Mental Health Support Specialist; Temporary - Henley Middle School

Henley Middle School

Not Eligible For Benefits

In Albemarle County Public Schools, we work together as a team to end the predictive value of race, class, gender, and special capacities for our children’s success through high‑quality teaching and learning for all. We seek to build relationships with families and communities to ensure that every student succeeds. We will know every student!

Henley Middle School

Temporary position for the 2025‑26 school year only.

Not Eligible For Benefits

In Albemarle County Public Schools, we work together as a team to end the predictive value of race, class, gender, and special capacities for our children’s success through high‑quality teaching and learning for all. We seek to build relationships with families and communities to ensure that every student succeeds. We will know every student! We are the first public school division in Virginia, and among the first in the country, to develop and implement an Anti‑Racism policy with the expressed purpose of building school communities that share the responsibility to recognize and end racism, eliminate inequitable practices that result in achievement gaps, and support the unique gifts, talents, and interests of every child.

In ACPS, “all” really means all.

The Mental Health Support Specialist promotes and enhances the overall academic mission by providing services that strengthen home, school, and community partnerships and address barriers to learning and achievement by providing mental health services to and on behalf of students. This role significantly contributes to the development of a healthy, safe, and caring environment through consultative and collaborative roles with school staff, division leaders, and parents/guardians in support of PK‑12 student mental health and wellness.

Such an environment is achieved by advancing the understanding of the emotional and social development of children and the influences of family, community, and cultural differences on student success along with the implementation of effective intervention strategies.

• Understands and utilizes effective therapeutic strategies for adapting the general and social curriculum to meet the needs of individual students.
• Works collaboratively with community agencies and outside therapists for students and incorporates techniques and interventions practiced within the outside therapy sessions when appropriate and understands the reciprocal relationship of sharing confidential information with these individuals.
• Provides mental health consultation to staff members and caregivers at assigned schools, including initial assessment of needs and referral to community‑based mental health supports.
• Facilitates annual threat assessment training with new administrators and student support service team members (counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses, etc.).
• Provides support to school‑level teams to complete the threat assessment process.
• Contributes regularly to the school‑based critical incident responses to assist school communities with planning, resources, and grief/loss support.
• Conducts Return to Learn training (re‑entry plans) for school personnel in support of students returning to school following psychiatric treatment and in need of school‑based mental health support.
• Prepares and utilizes assessment methodologies that have been adapted for individual students as identified including physical, emotional, social, and behavioral adaptations to meet a student's individual needs; incorporating multiple sources of evidence and clear recommendations for improving services on an ongoing basis.
• Demonstrates knowledge of school and community resources available to assist students and families, while actively sharing knowledge of resources with other colleagues.
• Assists students and their families in gaining access to formal and informal school and community resources; identifies and differentiates appropriate resources; establishes follow‑up activities to facilitate effective utilization of resources.
• Consults and collaborates with other resources (i.e. school psychologist,…