Mental Health Practitioner

Responsibilities:

1. Provide instructional practices for classroom teachers that directly relate to trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
2. Provide services to identified students in need of support regarding mental health. Practitioners/Coaches are not to be providing services specifically written in IEPs as related services. Practitioners/Coaches may provide support to students receiving special education services or other external services. 
   1. Services can include individual support or work in small group settings
   2. Planned services - Those that are strategic and scheduled. Individual or small group work to support students requiring further intervention. 
      1. Plans that require more than 30 days of intervention will require (a) parent consent, (b) a Plan of Care and (c) shall be logged for medicaid purposes.  
   3. Unplanned services - Those that come up periodically that can be addressed and resolved without further intervention. 
3. Create and teach SEL skills to students and staff
4. Model and teach de-escalation, mindfulness, communication, regulatory skills to students and staff
5. Help develop mental health plans, Plans of Care and behavior plans/contracts
6. Observe students and/or teachers during class sessions and provide feedback to appropriate parties
7. Assist in the design of a “reset room” or similar space with the function of meeting students’ regulatory needs. 
8. Help build teacher capacity with restorative practices 
9. Provide self care strategies to teachers and students
10. Help coordinate community services with parents
11. Provide support and coordination regarding wraparound services
12. Develop resource lists for teachers and parents

The following responsibilities were approved by the Michigan Department of Education as proposed by SISD and shall be viewed as supplemental to the above: 

1. Help students who are experiencing adjustment problems, by providing direct therapy as written in the mental health plan or by referring them to a community agency.
2. Attend multi-disciplinary student support team meetings as necessary for students needing and/or receiving services.
3. Utilize resources found in the school and community to meet the needs of students. 
4. Work with parents who need assistance in understanding child growth and child management techniques.
5. Share with the school staff knowledge of child growth and development and principles of human behavior as they affect the child in the school setting.
6. Help classroom teachers, administrators, counselors, and parents understand and plan for the social-emotional problems that general education students experience.
7. Assist in conducting in-service training programs for parents, teachers, and/or administrators on request.
8. Work collaboratively with the school staff and community partners to implement a comprehensive trauma-informed approach to address both preventative and responsive measures for students and staff.
9. Design and facilitate dynamic, sequential professional development that supports consistent implementation throughout the school year to all school staff including professional and support staff members.
10. Engage school administrators and staff in ongoing consultation and coaching that is reflective, responsive, supportive, and contextual while promoting sustainable trauma-informed mindsets, systems, practices, and school-community partnerships.
11. Provide individualized, classroom-based coaching to support teachers in building supportive relationships with students while implementing and sustaining trauma-informed practices that promote student success and empowerment. 
12. Coach and support additional school personnel in implementing and sustaining trauma-informed practices at all locations through the school including, but not limited to, hallways, cafeterias, restrooms, buses, playgrounds, gymnasiums, etc. 
13. Work with school leadership staff to ensure that policies and procedures reflect an understanding of the role and effect of trauma in student behaviors.
14. Design and lead monthly in person site visits for each site.
15. Facilitate ongoing technical assistance for assigned school sites via virtual and written communication.
16. Participate in required evaluation activities associated with the project.
17. Build the capacity of school sites to use data to inform school wide decision making.