across Washington state

Preferred Qualifications:

• 3-5 or more years of experience with secondary education systems strongly preferred. 
• Strong technical knowledge of school based mental health, Social Emotional Learning, suicide prevention and substance use prevention.
• Experience building and managing programs. 
• Bilingual in English/Spanish.

Application Requirement

Please include a cover letter with your application to be considered for this position.

Compensation, Benefits and Position Details

Pay Range Minimum:

$71,952.00 annual

Pay Range Maximum:

$88,776.00 annual

Other Compensation:

-

Benefits:

For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/

Shift:

First Shift (United States of America)

Temporary or Regular?

This is a regular position

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent):

100.00%

Union/Bargaining Unit:

Not Applicable

About the UW 

Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives – on our campuses, in our state and around the world.  

UW employees bring their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. In return, they enjoy outstanding benefits, opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. 

Our Commitment 

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or [email protected]. 

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.