ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW: At Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, your knowledge and service in areas such as immigrants and refugees, mental health, social work, employment, and adult education, legal and financial services, health care, food assistance, shelter and housing, developmental disabilities and prison outreach can make a profound difference in the lives of many. Through more than 50 programs across the district and five surrounding counties, Catholic Charities is opening doors to help and hope. At CCADW, we continue to build an inclusive culture that celebrates a diverse workforce. We offer so much more than just a job. We offer careers. We take pride in our “promote from within” culture. We offer professional development, a comprehensive benefits package, a hybrid work model with both remote and in-office work, and a passion for building and motivating world-class, high-performing teams. Explore your career opportunity with Catholic Charities. Join us in Inspiring Hope and Building Futures.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington values the safety of our employees, our clients, and our visitors. In support of these values, if you are selected for this job, you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, except when vaccination is not medically advised or violates your sincerely held religious beliefs. If you are invited to join our team, you must submit proof that you are up to date with your COVID vaccinations, including the booster dose or you must request an exemption from your representative. New employees must either provide proof of vaccination or be granted a medical or religious exemption before working with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington.

JOB SUMMARY: The Behavior Specialist creates, manages, implements, and monitors a school-wide behavioral intervention supports program. The Behavior Specialist develops and maintains positive behavior intervention plans and functional behavioral assessments for individual students and student groups as needed.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responds to and serves as lead in all crisis situations particularly in the absence of the Principal or the Assistant Principal.
• Creates, maintains, and executes an approved school wide behavior intervention plan.
• Acts as liaison with the public and mental health community for the purpose of supporting individual student development goals.
• Administers programs and services for behaviorally or emotionally disturbed students for the purpose of improved functioning and ensuring program eligibility and compliance with established guidelines.
• Assists in developing interventions, functional behavior assessments and behavior plans for the purpose of providing a safe and effective educational environment for students with challenging behaviors.
• Assists in developing procedures and training materials for school staff.
• Supports students with challenging behaviors by enhancing student programs and ensuring operations are in compliance with established Office of State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) guidelines.
• Partners with social workers, as well as teachers and other team members working with families and providing supports for students to improve overall academic, social, and behavioral achievements.
• Safely transports students to and from the Kennedy School to attend approved field trips, Special Olympics and other educational events in an Agency vehicle as needed. Utilizes the agency vehicle to also make approved home visits and deliveries of school related materials as required.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Education or a related field.
• Master’s degree in Psychology or Education a plus.
• One (1) year of experience working with persons with disabilities and behavior challenges.
  
• One (1) year of experience in behavior management and implementing behavior management systems.
• School leadership experience is a plus.

SKILLS and COMPETENCIES:

• Ability to communicate with a multi-disciplinary team regarding the behavioral needs of the students.
• Ability to communicate issues with parents and assist them in various stages of transition.