Guadalupe Educational System:
ALTA VISTA CHARTER SCHOOLS
Position Description
Position Title: Mental Health Specialist / Homeless Liaison
REPORTS TO: Director of Special Services
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: 205 days
JOB GOAL: Responsible for coordinating and implementing mental health / trauma informed
training and services to establishing comprehensive school-based mental health services for the
Guadalupe Educational System’s schools.
Provide case management support and assisting in primary intervention to students who are identified
as exhibiting difficulties which impede their social development and academic success.
Homeless Liaison will provide documentation showing a procedure is used by the LEA to survey
the enrolled student body and identify those students who are homeless and provide nedessary
supports to ensure success.
REQUIRES KNOWLEDGE OF:

Assessment and intervention protocols for youth and families regarding areas such as
chemical dependency, truancy, aggression, domestic violence and mental health.

Childhood and adolescent disorders and development.

Community resources and their referral processes including housing for students
identified as homeless.

Public school system’s policies and procedures.

School counseling standards, FERPA, and all federal and state confidentiality laws.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Provides training and supports to instructional staff and schools:
 Interprets laws relating to homeless students; ensures the delivery of mandated services.
 Coordinate training for school staff utilizing “Best Practice” models to ensure continued
staff development is aligned with the school’s policies and procedures.
 Collaborates with school staff to develop interventions for students identified as
homeless and develops individual service plans.
 Coordinate inter-district training for all school personnel, focusing on buildingwide intake and referral process to mental health specialists. Recommends
strategies for supporting the needs of these students.
 Develop and implement communication system between contracted mental health
facilities and schools to ensure that student and family needs are being met.
 Provide staff development on mental health and co-occurring disorders among student
populations.

Provide information and strategies for parents and each school’s Parent Liaison to assist
them in confronting the behavioral challenges of their children.
 Provides technical support to schools and school counselors on mental health services,
trauma services programming and concerns.
 Maintains necessary records ensuring confidentiality of students and their families and
prepares related reports.
Oversees referral and evaluation process:
 Develop an inter-district, building wide intake and referral process to services that
expands the safety net and assures that no student falls through the cracks.
 Develop a community collaboration process in order to use more mental health and
trauma resources.
 Meets with school personnel regarding the development and implementation of
behavioral plans as needed.
 Assist schools in adopting the most successful prevention and intervention strategies
that address needs in each building and align with restorative practices.
Conduct small groups and individual counseling:
 Provides behavioral intervention to identified students, developing a plan of
action to assist student in positive behavioral change.
 Maintains accurate and confidential record of services provided.
Homeless Liaison:
 Provide yearly training for all schools regarding McKinney Vento Act.
 Provide documentation of meetings with social and welfare agencies,
shelters, HUD, churches, etc. Regarding Homeless services.
 Provide documentation that the enrollment packet and handbook have
questions and policy for Homeless.
 Identify homeless students enrolled in prior school year.
 Work with Superintendent of Schools to ensure a board-adopted policy
and procedure is in place that ensures there are no barriers to the
enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless children and youth.
 Identify a Homeless Coordinator in each school and coordinate efforts
and responsibilities throughout the year.
 Disseminate a public notice of educational rights of homeless children
and youth in places where families and youth are likely to be present.
 Create a Needs Assessment and LEA Homeless Liaison Toolkit.
 Work with the director of marketing in identifying and writing
discretionary grants.
 Coordinate with each school and their counselors on providing
Homebound services to eligible students.
OTHER KEY FUNCTIONS:
 High commitment to task accomplishment and flexibility in work hours.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with people.
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Committed toward the success of historically under-served
students.
Membership on Midwest Trauma Workgroup which
requires one monthly meeting and work associated with
trauma initiative.
Effective written and oral communication, interpersonal, team building, and
organizational skills.
Demonstrated ability to work with Building Level and District Level Leadership.
Maintain professional standards of confidentiality and personal and
professional boundaries.
Use of assessment and diagnostic tools
Efficient time management skills.
Other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
 Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling
 Prior experience working in a mental health service agency or school system.
 Experience working with schools and multiple community agencies.
 Minimum three to five years of experience is required working with children and
families in either prevention or intervention direct services.
•
Pass Criminal Background Check.
Preferred:
• Experience in an urban school setting.
• Bilingual speaker
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are 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.
This job requires that the employee be able to: sit, stand, speak, hear, use hands, fingers, reach
with hands and fingers, lift objects of at least ten pounds. Visual ability requires mono and color
vision, close vision, distance vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.