Behavior Specialist (12 Months) $750 Signing Incentive

The Foundation Schools is a special education day school which delivers innovative school programs and support services for children and adolescents with emotional disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and other learning challenges. For over 40 years, The Foundation Schools’ mix of academic support and therapeutic services has given our students a chance to reach their full potential. The Foundation Schools is currently approved by the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia to provide services to students who have not been successful in their home school’s environment. The Foundation Schools has schools in Gaithersburg, Rockville, Landover and Largo, Maryland that serve over 200 students in grades K-12.

Our Core Values’ provide a strong foundation for our programs, are integrated into our positive behavior intervention system, drive our actions and guide our staff and students daily to TWIRL (Teamwork, Work Ethic, Integrity, Respect, and Leadership).  We offer a supportive working environment with small class sizes and excellent resources. 

The Foundation Schools offers a comprehensive benefit package including tuition assistance and a generous retirement package. Visit our website at www.foundationschools.org for more information.

This is a 12-Month position.

Education, Experience and Certification Requirements

• High school diploma, G.E.D., or equivalent is required
• Related course work, Associates or Bachelor’s degree is preferred
• Two or more years’ experience in special education, a psychiatric setting or other similar setting for children and adolescents is required
• Training in TACT 2,  Life Space Crisis Intervention, or similar crisis intervention program is preferred
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) abilities are a plus

JOB SUMMARY

Behavior Specialists utilize effective and appropriate behavior interventions with students and provide a behavioral continuum for responses to inappropriate student behavior.  Behavior Specialists provide support to students to encourage the use of appropriate behaviors that will allow the students to fully participate in the classroom and program.  Behavior Specialists are an integral part of training staff in behavior management and crisis intervention.  Behavior Specialists provide assistance and supervision on staffs’ use of protocols and procedures when physically restraining or secluding students.  Behavior Specialists monitor students’ arrival and dismissal, and maintain a presence in the school hallways and classrooms throughout the day.  They actively engage with students and staff to identify potential conflicts or students who are in need of additional support.  

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Actively manage the hallways during arrival, transition, and dismissal and ensure staff are at assigned posts Maintain required electronic and paper documentation regarding intensive behavior interventions, including but not limited to, mediations, bus incidents, critical incidents, bullying reports, and behavior intervention referrals Actively engage with students and staff to identify potential conflicts or students who are in need of additional support; facilitate or participate in mediations, reentry meetings, and parent meetings Monitor and provide support, both inside and outside of the classrooms, for students who have been identified as needing additional behavior interventions Provide situational training and guidance to staff on correct utilization of verbal and physical behavior interventions to help increase their behavior intervention skill levels Consistently and appropriately utilize and model TACT 2 verbal de-escalation and approved physical restraint techniques, Life Space Crisis Intervention (if trained), and behavior management strategies; provide staff training on behavior management procedures and program processes Provide direction to staff during crisis and non-crisis situations to assist staff with improving behavior management skills and decision making skills; manage the need for additional staff in crisis situations and direct staff back to other duties when appropriate; facilitates debriefing sessions with staff to review incidents and identify staff member responsible for completing required documentation Reinforce the expectations for learning and standards for classroom participation and behavior; effectively manage student behavior through implementation of positive behavior management systems, school rules, policies and procedures, and model appropriate behavior for students during the school day; assist students with using strategies to decrease and avoid inappropriate behaviors Proactively provide supervision of students to ensure the safety and security of the school program at all times Maintain student confidentiality in accordance with The Foundation Schools Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest Statement and student record confidentiality procedures Demonstrate an understanding of how our students’ disabilities impact their behavior and ability to learn; display knowledge of students’ diagnoses and adapt intervention strategies accordingly to meet the requirements of the students’ IEPs and BIPs Proactively identify behaviors among all students that could lead to a crisis, an unsafe situation or disrupt the learning environment; use effective behavior management techniques to address these behaviors in order to limit the severity and length of disruptions Demonstrate appropriate use of verbal de-escalation skills to manage student behaviors; utilize the behavior continuum in order to use or consider the use of the least restrictive behavioral interventions necessary; use effective, appropriate, and approved strategies during a crisis including the participation in seclusions, therapeutic holds, escorts, and student restraints when necessary; consistently, and appropriately utilize and model TACT 2 techniques or classroom behavior management strategies Work with teachers, therapists, school leaders, and other team members to determine the student and/or classroom needs, and adjust interventions and practices to best meet those needs; work with team to develop interventions and/or incentive plans when appropriate Actively participate in committees, meetings, supervision, and professional development activities Consistently model and implement the organization’s core values to drive actions and to guide our students to incorporate Teamwork, Work Ethic, Integrity, Respect, and Leadership into positive behaviors while at school Comply with all of The Foundation Schools’ policies, rules, protocols, and procedures

• Complete other duties as assigned