Behavioral Health Specialist III, IV - Hawaii District Administration

About the Department

This posting is being used to fill Behavioral Health Specialist positions that provide services to students at various schools within the Hawaii District as needed and assigned by the Hawaii District Office.  The authorized level of these positions is Behavioral Health Specialist IV.  Applications are being accepted down to the Behavioral Health Specialist III in the event of recruiting difficulties.

Salary Range: All new external applicants will be placed on the initial step of the salary range. However, placement above the initial step of the salary range will be based on special characteristics and critical needs of the position, an applicant's exceptional qualifications, the availability of funds, and other relevant factors. Such appointments require prior approval.  Hawaii State Department of Education employees will be placed on the salary range in accordance with Department regulations. 

Position Duties

1. Assess, through established professional protocol, when and why an individual is engaging in problem behavior by collecting and reviewing the individual’s history through personal interviews with the individual and his/her family, discussions with school personnel/employers and others, and review of written records such as results of aptitude or psychological tests, and other reports regarding medical and social-familial aspects and adaptive behavior.
2. Develop an individualized behavior intervention/management plan focused on interrupting the development or continuation of problem behavior.  Such a plan specifies techniques, methods and strategies to be employed, alternative skills to be taught, crisis prevention and intervention services, and lifestyle interventions that include long-term maintenance of alternative skills.
3. Work collaboratively with school personnel/employers and other professionals involved in the development/implementation of the behavior intervention/management plan.
4. Conduct behavior management counseling and skill training sessions for individuals and groups in order to achieve behavior management goals.  Counseling and skill training may also include sessions to improve attention span, communication, social, recreational, coping, anger management, problem solving and other functional daily living skills through verbal instruction, modeling behavior, coaching, role-playing behavior practice and other appropriate modalities.
5. Conduct regular sessions with the individual together with his/her family designed to improve the individual/family functioning that allows the individual to reasonably benefit from his/her education, work and other functional activities.  Assist the family to develop and maintain appropriate structure within the home, develop parenting skills and child management techniques, facilitate effective communication and problem solving between family members or between family members and the school/employer.
6. Advise school personnel/employers and others on the use of appropriate techniques, methods and strategies to be employed in order to facilitate achievement of behavior intervention/management plan goals.
7. Participate in the integration of services to the individual in a variety of settings to the extent appropriate for the individual.
8. Prepare and maintain assigned individual’s case records, correspondence and other reports in accordance with established rules, policies and procedures, including those regarding confidentiality of the individual’s case/services records.

Minimum Qualifications

Basic Education Requirements:  Possession of a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in counseling, marriage/family therapy, psychology or social work.

NOTE:  If you will graduate within six (6) months of application from an accredited university and will meet the Education Requirement upon your graduation, you must provide a letter attesting to such from your department  chair or university, along with your most current official transcripts.  Final official transcript showing receipt of the degree must be submitted upon graduation.

 

Experience Requirements:  Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience of the kind and quality described in the statements below and in the amounts shown below or any equivalent combination of training and experience.

Quality of Experience:  Possession of the required number of years of experience will not in itself be accepted as proof of qualification for a position.  The applicant's overall experience must have been of such scope and level of responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that he/she has the ability to perform the duties of the position for which he/she is being considered.

Driver's License Requirement:  Applicants must possess a current, valid driver's license.

Desirable Qualifications:  Possession of a current National Certified Counselor credential from the National Board of Certified Counselors.       

Other Qualifications

Salary:  The advertised salary is based on full-time employment and includes shortage and school year differentials, if applicable. 

Requirements:  Applicants must meet all the requirements for the position they are seeking as of the date of the application, unless otherwise specified.  Unless specifically indicated, the required education and experience may not be gained concurrently.  Calculation of experience is based on full-time, 40-hour workweeks.  Part-time experience is pro-rated.  Example:  Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week is equivalent to six months of experience, not one year.  Also, hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be credited.  Example:  Twelve months of experience at 60 hours/week is equivalent to one year of experience, not one and a half years.

