Licensed Mental Health Provider -
Special Ed Lower School (FT/PT)

Gillen Brewer School is seeking a Licensed Mental Health Provider to join our special education lower school program.  We welcome both full-time and part-time applicants.  In this role, you will collaborate with educational teams, including teachers and therapists, across three key domains: Psychology, Occupational Therapy, and Speech-Language Pathology, to provide support for our students' academic, social, and emotional growth.  If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children with special needs, we invite you to apply at The Gillen Brewer School today!  

All applicants will be required to submit a resume, cover letter, and two reference letters.  Gillen Brewer offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience and a comprehensive professional development program.

Summary

The Lower School Licensed Mental Health Provider at Gillen Brewer is a critical part of the students’ learning experience and provides a range of direct and indirect services. The applicant for this position should be highly experienced in classroom management techniques and have strong behavioral therapy skills in addition to being experienced in individual play therapy, group therapy, social skills training, consultation/collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, and participating in classroom activities to promote generalization of skills. We work closely with our parents/caregivers and provide parent/caregiver workshops. The Licensed Mental Health Provider also provides staff training throughout the year.

The Licensed Mental Health Provider is a critical part of the child's learning experience at Gillen Brewer. The Licensed Mental Health Provider reports to the Head of the Psychology Department, who reports to the Assistant Head of School. The Licensed Mental Health Provider will work as part of an integrated team with Teachers, Occupational Therapists, and Speech-Language Pathologists in a therapeutic school setting. Gillen Brewer expects Licensed Mental Health Providers will conduct themselves in a professional manner with regard to attitude, participation, communication, and interactions with staff, children, and parents. Licensed Mental Health Providers are expected to understand the school’s policies, procedures, and guidelines as set in the staff handbook, located on the school’s shared Google Drive. As a part of the school community, Licensed Mental Health Providers are encouraged to participate in school community events, join committees, and be a part of a positive working environment for children, families, and colleagues. Licensed Mental Health Providers will also support and promote the school’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) practices within the program and throughout the community.  Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Duties and Responsibilities

• Participate in team meetings
• Create well-thought-out therapy sessions, demonstrating an understanding of the child's needs
• Conduct informal/formal assessment of children as well as implement, update, and create progress reports
• Create, implement, and model behavioral plans and interventions recommending visuals and necessary support when warranted. Collect and analyze data on effectiveness
• Respond to crises as needed, following CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention protocols
• Maintain office upkeep and housekeeping
• Create, implement, and model behavioral plans and interventions recommending visuals and necessary support when warranted. Seek feedback on effectiveness
• Co-treat with other therapists purposefully
• Coordinate and communicate with outside therapists as needed
• Support the children's physical, emotional, sensory, academic, and language needs
• Recommend and implement therapeutic programs into the classroom and assist/train teachers and other staff in how to use them
• Collaborate with teachers to plan and co-lead group activities in the classroom when within your domain
• Maintain parent communication as needed
• Support teachers with visuals and classroom arrangement and upkeep
• Follow appropriate procedures for handling issues with other staff members
• When mandate schedule allows, provide classroom support as needed
• Maintain an open and honest line of communication with the Department Head and the Head of the School. Take an active role in supervision, learning, and training. Actively seek out information and resources appropriate to the school
• Provide classroom staffing support as needed
• Participate in arrival/dismissal duties as needed
• Provide staff and parent in-services as needed
• Contribute to schoolwide website as needed

Required Skills/Abilities

• Strong understanding of/experience using behavioral modification techniques (BCBA preferred)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Thorough understanding of therapy procedures and management
• Ability to relate to children and reinforce therapy sessions
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to collaborate with the classroom team members
• Team-oriented approach with a positive work attitude

Planning and Recordkeeping

• Take daily anecdotal notes in regard to each student’s progress and/or behavioral data as needed
• Informal/Formal assessment of children
• Write Mid-year and End-of-Year Integrative Reports collaboratively with team

Professional Requirements

• Master’s degree (required) or Doctoral degree (preferred)
• New York State School Psychology Certification (Provisional, Professional, or Permanent) OR
• New York State Licensed Psychologist,
  New York State Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), OR
  New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• 3-5 years of previous counseling experience in a school preferred
• Strong understanding of/experience using behavioral modification techniques (BCBA preferred)

Physical Requirements

Employees must have the physical capacity to navigate the classroom and school environments in order to effectively meet the needs of our students. Such physical requirements include but are not limited to: walking, standing, sitting, climbing up and down stairs, kneeling, stooping, crawling, bending, pushing, pulling, and lifting. Employees must be able to sit at a desk and work on a computer for long periods of time to complete necessary paperwork. Vision, with or without lenses, must be sufficient to read in both paper and digital formats. Employees must have the ability to hear, read, write, and speak in English.

Professional Development

The school is a community of learners. In addition to staff development and training at Gillen Brewer, employees are encouraged to pursue educational goals through conferences and various workshops. Licensed Mental Health Providers are required to attend all staff development workshops, staff, team, and supervision meetings. Staff is also encouraged to attend all school functions listed on the school calendar.

Supervision & Support

The Head of the Psychology Department will oversee and analyze all aspects of the department through the use of observation cycles, in-office sessions, team meetings, conversations with staff, lesson planning, curriculum development, student progress, and report writing. Staff development and support through modeling and coaching will be provided which will include in-house and outside professional opportunities. Frequency of observations and feedback sessions will be determined by the Department Head, Assistant Head of School, and Head of School. The Head of the Psychology Department will conduct two formal evaluations a year using this job description and the Psychology Evaluation checklist as a guide. Evidence of effectiveness will be collected through observations, discussions, and products.

Benefits & Paid Time Off

Gillen Brewer offers generous benefits including medical, dental, vision, 403(b) retirement plan, life insurance, HRA, FSA, employee assistance program, employee discounts, Aflac, and more.  Paid time off includes two weeks in August, two weeks in December, two weeks in March/April, and two weeks in June, along with paid federal holidays.  Staff also receives ten paid personal days to use at your own discretion.  Restrictions may apply.  

Other Requirements

You must be authorized to work in the United States and be willing to undergo a number of clearances, including E-VERIFY, NYSED and NYCDOH fingerprinting, a medical health form, and other background checks.

To Apply

To be considered, interested applicants MUST submit a cover letter, resume, and two reference letters.  Please submit materials directly via email to [email protected].  Please include your name and the position of interest in the subject line of your email (i.e., Sherrie Peppard — Licensed Mental Health Provider - Special Ed Lower School).

No telephone inquiries or recruiters, please. Replies will only be sent to qualified applicants.

About Gillen Brewer School

The Gillen Brewer School is a reputable special needs school in the Upper East Side of Manhattan dedicated to transforming the lives of young children with a wide variety of language, emotional, developmental and learning disabilities. The school specializes in educating children with challenging, and often multiple disabilities including language-based and non-verbal learning disabilities.

Connections working at Gillen Brewer School