Restorative Practices Specialist

 DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:  This position exists in the Schenectady City School District and involves the responsibility of working with school building staff to embed and build capacity in the use of Restorative Practices. The candidate will work to ensure staff beliefs, assumptions, values, and ways of interacting to support an environment that will have a positive effect on social and psychological experiences of all students from all backgrounds (i.e. race, ethnicity, SES, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.) with an increase in student engagement. The incumbent will provide embedded coaching and professional development to staff on the implementation of Trauma Informed strategies, to include Restorative Practices. This position requires a high degree of cultural awareness, understanding of culturally responsive education and collaboration.

The Direct supervision is received from the Assistant Director of Pupil Personnel Services with wide leeway given for carrying out the details of the work.  The incumbent does related work as required.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

• Develop a strong understanding about how things like implicit biases, systemic racism, adverse childhood experiences, and inequity contribute to negative student outcomes. Works with the school team to engage in planning and executing an action plan to improve these outcomes;
• Maintains alignment between all positive behavior support systems;
• Leveraging of mental health programming (i.e. counseling, school psychologist, social workers, etc.);
• Supports culturally responsive practices to include the implementation of restorative circles;
•  Engages in mediations involving students, staff and community members to reduce incidents leading to school discipline systems;
• Facilitates professional development for staff and community aimed at decreasing disproportionality;
•  Provides ongoing disaggregated data analysis and action planning with staff and administrative team;
• Conducts classroom visits, ongoing feedback and coaching on best practice;
• Ensures alignment to the practices identified in the Code of Conduct.
• Other duties as assigned by the Superintendent and/or Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services.

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:  Good knowledge of school district programs;  Good knowledge of methods and procedures used in record maintenance;  Good organizational skills; Excellent interpersonal skills; Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing;  Ability to enlist the cooperation of others to meet a defined goal;  Ability to understand and carry out complex oral and written instructions; Ability to work with youth in an urban setting; knowledge and skills in Restorative Practices; Ability to develop quality relationships with parents, students, administration and the school board; Ability to assist the schools in effective communication with parents; Ability to organize meetings; Ability to organize members of the community to develop grassroots concerns and communicate them effectively; Ability to advocate for parents; Ability to seek information to assist families; Compassion and respect for others; Cultural sensitivity to various populations within the school district; Tact, courtesy and resourcefulness in dealing with people; Ability to work evenings and attend evening meetings.

This is responsible technical and supervisory work coordinating the daily operations of a grants development function. Incumbent provides
technical assistance to staff in the areas of grant identification and preparation. The incumbent reports to the District Business Official and/or their designee.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

• Identifies grant sources;
• Interprets grant rules and regulations and monitors grant development to ensure compliance;
• Performs both independent research and collaborates with internal and external stakeholders/partners to identify grants/funding sources;
• Provides specialized grant writing services, including interpretation and analysis of required specifications and pre-award activities for securing federal, state and local funding sources;
• Manages grant records, prepares reports and meets deadlines for the completion and submission of multiple grants with similar timelines;
• Writes competitive grants that are aligned with the parameters of the grant application and the division’s goals;
• Participates in technical assistance offered by NYDOE and USED;
• Assists in developing reports and other documents required by funding agencies;
• Assists in budget preparation for grant components;
• Enters and retrieves information in an automated information system;
• Performs related work as required.

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Thorough knowledge of grant development and proposal writing; good knowledge of federal, state and foundation funding sources; good knowledge of personal computers and office equipment; good knowledge of appropriation determinations and allocations; good knowledge of community served; ability to perform research; ability to coordinate and monitor grant proposal development; ability to compile quantitative and narrative reports; mathematical
ability; interpersonal skills and works well with others; ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; initiative.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:   The work involves the performance of a wide variety of duties related to substance abuse prevention and treatment provided to students in a school district.  Primary emphasis is on providing counseling and guidance to students and their families.  Other duties include the dissemination of information on programs and services provided by the agency, follow-up on former student cases and the preparation of records and reports.  The purpose of the work is to coordinate services being provided to students with substance abuse problems to facilitate their transition to employment.  The work is performed under the general supervision of a professional staff member in accordance with established policies and procedures.  The incumbent does related work as required.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

