Primary Job Function:

The Mental Health Therapist provides a variety of healing therapeutic services to students, parents and teachers in Fort Wayne Community Schools to enhance student development and achievement. The incumbent will provide students with assistance in identifying, developing and meeting personal, educational and vocational objectives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Primary functions may include the following duties, responsibilities, skills, abilities and other characteristics. This list of tasks is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY and is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of tasks performed by all positions within this classification.

• Leadership
  • Responsible for providing a wide range of prevention, early intervention and treatment services to the students.
  • Responsible for providing group or individual therapy.
  • Ensure immediate support is made available for students or staff who experience traumatic, have strong emotional responses, or become a danger to self or others.
  • Responsible for providing support for social emotional well-being as it relates to anger, anxiety, ADHD symptoms, grief, trauma, depression.
  • Responsible for coordinating students use of other agency programs and outside community resources.
  • Responsible for determining student needs and provide assistance in identifying, developing and meeting personal, vocational and educational goals and objectives.
  • Assist in developing social, academic, instructional groups and opportunities that would support academic, social and emotional behavior.
  • Responsible for providing classroom support for social, emotional and behavioral needs.

• Communication and Support
  • Responsible for communicating information to assist parents and school staff in understanding mental health issues.
  • Communicate with parents concerning practices, procedures and techniques involved in enhancing the success and opportunities available to their children.
  • Serve as a liaison between students, building staff and district administrators, outside agencies and the community regarding counseling services.
  • Participate in community outreach activities to facilitate and enhance resources and services available to students, and assist with referrals to community services.
  • Participate in committees such as QIT and Readiness to Learn to provide input on building-wide initiatives.
  • Participate in SST,PBIS and CPI teams.
  • Attend regular meetings with building principals, counselors and leadership team to determine and address school-wide needs.
  • Support professional learning opportunities for staff related to mental health and social/emotional needs.
  • Liaison to community programs that can be provided within the building.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of human behavior and performance
• Knowledge of individual differences in ability, personality, and interests as well as learning and motivation
• Knowledge of psychological research methods
• Knowledge of assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders
• Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions used in assigned field
• Skilled active listener
• Skilled at asking questions and understanding multiple points of view
• Skilled communicator that can convey information clearly and effectively, both orally and written
• Skills as a leader and team builder
• Skills in organization, time management, task prioritization and recordkeeping
• Skills in resource development
• Skills in verbal and written communications  

• Ability to analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses
• Ability to use reasoning to discover answers to problems
• Ability to combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions
• Ability to think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems
• Ability to be aware of others’ reactions and understand the possible causes

• Ability to work effectively, cooperatively and respectfully with staff, parents and community members
• Ability to manage multiple projects and timelines successfully
• Ability to work effectively through the committee process to accomplish goals
• Ability to handle adversity in an objective manner
• Ability to communicate effectively with varied audiences using multiple mediums
• Ability to manage competing demands and determine top priorities
• Ability to work well under pressure and use sound judgment, including appropriate handling of confidential matters

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Psychology or related field
• Indiana State License in one of the following areas, preferred:
  • Mental Health Counselor
  • Clinical Social Worker
  • Marriage and Family Counselor
• Must be eligible for clinical license within four (4) years of date of hire
  • Must sign letter of commitment
• Will accept temporary associate license for one (1) year of date of hire
• Must sign letter of commitment
• Indiana Driver’s License 

Physical Demands & Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands – While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to speak and hear. The employee is required to have dexterity of hands and fingers. The employee is required to sit or stand for extended periods of time. They may be occasionally required to bend at the waist, kneel or crouch. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job the incumbent is seated or walking at will and must be able to push, pull, lift and carry 25 pound.
• Working Conditions – – Generally acceptable working environment with limited exposure to disagreeable elements. Exposure to such conditions may make working environment disagreeable or cause discomfort occasionally, but has minor impact on personal safety and/or mental well-being.
• Driving Requirement –This job description may require the incumbent to drive.

The physical demands described here are a representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.