Mental Health Specialist

YES Prep; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 61,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Exempt salaried position

Health and supplemental insurance

Teacher retirement system & 457b

Paid time off

Professional development

Award-winning culture

Job summary

YES Prep is seeking a Mental Health Specialist to provide counseling as a related service to students in special education, collaborating with the behavioral support and psychological services teams to deliver the best mental health support.

The role requires a master’s degree in counseling/psychology/social work, valid Texas licensure, and 2–5 years of experience in an educational setting. This is a 10-month, on-site position with a competitive benefits package in Houston, TX.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university
• Master’s degree in counseling, psychology, or social work from an accredited college or university
• Active Texas licensure (LPC, LMSW/LCSW, or LMFT) preferred
• 2–5 years of counseling experience in an educational setting
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal regulations for school mental health

Responsibilities

• Create counseling goals and objectives to support students’ academic and behavioral growth
• Provide direct and consultative counseling to students with emotional or behavioral needs
• Collaborate with parents, teachers, and administrators to implement strategies
• Document progress with thorough notes and progress updates
• Support the psychological services team with evaluations and interpretation of results
• Participate in staff development and professional activities
• Contribute to projects and trainings within the behavioral support and psychological services teams

Skills

Counseling experience

Educational setting

Collaboration with staff

Communication with parents

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree in counseling/psychology/social work

Job description

Description

Job Description

POSITION: Mental Health Specialist

REPORTS TO: Manager of Psychological Services

POSITION TYPE: 10-month

START DATE: Immediate

COMPENSATION: $60,818 - $72,981, Home Office Grade 5

At YES Prep, work for a mission that impacts the life trajectory of students and their families. YES Prep creates pathways to extraordinary opportunity through best-in-class development, competitive compensation and benefits, and recognition for your impact. Grow as an authentic leader and be part of a high-performing, team-oriented culture.

Some quick stats about us:

• 21,000 Students
• 2600 Team Members
• 16 Secondary Campuses
• 12 Elementary Campuses
• 91% Students Who Qualify for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch
• 96% Hispanic & African-American Students
• 99% Students Who Are Accepted to a 4-Year University
• 85% First-Generation College Students
• Ranked in the Top 100 High Schools in the Nation, U.S. News & World Report

We serve the students of Houston, Texas, the 4th largest city across the United States. There are over 20 public-school districts and other great public charter school options within Houston’s city limits serving our increasing population.

THE OPPORTUNITY

YES Prep needs a dynamic Mental Health Specialist with a robust set of experiences to make our mission a reality. As a YES Prep employee, you will achieve jaw-dropping results, create pathways to opportunity for our students, and build transformative relationships.

To put it simply, you will provide counseling as a related service to students in special education and collaborate with the behavioral support and psychological services teams to provide the best mental health support to students in special education.

THE ROLE

When you join the YES Prep team, some of the work and responsibilities will include:

• Creating counseling goals and objectives that propel students in special education towards increased academic and behavioral success, independence, and the opportunity to lead choice-filled lives;
• Providing superior direct and consultative counseling services to students in special education with emotional or behavioral needs;
• Consulting with parents, teachers, administrators, and other staff members to ensure implementation of successful emotional or behavioral strategies and techniques within the school setting and at-home training;
• Documenting student progress towards goals through thorough session notes and record keeping;
• Providing counseling service updates within Admission, Review and Dismissal meetings;
• Assist ing the psychological services team with conducting evaluations and interpreting results to determine if students require counseling as a related service and effectively conveying the assessment results to students, families, and school staff;
• Collaborating with members of the behavioral support and psychological services teams on shared projects, goals, and the creation and implementation of professional development;
• Attending staff development in-services and workshops to enhance professional skills;
• Additional duties as assigned.

THE PERSON

We seek staff with a multitude of backgrounds, talents, interests, and ideas. Certain traits consistently shine through our most successful employees: passion for the mission, drive for results, care for students, and resilience. Other traits needed and desired for this role are:

THE MUST HAVES

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)
• Master’s degree in counseling, psychology, or social work from an accredited college or university
• Valid Texas Professional Licensure in at least one of the following:

• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Social Worker (LMSW, LCSW)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

• 2-5 years of counseling experience in an educational setting
• Compliance with local, state, and federal regulations as they pertain to mental health within the school setting
• Experience communicating effectively with parents, students, and staff
• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedback
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress
• Ability to work urgently in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment
• A dedication to learn, grow, and develop as a professional
• Ability to work outside of normal hours and on weekends

• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedback
• Creates and maintains positive working relationships on a team and/or in a highly collaborative environment
• A dedication to learn, grow, and develop as a professional

THE MUST HAVE BELIEFS

• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools
• Desire to disrupt systemic status quos in education
• Willingness to go above and beyond to disrupt said status quos
• Passion to develop resiliency through a relentless pursuit of jaw-dropping results
• Conviction that high expectations + high accountability = high performance and high growth

THE NICE TO HAVES

• 2 years' experience in providing responsive counseling services to children or adolescents
• Bilingual – Spanish or other language

THE PERKS

• Compensation – This position is an exempt, salaried position; offers commensurate with experience.

• Health and Supplemental Insurance – A $0 monthly medical option or a $24 monthly option that includes $50YES Prep Paid Health Savings Account contribution, in addition to a variety of supplemental benefits including Dental, Vision, Disability, Life, etc. Employees must work 20+ hours a week to be eligible for a full spectrum of benefits, and 10 hours a week minimum for medical benefits.

• Retirement Plans – Participation in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and an optional 457b Retirement Plan.

• Paid Time Off – Employees working 20+ hours a week receive 10 days of Paid Time Off in addition to the system closures during the Academic Calendar.

• Paid Leave Programming – In the event you need to be out due to medical needs (including maternity and paternity leave), YES Prep offers paid leave, paid out at 100%, based on eligibility and tenure.

• Professional Development - YES Prep values longevity and performance over time. We invest in developing leaders through high-quality programs, effective coaching, and ongoing professional development.

• Award Winning Culture – The strong cultures of our campuses and Home Office are just one of many reasons we were named Houston’s Best Place To Work in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2025. We won the 2012 Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education and were a 2016 finalist as well

YES Prep is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.