The International Academy for the Brain (iBRAIN-Academy) is one of the largest brain-injury special education programs in the world, headquartered in New York City with current locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Washington, D.C. iBRAIN is expanding to add an out-patient clinic (iBRAIN-Center), as well as growing its research efforts for the brain injury and brain-based disorders community (iBRAIN-Institute), collectively iBRAIN. iBRAIN-Academy’s mission is to research, develop, and implement special education and related services for school-aged (3-21 years of age) students who present with a wide range of impairments due to brain injury and/or brain-based disorders as well as the development of a fully inclusive education model.
Job Description
The School Psychologist will be working within a Multi-disciplinary Team to assess, develop and implement an appropriate inter-disciplinary Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the students. The student population is primarily non-verbal and non-ambulatory (in a wheelchair) who have a brain injury or brain-based disorder. In addition, it is critical to be part of the research efforts surrounding his or her assigned students as well as the organization’s research efforts. Besides being able to effectively understand child psychological and education development; successful attributes also include a strong strategic focus, individual leadership in an environment that promotes innovation and continuous improvement, effective communication with key constituents and stakeholders, and accountability for results.
Job Responsibilities
- Act as part of total educational team by working in collaboration with school nurse and medical staff, teachers, administrators, and other related services providers to integrate the information from all of these sources to provide social, emotional, behavioral and adaptive functioning support to the child, the child’s family and the school.
- Conduct psychological assessments and interpret results for students and participate in IEP meetings, team meetings and common planning
- Provide multiple related services including: social work services, parent counseling and training, counseling, and psychological counseling as needed.
- Lead crisis intervention efforts and provide insight into development of functional behavior assessments and behavior intervention plans
- Assist in remediation of areas of need by providing treatment plans, counseling, referrals or other interventions.
- Assist teachers in implementing classroom accommodations
- Develop and implement appropriate intervention plans for students, families, school, and community.
- Communicate with parents, teachers, administrators, and related service providers regarding student’s well-being and needs.
- Maintain accurate case files and reports to track student issues and progress.
- Use tools and assessments to identify the needs of students in school, home and community settings to maximize ability to learn and develop and track progress over time.
- Conduct interviews with students and families upon new student evaluation, intake and acceptance, and when otherwise indicated to obtain accurate social history and identify needs, strengths, relevant life experiences, and other social, developmental, emotional and behavioral factors to inform educational team for service provision and decision making.
- Identify areas of growth for students and create long-term and short-term goals for students and families.
- Complete progress reports on social work and parent counseling and training IEPs as necessary.
- Use a variety of appropriate formal and informal tools and techniques including observations and interviews to evaluate the progress and performance of students and families.
- Schedule monthly Parent Counseling and Training (PCT) sessions with families.
- Work with families during PCT sessions to determine areas for growth and relay valuable information regarding student’s progress at school and to encourage active family participation in the achievement of IEP goals.
- Assist in the development and implementation of educational modules for staff in-services and accrediting bodies to include IACET (International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training).
- Maintains a safe, clean, and healthy working environment for students and staff by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
- Maintains confidentiality for school records based on HIPAA/FERPA.
- Other discipline-specific responsibilities based on organizational needs (service delivery, research, continuing education)
Research and Innovation Duties
- Prepare and submit session notes within session (daily)
- Participation in regular iBRAIN Innovation (3 times a year) meetings (as scheduled)
- Help RA/Para fully understand their student's IEP & heighten their ability to formulate in-depth student-specific research questions
- Complete iBRAIN Research Integrity annual training
- For Continuing Education, annually identify 3+ knowledge gaps or competency areas
Qualifications
- Masters in Psychology required
- Must have a valid Washington D.C. School Psychologist Certification (Required)
- At least 2 years' experience working with children who have a brain injury or brain-based disorder.
- Must have excellent communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
- Must have the ability to take initiative, and a highly flexible personality type
- Must be detail-oriented, focused, highly motivated, and able to work as part of a team
- MUST HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR
Benefits:
Health insurance, Dental insurance, Vision insurance, Paid time off, Transportation Management Account
Job Type:
Full-time / In-person
Location:
Washington D.C.
Hours: Monday through Friday, typically 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m, with occasional irregular hours availability based on family/students' responsibilities
Salary Range: $70,000 to $80,000 (based on experience)
Please note this position adheres to iBRAIN-Academy’s administrative calendar
Note:This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and/or qualifications associated with the position.
Employment with iBRAIN is contingent upon successful completion of any and all post-screening processes, including a reference and background check, and license/certification/degree verifications if/where applicable
Please send a resume and cover letter to Jobs@ibrainnyc.org unless a specific job description specifies otherwise.