Mental Health Specialist, Lower School (Focus on Preschool to 1st Grade)
Start Date: Late August 2025 Salary: 61K-150K
Schedule: This role is a 10-month position, and is in the Professional Employees' Federation (PEF), the union for faculty members at Bank Street College. The hours for this position are 8:00 AM-4:00 PM, Mondays through Fridays, and until 5:00 PM on Wednesdays for a weekly afternoon faculty meeting. This role also includes occasional work that happens outside of the school day such as for event support such as parent meetings, curriculum night and open houses.
About the School
A leader in progressive education for more than 100 years, the Bank Street School for Children provides students, from nursery through 8th grade, an education that engages their natural curiosity, nurtures critical thinking, and helps to develop a sense of community and social responsibility. Through a teaching approach that is fundamentally hands-on and child-centered, Bank Street students develop the courage and confidence to think independently, work collaboratively, understand themselves and others more deeply, and possess the compassion to make meaning of the world around them.
About the Position
The Bank Street School for Children is seeking a collaborative, experienced and knowledgeable individual to fill the position of Mental Health Specialist in our Lower School (Preschool to 4th Grade). While this role will support the entire Lower School, it will focus on Preschool through 1st grade. This specialist may be a psychologist, social worker, or counselor and serves as a resource to our youngest students and their families and teachers. This role is a part of the school's Mental Health Team.
The right candidate must be welcoming, discrete, professional, playful and able to initiate and lead when needed. The ideal candidate will be passionate about supporting young children as they navigate the joys and challenges of a progressive school community.
Responsibilities:
Work with Children & Parents
Facilitate or co-facilitate workshops for teachers and parents about child development
Co-facilitate student support team meetings for each classroom on an as needed basis
Collaborate with the DEI director around themes of identity, power and privilege and how they impact the emotional wellbeing of children
Meet with families and teachers to develop strategies to support the social-emotional growth, behavior, and learning needs of children
Meet with parents/caregivers individually
Make therapeutic referrals to outside providers when appropriate
Interpret results of outside neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluations
Actively engage with children in their classrooms and during recess to be integrated fully into the community
Create and teach about social emotional themes in classrooms at developmentally appropriate level
Respond to student behavioral and emotional crises across Children's Programs when needed
Support children individually and in groups. This may include pull-out work, supporting children within classrooms, and accompanying students on field trips.
Other Responsibilities
Facilitate workshops for teachers about adult emotional wellness
Collaborate with specialists, teachers, administrators, and other school staff on a variety of issues
Maintain contact and liaison with outside therapists and other appropriate services such as social skills groups
Co-facilitate mandated reporter training for staff
Provide coverage for other mental health team members in other parts of the school when necessary.
Fulfill weekly communities duties as assigned which may include but are not limited to lunch, recess, early morning care, subbing, and bus
Maintain up to date notes through documenting sessions, contacts, and mental health files within the school's data systems
Assist with the admissions process for incoming students by interviewing candidates, reviewing applicant work, and other tasks as needed by the admissions team
Meet and collaborate regularly with other members of the Mental Health Team, your supervisor, and other members of the school. These meetings include but are not limited to weekly division meetings, supervision meetings, mental health team meetings, and grade-level team meetings
Participate in community response to current events that might invoke fear, trauma, or concern among children, faculty, and/or families
Serve as a mandated reporter for issues that require notification to ACS
Participate in the school wide Student Support Team
Provide clinical observation in classrooms
Support with some event or trip planning duties as assigned.
Other responsibilities as assigned
Qualifications:
An advanced degree in mental health support, with a preference for social work, PhD or PsyD in psychology
Excellent and demonstrated communication skills
Deep understanding of young children in particular
Background in working with teachers on social/emotional classroom strategies
Experience working with families around identity, parenting and social emotional development
Experience in play therapy techniques
Commitment to issues of social justice, diversity, equity, and anti-bias in education and a willingness to engage in identity development individually and with colleagues
An understanding of the goals and philosophy of progressive education
Experience working in a school setting
ABOUT US
Bank Street is a leader in education, a pioneer in improving the quality of classroom practice, and a national advocate for children and their families.
Since its beginnings in 1916, Bank Street has been at the forefront of understanding how children learn and grow. From early childhood centers and schools to hospitals and museums, Bank Street has built a national reputation on the simple fact that our graduates know how to do the work that is right for children.
At Bank Street's Graduate School of Education, students are trained in a model that combines the study of human development, learning theory, and sustained clinical placement to promote significant development as a teacher prior to graduation. Our children's programs-Bank Street School for Children, Family Center, Bank Street Head Start, and Liberty LEADS-foster children's development in the broadest sense by providing diverse opportunities for social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. The Bank Street Education Center disrupts inequity through system-level change to help design better educational experiences for both children and adults. The College further supports and influences positive outcomes for children every day through professional development programs, research projects, and other key efforts engaging educators, intermediary organizations, and government officials at the district, state, and federal levels.
