Behavior Support Assistants (9 total) - K-5 (LSFSS)

Sylvania; Saint Clair Shores (MI); On-site; USD 32,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The K-5 Behavior Support Assistant at Sylvania provides direct behavioral and social-emotional support to elementary students in grades K-5, collaborating with teachers, social workers, and administrators to implement MTSS-based strategies that improve self-regulation and classroom participation.

Responsibilities include de-escalation, data collection, and progress monitoring, with potential to work across multiple buildings.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience working with elementary-age children preferred.
• Experience supporting children with behavioral, social-emotional, or mental-health needs preferred.
• Ability to establish positive and supportive relationships with students.
• Ability to remain calm and appropriately respond to students experiencing behavioral or emotional dysregulation.
• Ability to follow behavior intervention plans and directions provided by professional staff.
• Ability to work collaboratively with teachers, administrators, student support personnel, and families.
• Ability to collect and accurately report basic student behavioral data.
• Willingness to participate in district-provided training related to behavioral and social-emotional interventions.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct behavioral and social-emotional support to students in grades K-5.
• Support implementation of the district's behavioral health initiatives and student intervention systems.
• Assist students experiencing behavioral or emotional dysregulation with de-escalation, self-regulation, coping strategies, and successful return to the learning environment.
• Implement behavioral interventions, strategies, and student support plans developed in collaboration with teachers, administrators, school social workers, school psychologists, counselors, and other professional staff.
• Provide targeted individual and small-group behavioral support for identified students.
• Support Tier 2 and Tier 3 behavioral and social-emotional interventions within the district's MTSS framework.
• Reinforce positive behavior, social interaction, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and other strategies to improve school participation.
• Support students during transitions and other settings where behavioral or social-emotional needs may interfere with participation.
• Observe student behavior and help identify patterns, triggers, and effective interventions for the student support team.
• Collect and maintain behavioral intervention data to assist staff in monitoring progress and intervention effectiveness.
• Assist with implementation and progress monitoring of individualized behavior support plans.
• Collaborate with classroom teachers and student support personnel to promote consistent implementation of strategies across settings.
• Provide proactive support to students at risk of behavioral escalation or difficulty accessing the educational environment.
• Assist students in building independence in managing behavior and emotions, reducing reliance on adult intervention over time.
• Participate as appropriate in student support, MTSS, or problem-solving meetings.
• Maintain student confidentiality and comply with district policies and applicable state and federal requirements.
• Participate in district-provided training related to behavior intervention, de-escalation, student mental health, social-emotional learning, and trauma-informed practices.
• Perform other duties related to student behavioral and social-emotional support as assigned.

Skills

De-escalation

Positive relationships

Behavioral support

Collaboration

Education

High school diploma or equivalen

Job description

Summary

The K-5 Behavior Support Assistant provides direct behavioral and social-emotional support to elementary students in grades K-5 whose challenges interfere with successful participation in the school environment. Working under the oversight of the Director of Behavioral Health & Alternative Student Services and in collaboration with building administrators, teachers, school social workers, school psychologists, and other student support personnel, the Behavior Support Assistant implements behavioral interventions and strategies designed to improve student self-regulation, social-emotional functioning, school engagement, and classroom participation. The position may work with individual students, small groups, or within classroom settings and may be assigned across elementary buildings based on student need. This position is funded through Section 31aa and classified as temporary for the 2026-27 school year in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the District and LSFSS.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct behavioral and social-emotional support to students in grades K-5.
• Support implementation of the district's behavioral health initiatives and student intervention systems.
• Assist students experiencing behavioral or emotional dysregulation with de-escalation, self-regulation, coping strategies, and successful return to the learning environment.
• Implement behavioral interventions, strategies, and student support plans developed in collaboration with teachers, administrators, school social workers, school psychologists, counselors, and other professional staff.
• Provide targeted individual and small-group behavioral support for identified students.
• Support Tier 2 and Tier 3 behavioral and social-emotional interventions within the district's MTSS framework.
• Reinforce positive behavior, social interaction, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and other strategies to improve school participation.
• Support students during transitions and other settings where behavioral or social-emotional needs may interfere with participation.
• Observe student behavior and help identify patterns, triggers, and effective interventions for the student support team.
• Collect and maintain behavioral intervention data to assist staff in monitoring progress and intervention effectiveness.
• Assist with implementation and progress monitoring of individualized behavior support plans.
• Collaborate with classroom teachers and student support personnel to promote consistent implementation of strategies across settings.
• Provide proactive support to students at risk of behavioral escalation or difficulty accessing the educational environment.
• Assist students in building independence in managing behavior and emotions, reducing reliance on adult intervention over time.
• Participate as appropriate in student support, MTSS, or problem-solving meetings.
• Maintain student confidentiality and comply with district policies and applicable state and federal requirements.
• Participate in district-provided training related to behavior intervention, de-escalation, student mental health, social-emotional learning, and trauma-informed practices.
• Perform other duties related to student behavioral and social-emotional support as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience working with elementary-age children preferred.
• Experience supporting children with behavioral, social-emotional, or mental-health needs preferred.
• Ability to establish positive and supportive relationships with students.
• Ability to remain calm and appropriately respond to students experiencing behavioral or emotional dysregulation.
• Ability to follow behavior intervention plans and directions provided by professional staff.
• Ability to work collaboratively with teachers, administrators, student support personnel, and families.
• Ability to collect and accurately report basic student behavioral data.
• Willingness to participate in district-provided training related to behavioral and social-emotional interventions.

Travel Requirements

This position may be assigned across multiple elementary buildings based on student behavioral and social-emotional needs. Employees using a personal vehicle for approved school business between buildings will be reimbursed at the current IRS Standard Mileage Rate (does not apply to travel to/from the employee's primary work site).

Work Schedule

Hours to be determined based on building and student assignment. Employees regularly scheduled 4+ hours/day receive a 15-minute paid duty-free break (two such breaks if scheduled 8 hours/day); employees scheduled 5.5+ hours/day also receive a 30-minute unpaid duty-free period.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities.

• Work in a standard school environment.
• Engage in standing, walking, bending, kneeling, reaching, pushing, pulling, and lifting to assist the student.
• Provide physical support for mobility and transitions (e.g., handheld assistance, guiding through school).
• Sit or stand for extended periods; exhibit manual dexterity for tasks like entering data or handling materials.
• See and read printed or digital materials (with or without vision aids); hear and understand speech in a classroom setting.
• Ability to physically respond to student de-escalation situations.
• Mobility around classroom/school settings.
• Possible travel between buildings.
• Remain free of alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substances (including marijuana) in the workplace throughout employment.

ADA / Reasonable Accommodation Note

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
• The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.