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Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 330,000 students in 600+ schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them teachers.  CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life.  In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity.  Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

As a unit within the Office of College and Career Success, the mission of the Office of Social Emotional Learning (OSEL) is to partner with schools and networks to establish and sustain supportive-learning communities founded on caring relationships and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs. OSEL supports training, coaching, and implementation of research-based strategies to foster positive school and classroom climate development, trauma-informed practices, restorative approaches to discipline, social and emotional skills instruction, and targeted social, emotional, and behavioral interventions.Note: The Behavioral Health Intervention Specialist role is a Cities Mentor Project grant-funded position through June 30, 2026.

Job Summary: 

The Behavioral Health Intervention Specialist will be charged with the oversight of District-wide training, including the coordination, delivery, implementation support, and design of professional learning communities of Tier II and Tier III interventions and behavioral health training. Under the direction of the Manager of Behavioral Health Interventions and Supports, the Behavioral Health Intervention Specialist will work to ensure school-based social workers, counselors, psychologists, and community partners are equipped with the tools to deliver high-quality Tier II supports with fidelity. The Behavioral Health Intervention Specialist will also oversee the development and delivery of training for staff across the district in partnership with collaborating CPS specialists in the Office of Social Emotional Learning with a focus on healing-centered support for behavioral health interventions.

The Behavioral Health Intervention Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Services as project director for all grant related activities of the Cities Mentor Project grant in partnership with the Office of Social Emotional Learning and DePaul University

• Coordinate and lead district-wide cohorts of Tier II and Tier III intervention training, including implementation support and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with a focus on behavioral health support.

• Receive training as a Tier II intervention provider and trainer, facilitating groups as required to obtain/maintain status as a trainer

• Maintain high level of knowledge of evidence-based and evidence-informed Tier II and Tier III interventions to support trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, stress, and other needs of CPS students

• Responsible for establishing and maintaining partnerships with organizations that provide Tier II and Tier III intervention training and implementation support in collaboration with specialists in the Office of Social Emotional Learning

• Oversee the development and rollout of a universal model of implementation support for school counselors, social workers, psychologists, and community partners previously trained in Tier II interventions

• Coordinate and collaborate with Central Office and Network-based Specialists on the development of content, models, and data review

• Provide training and consultation on the use of intervention screeners, including screening data collection and analysis

• Support in the collection District-wide screening data and complete analysis to inform intervention needs and to satisfy necessary reporting requirements for applicable grants

• Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Behavioral Health Intervention Specialist must possess the following qualifications: 

Education Required: 

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling (or a related field) from an accredited college or university or certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst .

Experience Required: 

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience working with adolescents and youth in an urban setting with a focus on social, emotional, and behavioral supports 

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience delivering evidence-based Tier 2 3 social, emotional or behavioral interventions (i.e. CBITS, Anger Coping/Think First, SPARCS, Check In Check Out, etc.) or providing services as Board Certified Behavioral Analyst

• Working knowledge of, and previous participation on, school-based Behavioral Health Teams preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to articulate a vision, set high standards, and effectively guide schools and principals in the realization of expectations set

• Strong communication skills (speaking - including presentations - listening, and writing)

• Effective strategic planning capabilities, including the ability to establish long-term vision and goals, and align/manage activities toward goal fulfillment

• Strong leadership and team building skills, e.g. ability to develop high performing teams united around a clear vision for serving schools and achieving student success

• Knowledge of operations, budget/finance, management and organizational development

• Ability to build collaborative relationships with a variety of constituent groups, including external partners, to ensure the entire system operates in the most effective manner possible to support schools and principals

• Ability to define problems, analyze data, and outline valid conclusions and action steps

• Skilled in the use of behavioral health assessments and progress monitoring data to drive critical conversations and planning

• Ability to connect with school and/or community-based programming to offer fundamental social service or behavioral health services for children and families

• Cultural competency and ability to navigate and promote sensitivity with issues of race and equity

• Skilled multi-tasker and excellent time manager; ability to effectively achieve multiple goals and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Outstanding knowledge of child development, social and environmental conditioning, cultural diversity, psychopathology and family systems

• Knowledge of best practices in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support to meet students’ social and emotional needs 

• Knowledge of trauma-informed practices and interventions

• Ability to develop supportive consultative relationships with Network and school leaders, classroom teachers, school-based mental health professionals, and other stakeholders

• Familiarity with ISBE SEL Standards and CPS-supported SEL strategies (i.e. Restorative Practices, Behavioral Health Team, etc.)

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency -Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.

• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 -Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. “Up-to-date” on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.