Release Date: July 10, 2023 Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Requisition 10100

Current benefited staff of SMCPS who submit a timely application and meet the minimum qualifications for the position shall be granted an interview and shall be considered to fill the vacancy prior to external applicants being considered. Questions regarding your application and/or candidacy should be directed to the Department of Human Resources.

Position: Behavior Specialist Student Services Grant-Funded

(ten-month assignment)

Location: Department of Student Services/George Washington Carver Elementary School

Salary: The salary for this EXEMPT position will be based on the EASMC salary schedule for ten-month employees

Effective: August 2023

APPLICATION PROCEDURES:

Qualified applicants, including current employees of St. Mary's County Public Schools, must complete a TalentEd online application. In addition to the online application, any support documentation (copy of certification where applicable) must be scanned and uploaded to the TalentEd application. The online application and any support documentation must clearly demonstrate that the applicant meets the minimum qualifications, including information about the applicant's background, experience, and professional qualifications. Failure to submit all required documentation will result in your application being considered incomplete. Incomplete applications will not be forwarded to the selection committee for review. All qualified online applications will be accepted until the position has been filled. Following a screening of credentials, interviews will be scheduled. Please contact the Department of Human Resources with questions. (301-475-5511, ext. 32187)

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• In-depth knowledge and understanding of behavior and its functions;
• Ability to analyze student behavior and identify appropriate strategies to increase academic success;
• Knowledge of a variety of behavior strategies and techniques;
• Ability to collaborate with a wide range of staff to attain positive outcomes on behalf of behaviorally challenged students and their families;
• Ability to assess and evaluate student needs;
• Collect and analyze data.
• Provide coaching and modeling of best practices in behavioral strategies;
• Understanding the needs of a diverse population of students;
• Addressing issues related to disproportionality across the continuum of school-based mental and behavioral health services.
• Effective organizational and time management skills; and
• Ability to communicate effectively with students, staff and families.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The ten-month behavior specialist assists school staff in developing and implementing behavior prevention and intervention for students, with or without disabilities, who present with a variety of behavior challenges. The goal of this position is to support at-risk students in the development of appropriate social skills and classroom behavior, thereby increasing their opportunity for academic success and decreasing the number of students who require more restrictive services.

• Assist school staff in developing, implementing and monitoring student intervention plans;
• Provide system-wide staff development on behavior strategies and intervention plans;
• Participate as a member of the Individualized Education Plan Teams (IEPT) to assist in planning for interventions to be implemented with students who present with challenging behaviors;
• Model implementation of behavior strategies in classroom settings;
• Monitor the implementation of prevention and intervention plans and student progress;
• Provide behavioral coaching for individual students throughout the implementation phase of intervention;
• Facilitate the inclusion of families in the development and implementation of behavior plans with an emphasis on family system issues;
• Assist teachers, PST and IEP teams in developing, monitoring, and revising Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA), Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP), and Individualized Education Plans (IEP);
• Assist teachers in implementing effective classroom management systems;
• Monitor student progress; and assist teachers in the maintenance and evaluation of data collection systems;
• Collaborate with general and special education teachers and administrative staff in an effort to provide proactive and preventative interventions for students in general and Special Education, who present with behavioral challenges;
• Participate as a member of the S.E.C.R. team to assist with the assessment of the needs of behaviorally challenged students throughout the county;
• Collaborate with community agency staff to assist students, families and school staff in the development of a comprehensive approach to behavioral challenges presented by students in general and Special Education; and
• Assist students, families and staff with the transition needs of students with behavioral challenges within general education settings, and to more restrictive educational settings within Special Education environments.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Applicants shall hold a Master's Degree in Counseling, Social Work, or a related mental health field as determined by the Department of Human Resources, required.
• Three (3) years of experience in developing and implementing behavior intervention and support for children and adolescents in a school environment is preferred.

TERM OF EMPLOYMENT:

Full-time ten-month position.

SALARY GRADE RANGE:

The salary for this EXEMPT position will be based on EASMC salary schedule for ten-month employees.

BARGAINING UNIT: EASMC

The Board of Education reserves the right to reject any or all applicants, re-advertise and/or withdraw the positions.

The St. Mary's County Public School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, age, national origin, marital status or sexual orientation, religion, or disability in matters affecting employment or providing access to programs.