• Maintains records of interviews and meetings with students and their families;
• Keeps abreast of new developments, programs and techniques in addictive abuse prevention and rehabilitation
• Works with addictive substance abusers to gain their confidence
• May disseminate information concerning programs and services to public and private agencies and to the general public through speaking engagements, media releases and educational programs
• Develops treatment plans for assigned students and maintains case progress notes in accordance with State guidelines
• Makes the community aware of the services available
• May prepare monthly student status and demographic reports
• Performs counseling function using an in-depth knowledge of alcoholism and drug addiction with students having special, social, adjust mental, addictive or personal problems in order to provide appropriate counseling relative to the student’s stage of recovery
• Performs case management functions as well as managing an assigned caseload of specific hard to serve  students using knowledge of long term recovery process so as to have the educational program enhance, or at least not jeopardize, the recovery
• Develops needed community resources and maintains working relationships with these groups and programs for hard to serve students
• May act as case coordinator with other community service agencies such as social services, alcohol rehabilitation organizations, mental health, private hospitals, educational  institutions, etc. to provide more integrated services to students
• May perform specialized follow-up visits and studies to assist in evaluating program         effectiveness
• May carry out special projects through research study and development in areas such as case management, integrated service planning and delivery for hard to serve students, etc.
• May supervise the administration of standardized testing instruments and procedures used in the evaluation of hard to serve students
• Performs a variety of related duties as required

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:   Good knowledge of the problems of those addicted to or dependent on addictive substances; Good knowledge of the symptoms and physical signs of addictive substance use; Good knowledge of group and individual counseling; Working knowledge of services provided in a school district; Working knowledge of the public and private agencies available to provide assistance to the addicted; Ability to relate to and be accepted by addictive substance abusers; Ability to evaluate student interests and aptitudes; Ability to work with students in a variety of counseling and educational guidance situations; Ability to work in a team approach as part of an educational support team when primary goals are educational success; Ability to follow oral and written directions; Ability to maintain records.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:   The work involves the performance of a wide variety of duties related to substance abuse prevention and treatment provided to students in a school district.  Primary emphasis is on providing counseling and guidance to students and their families.  Other duties include the dissemination of information on programs and services provided by the agency, follow-up on former student cases and the preparation of records and reports.  The purpose of the work is to coordinate services being provided to students with substance abuse problems to facilitate their transition to employment.  The work is performed under the general supervision of a professional staff member in accordance with established policies and procedures.  The incumbent does related work as required.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

• Maintains records of interviews and meetings with students and their families;
• Keeps abreast of new developments, programs and techniques in addictive abuse prevention and rehabilitation
• Works with addictive substance abusers to gain their confidence
• May disseminate information concerning programs and services to public and private agencies and to the general public through speaking engagements, media releases and educational programs
• Develops treatment plans for assigned students and maintains case progress notes in accordance with State guidelines
• Makes the community aware of the services available
• May prepare monthly student status and demographic reports
• Performs counseling function using an in-depth knowledge of alcoholism and drug addiction with students having special, social, adjust mental, addictive or personal problems in order to provide appropriate counseling relative to the student’s stage of recovery
• Performs case management functions as well as managing an assigned caseload of specific hard to serve  students using knowledge of long term recovery process so as to have the educational program enhance, or at least not jeopardize, the recovery
• Develops needed community resources and maintains working relationships with these groups and programs for hard to serve students
• May act as case coordinator with other community service agencies such as social services, alcohol rehabilitation organizations, mental health, private hospitals, educational  institutions, etc. to provide more integrated services to students
• May perform specialized follow-up visits and studies to assist in evaluating program         effectiveness
• May carry out special projects through research study and development in areas such as case management, integrated service planning and delivery for hard to serve students, etc.
• May supervise the administration of standardized testing instruments and procedures used in the evaluation of hard to serve students
• Performs a variety of related duties as required

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:   Good knowledge of the problems of those addicted to or dependent on addictive substances; Good knowledge of the symptoms and physical signs of addictive substance use; Good knowledge of group and individual counseling; Working knowledge of services provided in a school district; Working knowledge of the public and private agencies available to provide assistance to the addicted; Ability to relate to and be accepted by addictive substance abusers; Ability to evaluate student interests and aptitudes; Ability to work with students in a variety of counseling and educational guidance situations; Ability to work in a team approach as part of an educational support team when primary goals are educational success; Ability to follow oral and written directions; Ability to maintain records.