Clinical Psychologist

SUMMARY

Oversee the school?s therapeutic programming, including the initial assessment process, functional assessment of target behaviors, student behavior plans, crisis management, clinical services, and coordinating programming with family outreach.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

 

Provide clinical supervision to the treatment team members and back-up for the Principal in daily operations.

 

Coordinate the initial assessment process for new students with psychiatrist, school clinician, family outreach counselor, nurse, occupational therapist, speech/language pathologist, physical education teacher, and teaching staff.

-Summarize treatment history.

-Gather information from parent/guardian, recent providers, and evaluators.

-Coordinate the completion of required evaluations.

-Assess skill levels across life domains.

-Supervise the process for observing and assessing targeted behaviors.

-Integrate recommendations from all sources into the student?s IEP and Behavior Support Plan.

 

Supervise the process for conducting functional assessments and developing behavior support plans:

-Meet with teaching staff to target and prioritize a student?s interfering behaviors.

-Identify the methods for collecting observational and interview data.

-Analyze data to identify environmental conditions, antecedents, stressors, consequences, etc. that may be associated with the behavior.

-Develop behavior support plans based on the assessment information in collaboration with the treatment team.

 

Train teaching staff through in-services, modeling, and team meetings on designing and implementing positive behavior supports programs.

-Teach students adaptive behaviors such as coping strategies, problem solving, anger management, and self-monitoring,

-Teach alternative communication strategies in coordination with the Speech/Language Pathologist,

-Use sensory integration approaches as prescribed by Occupational Therapist.

-Design reinforcement programs such as token economies, behavior contracting, and contingency management.

 

Set up data systems for teaching staff to use that track behavior targets.

-Design effective and efficient data systems.

-Train staff in recording, charting, and tracking data.

-Monitor data.

-Use data to make programmatic decisions.

-Assist teachers report quarterly progress.

 

Lead the treatment teams in their weekly meetings and case reviews, ensuring that student and staff needs are identified and plans developed for addressing them.

 

Supervise the development and implementation of crisis management plans.

-Design appropriate physical interventions based on risk criteria and the least intrusive procedures.

-Train teaching staff in deescalating situations.

-Assess the student?s response to a physical intervention.

-Assist staff in implementing the interventions, as needed.

-Provide feedback to staff on their implementation of procedures.

-Review all crisis management reports.

 

Monitor crisis management/physical intervention data.

-Analyze information.

-Provide feedback to staff and problem solving with them on decreasing crisis situations.

-Develop quality improvement plans to decrease use of intrusive interventions.

 

Collaborate with Family Outreach Counselor on assisting families with managing problem behaviors in their homes, making home visits as appropriate.

 

Communicate with school department and DCYF representatives regarding behavioral needs of students.

-Attend IEP meetings as needed.

-Maintain written and phone contacts as may be prescribed.

-Communicate client discipline issues.

 

Participate in the referral/screening and discharge processes:

-Observe students and interview parents and providers.

-Design transition plans.

-Train new providers in students? programs.

-Write discharge summaries of students? clinical status.

 

Monitor the completion of tri-annual evaluations that are required according to special education regulations, helping teachers integrate the recommendations into IEPs.

 

Maintain knowledge of organization, regulatory, and professional standards and ensure that the school program develops procedures to comply with the guidelines and Center policies.

 

Supervise the School Clinician, Family Outreach Counselor, School Nurse, Speech/Language Pathologist, and Occupational Therapist.

 

Treat students and their families with respect, demonstrating sensitivity and skill in addressing areas relating to diversity.

 

Maintain confidentiality in accordance with Center policy and legal requirements.

 

Perform in a calm and professional manner during crisis or emergency situations.

 

Maintain cooperative relationships with staff, students, families, community agencies, school departments, and the public.

-Communicate with various agencies associated with the school.

-Work in cooperation with co-workers and supervisory staff.

-Constructively solve problems with team members.

-Accept and use direction and supervision.

 

Consult to other agencies on conducting functional assessments and designing behavior support plans.

 

Attend trainings, case presentations, and conferences.

-Provide feedback to staff on the content of educational programs attended.

-Attend mandatory in-service trainings.

-Maintain active involvement in professional and lay mental health organizations within the community.

 

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Directly supervises approximately 5 employees in the School.  Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with Center policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

 

QUALIFICATIONS  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology required.  3-5 years experience with children and adolescents who have emotional and behavioral disabilities, preferably in a school setting.  2 years experience in a supervisory capacity.

 

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.  Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.  Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

 

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.  Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

 

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

 

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Demonstrated competency in applying the behavioral principles of functional analysis, crisis management, classroom intervention strategies, and reinforcement schedules. 

Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.

Knowledge of regulatory standards and compliance requirements in the field.

 

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Licensed Psychologist preferred.

 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, and taste or smell.  The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT  The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.