The YMCA of Snohomish County is seeking a compassionate and skilled Mental Health Specialist to join our team. As a Mental Health Specialist, you will promote youth success within YMCA programs by supporting participants in maximizing their potential through developmentally appropriate social-emotional, academic, and behavioral interventions both individually and in small groups; to provide staff and participants with the education and tools needed to promote participate success; provide community resources for participants and their families.

The Y is the leading nonprofit committed to strengthening the community by connecting all people to their potential, purpose, and each other. Working locally, we focus on empowering young people, improving health and well-being, and inspiring action in and across communities. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and generations, we ensure that we all have access to the opportunities, relationships, and resources necessary to learn, grow, and thrive.

Come to work each day knowing that what you do has an impact on the lives of the people in your community. At the Y, we invite you to develop your skills, realize your leadership potential, and discover a position that is truly much more than a job. Plus, there is always room to grow at the Y!

Availability: Monday-Friday; Hours will vary based on school/branch. Must be available for shifts between 6:30am-6:30 pm. 

What you will do at the Y:

This is an in-person, Full-Time role supporting our before and after school programs during the school year and summer camps during the summer. Shifts are a combination of AM programming (6:30/7am to start of school) and afternoon programming (end of the school day to 6:30pm M-F). Administrative hours are provided. The position is will support and/or substitute at nearby sites when needed. Hours and shifts are determined by the school schedules, Mental Health Specialists will be expected to work 35-40 hours in a combination of admin and in ratio hours.

This position is grant funded through April 2025.

What you’ll get from working at The Y

• FREE family YMCA membership
• Education Advance: Up to $2,000 per year*
• FREE training offered for all positions and get paid while you train for your job!
• Flexible work schedules and a family-friendly environment.
• 50% off ECE child care for Full-Time staff (and their dependents).
• 100% off specific programs and services for Full-Time staff (and their dependents) that include:
  • School Age Child Care, licensed Discovery Camp, Day Camps, 1 session of Overnight Camp, Family Camps, group swim lessons, youth sports, & youth leadership programs
• Competitive benefits package for Full-Time staff.
• Two medical plans to choose from: One is FREE for employee.
• Dental plan is FREE for employee.
• Life and long term disability with medical and dental insurance begin on the first of the month after start date.
• 2 weeks paid time off accrued per year to start (accrual increases with years of service) and 8 paid holidays for full-time staff.
• Sick Pay accrued at rate of one hour for every 40 hours worked.
• Tax-Deferred retirement account & Roth retirement account available to all employees.
• 403a Retirement investing account paid at 12% annual compensation after 2 years of service (minimum 1,000 hours worked in each year).
• FREE Employee Assistance Program.
• Cheery, dynamic, cause-driven work environment, like no other!
• We promote from within often. Enjoy your career at our Y!
• Opportunity to grow: When you work at the Y, you will be encouraged to try new things and grow your career. We have a solid reputation for hiring good people who do great things.

*Eligibility requirements apply

Job Duties/Responsibilities:

• Conduct small group or individual activities related to behavioral, personal, social and emotional issues
• Assists in handling participant behavior management problems and in resolving concerns and personal issues. Follows up with staff to provide preventative measures.
• Coordinates with supervisors, site coordinators, and other staff to provide integrated program support and planning for youth.
• Connect with school personnel (counselors, paraeducators, principals, and vice principals) to create and establish consistency between school and YMCA programs.
• Provide advice and referrals for individual participants and staff as time permits in the solution of personal problems
• Provides short-term participant crisis intervention and follow-up consultation with parents, including safety planning, and behavior modification planning.
• Attend meetings with directors and coordinators to provide overarching guidance as requested.
• Keep an organized record of behavioral interventions utilized for all sites visited.

Knowledge:

• Best practice in the area of counseling/guidance programs and strategies that are developmentally appropriate, evidence-based, and support the overall comprehensive counseling model
• Principles, methods, techniques, strategies, and trends in educational, vocational, social, and emotional counseling
• Social service and youth service agencies in the local area
• Social, emotional, and behavioral characteristics of students
• Support participants with needs in mild to intermediate intervention
• Principles, goals, and objectives of youth-serving organizations

Skills and Abilities:

• Assist students in effectively analyzing and developing alternative solutions to behavioral, educational, social, and emotional concern
• Demonstrate exceptional interpersonal communication skills in a variety of situations and with a variety of audiences
• Understand and carry out oral and written directions with minimal accountability controls
• Inspire confidence and trust in others
• Provide conflict resolution and mediation support

Qualifications:

• A. or B.S. in social work, education, psychology, or related field services preferred
• MSW or MA/MS in social services desired
• Meet educational and experience qualifications established by the Dept of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).
• Provide documentation of all certification and training requirements established by DCYF, including position prerequisites, current negative TB test, and portable background check.
• Experience assisting students and families with mental health and social programs
• Experience and/or training with cultural and learning diversity
• The ability to speak and write Spanish is highly desirable

Y Culture:

• Build relationships with a diverse membership base in culturally responsive ways, connect members with one another and to the YMCA
• Exhibit Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility
• Complete required training and certifications within established guidelines
• Arrive on time ready for shift, clock in/out within timekeeping system

Embrace Team Leader Core Competencies:

Mission Advancement:

• Models and teaches the Y’s values
• Ensures a high level of service with a commitment to improving lives
• Provides volunteers with orientation, training, development, and recognition
• Cultivates relationships to support fundraising

Collaboration:

• Champions inclusion activities, strategies, and initiatives
• Builds relationships to create small communities
• Empathetically listens and communicates for understanding when negotiating and dealing with conflict
• Effectively tailors communications to the appropriate audience
• Provides staff with feedback, coaching, guidance and support

Operational Effectiveness: 

• Provides others with frameworks for making decisions
• Conducts prototypes to support the launching of programs and activities
• Develops plans and manages best practices through engagement of team
• Effectively creates and manages budgets
• Holds staff accountable for high-quality results using a formal process to measure progress 

Personal Growth:

• Shares new insights
• Facilitates change; models adaptability and an awareness of the impact of change
• Utilizes non-threatening methods to address sensitive issues and inappropriate behavior or performance 
• Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills required to perform well; uses best practices and demonstrates up-to-date knowledge and skills in technology

Physical and Mental Demands:  The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Physical Demands:

Lead and participate in a range of activities in indoor/outdoor settings. Sufficient strength, agility and mobility to perform essential functions of position and to safely supervise program activities. Staff may be required to move weights of approximately 50 pounds. While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to sit, walk and stand; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands repetitively to handle, feel or operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms; and lift up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve non-routine and complex problems; may use math and mathematical reasoning; observe and interpret situations; learn and apply new information or skills; perform highly detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks; work under intensive deadlines with frequent interruptions; and interact with members, staff, volunteers, and others encountered in the course of work, some of whom may be dissatisfied individuals.

Working Conditions: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Typically interaction with others is busy, constant and occasionally interruptive. Work may be demanding at times. May require ability to work irregular hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job descriptions represent a general outline of job duties, functions and qualifications. They are not intended to be comprehensive in nature. In addition, jobs evolve over time and therefore their description may not reflect the precise nature of the position at a given point in time.

The full range of the pay grade for this position is $25.60 - $37.50.

Our Commitment to Inclusion:The Y is made up of people of all ages and from every walk of life, working side by side to strengthen communities. Together we work to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, age, cultural background, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender identity, ideology, income, national origin, race or sexual orientation, has the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity. Our core values are caring, honesty, respect and responsibility—they guide everything we do.

We look forward to having you on our YMCA team!
*The YMCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer that celebrates diversity at all levels of our organization!