Mental Health Liaison

The Mental Health Liaison is an integral member of the school and the School-Based Collaborative on Mental Health (SCMH). The Liaison’s primary function is to ensure that the student and his/her/their caregiver(s) engage as much as they are able in the delivery of mental health services to the student at school and in the community if they are referred to mental health services outside of the school.

For more information on how the school-based mental health services are to be implemented, please refer to the System of Care Blueprint. The Liaison is the critical link between the school, mental health providers, and the families, and reports to the coordinator of the schools’ care team.

Reports to:

Social Work Services Coordinator

Department:
Health, Safety and Conduct

Job type:
Full-time

Classification:
Non-Exempt

Calendar Type: 11-month (Calendar
2)

• College course work or degree in a field related to mental health such as counseling, social work, psychology or significant relevant experience working with young people and families on social and/or mental health-related issues.
• Proven ability to understand and communicate with the population served by the school in terms of ethnic, racial and/or cultural background.
• Team player who is able to collaborate with school staff, particularly the care team, and others in the mental health services community who are working with the school.
• Well organized and able to manage their work schedule so that they can juggle the needs of multiple students and their families and keep track of essential documentation such as written consent forms, etc.
• Basic knowledge of mental health as it relates to the most common issues affecting young people such as anxiety, depression and trauma.
• Highly motivated to serve the community and students.

• Support the family in navigating, understanding, and engaging with mental health services offered at school at all stages of the process: identification, screening, formal assessment, and service delivery.
• Actively participate in the school’s care team meetings with the aim of enriching the discussions by providing the caregiver’s perspective, experiences, and relevant information.
• Work with the student and caregiver(s) in overcoming challenges and barriers that may impede their ability to engage with the care team and mental health services provided at school.
• Serve as a bridge, as needed, with/for other members of the school team who are arranging the provision of wraparound services to students who are receiving mental health services. This may require home visits to build trust and gain an appreciation for the student’s situation.
• Serve as a point of contact for securing written consent from caregiver(s) and working with the caregiver(s) who is reluctant to provide consent to understand their reluctance and work with them and the care team to resolve.
• Provide feedback to the school care team on any issues related to the quality and effectiveness of communication and engagement with students’ families as they pertain to mental health services.
• Educate caregivers and family members about the basics of mental health (what typical diagnoses are, what therapy entails, etc.).
• For services provided in the school community:
  Provide support to the students and their caregiver(s) who are referred for mental health services in the community by addressing any needs such as childcare, translation services and/or transportation; clarifying any issues related to cost, intake forms, etc. and conveying student and/or caregiver’s needs and concerns to the mental health providers. To provide this support, the Liaison may need to make home visits.
• Follow up with families while the student is waiting for an appointment with a community-based provider to ensure the student’s condition has not worsened and the SCMH Hub and school are alerted immediately if it becomes critical.
• Serve as the bridge of communication for caregiver(s), agencies, and schools as necessary for any crisis or critical updates necessary to ensure quality and timely service delivery.
• Accurate and timely documentation and inputting of data…