BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST - YONKERS

POSITION SUMMARY

Education

The qualified applicant will hold at least a Bachelor’s Degree with emphasis in psychology, social work or special education.  The applicant will pursue graduate studies leading to a Masters’ Degree. 

Experience

The qualified applicant must have a minimum of three (3) years of experience in special education and working with at-risk students or students who are emotionally disturbed. The qualified applicant will demonstrate significant understanding of the needs of children with disabilities, their parents, and the professional staff working with them. Additional experience and/or education may be substituted, if considered appropriate by the Board of Directors.
 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions Statement(s)

• To aid in developing as well as to implement, and enhance the goals and objectives of the WSSC Behavioral Support Services as outlined by the Coordinator of Psychological & Behavioral Services, Executive Director or his designee, and in accordance with the mission of the school, under all applicable Federal and State laws, regulation, and guidelines.
   
• To facilitate the development and implementation of Behavioral Services specific to the needs of the population served, inclusive of responding to crisis situations, assessing and defusing them using conflict resolution and crisis management techniques and providing values clarification (rules, expectations, consequences)
   
• To create and preserve a successful and safe learning environment within the school.
   
• To aid in establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships between the program, parent/guardians, the community, school districts, and collateral agencies.
   
• Make recommendations for changes in the delivery of behavioral support services.
   
• To assist in the recommendations of behavioral support services in reference to interdisciplinary team responsibilities with classroom personnel.
   
• Attend meetings, as appropriate, related to student's I.E.P., such as, Clinical Team meetings, Committee on Special Education (C.S.E.) meetings, and Committee on Preschool Special Education (C.P.S.E.) meetings.
   
• To insure, in cooperation with the Psychology / Behavioral Services Department and Social Work Department, that all emergency crisis situations and follow-up phone calls are handled in a confidential and professional way ensuring that everything is done to help students regain self control in a safe environment.
   
• As necessary, collaborate with other members of the Psychology / Behavioral Services Department in conducting evaluations to assess ways of treating student's behavioral problems, inclusive of FBAs and BIPs.
   
• As necessary, collaborate with other members of the Psychology / Behavioral Services Department in implementing behavior management programs to address student's behavioral needs
   
• Promote better delivery of services to students by ongoing communications and sharing of information when necessary with other professionals involved in their care.

• Monitor physical and emotional / behavioral changes in students and report to appropriate personnel
   
• Assist in ordering, maintaining, and utilizing, evaluative and therapeutic materials necessary to better provide Behavioral Services for disabled students.

• To assume responsibility for continued professional growth and development. This may include but is not limited to: attendance at professional meetings, participation in study groups, membership in professional organizations, enrollment in advanced courses and meetings, and the reading of current relevant professional material. Further may include relevant research concerning therapeutic, educational methods and programs.
   
• To provide in-services for all education personnel on topics such as proper staff/student interaction.
   

To perform other duties that may be assigned or required by law, at the discretion of the Coordinator of Psychological & Behavioral Services, Executive Director or his designee, and/or in accordance with regulation/board policy.

• Accountability - Ability to accept responsibility and account for his/her actions.
• Accuracy - Ability to perform work accurately and thoroughly. 
• Active Listening - Ability to actively attend to, convey, and understand the comments and questions of others. 
• Adaptability - Ability to adapt to change in the workplace. 
• Analytical Skills - Ability to use thinking and reasoning to solve a problem.  
• Autonomy - Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.  
• Coaching and Development - Ability to provide guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas.  
• Communication, Oral - Ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken word.  
• Communication, Written - Ability to communicate in writing clearly and concisely.  
• Ethical - Ability to demonstrate conducts conforming to a set of values and accepted standards.  
• Honesty / Integrity - Ability to be truthful and be seen as credible in the workplace.  
• Motivation - Ability to inspire oneself and others to reach a goal and/or perform to the best of their ability.  
• Responsible - Ability to be held accountable or answerable for one’s conduct.  
• Team Builder - Ability to convince a group of people to work toward a goal.  
• Training - Ability to develop a particular skill in others to bring them up to a predetermined standard of work performance. 

• SKILLS & ABILITIES