Temporary Assignment:  Claims of Temporary Assignment (TA) experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements must be verified and attached to the application using one of the options below:

1. A copy of the applicant’s TA History Report or equivalent system-generated report;

2. A signed letter from the applicant’s supervisor that includes the applicant’s name, his/her TA job title, the TA start and end dates (from mm/yy to mm/yy), his/her specific TA duties performed, and either the TA hours worked per week or total TA hours worked; or,

3. Copies of the applicant’s signed SF-10 Forms.

Documents:  Attach all relevant supporting documents to your application.  Documents that were attached to applications submitted before November 16, 2023 do not automatically attach or transfer to applications submitted on and after December 16, 2023.  All submitted documents become the property of the Hawaii State Department of Education.

Information about Temporary Positions:  Temporary positions may be extended year to year, dependent upon funding and departmental needs.  Making yourself available for temporary positions increases your employment possibilities and may lead to permanent opportunities.  A person hired for a temporary position may also become a temporary employee upon satisfactory completion of the initial probation period of at least six months.  Once a temporary employee, you would be eligible to apply for promotion and transfer opportunities to permanent as well as other temporary positions.  You may also enjoy other rights and benefits as afforded to an employee in a permanent position, with the exception of return rights and placement rights associated with a reduction-in-force.                            

Benefits

12-month civil service and SSP employees enjoy a range of competitive benefits:

• Holidays:  You may be eligible for 13 paid holidays each year; 14 holidays during an election year.
• Vacation:  Employees of Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 13 earn 21 days per year.
• Sick Leave:  Employees of Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 13 earn 21 days per year. Accumulated (unused) credits may be used toward computing retirement benefits.
• Health Insurance:  If eligible, the State pays a part of the premiums for each employee's enrollment in a State sponsored Medical, Drug, Vision, and Adult Dental Plan.
• Group Life Insurance:  The State provides a free life insurance policy for employees and retirees.
• Premium Conversion Plan:  Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct the cost of health care premiums before payroll taxes are withheld.
• Flexible Spending Accounts:  Eligible employees can reduce their federal and state income taxes and social security taxes through a tax-savings benefit program called Island Flex. This program allows employees to set aside money from their paychecks to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and eligible dependent care expenses on a BEFORE-TAX basis.
• Retirement Plan:  The State contributes to a retirement plan for eligible employees. Generally, employees with at least 10 years of credited service and who have reached 62 years of age or have 30 years of credited service and are 55 years old may retire and receive benefits.
• Tax Shelter Annuity (TSA):  If eligible, Department employees are able to participate in a tax shelter annuity program. The TSA plan allows eligible employees to contribute pre-tax dollars to an employee-selected investment service provider authorized to provide TSA products.
• Deferred Compensation:  The State offers employees a tax deferred (sheltered) retirement investment program. This program is an opportunity to build a retirement nest egg through voluntary payroll deductions. Several investment options are available.
• Temporary Disability Insurance:  Qualified employees may be eligible to receive benefits for a disability caused by a non-work related injury or illness under this program.
• Social Security:  As an employer, the State also contributes to an employee's social security account.
• Workers' Compensation:  If an employee is injured while on the job, benefits covering medical expenses and partial wage support may be available through workers' compensation.
• Union & Collective Bargaining:  Employees have the right to join the union for collective bargaining with the State and employee representation. Some employee unions provide discounts, insurance and other opportunities. Employees may also decide not to join a union, however, employees are required to pay union service fees unless the employee's job is excluded from collective bargaining.

The above is intended as a general summary of the benefits offered and is subject to change. This does not constitute a contract or binding agreement. Benefits vary by type of employment appointment and collective bargaining agreements.

Supplemental Questions

Required Question

Agency Information

EmployerHawaii State Department of EducationAddress P.O. Box 2360

Honolulu, Hawaii, 96804 Website https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org