School Psychologist-Tri-County Connections Academy

School Psychologist – Tri County Connections Academy

About Us & Our Approach

The TriCounty Connections Academy is a therapeutic day school for students with complex social-emotional and behavioral needs.  Our model is clinical and educational, grounded in trauma-informed care and restorative practices. We are committed to treating the whole child by connecting school, family, and community systems.

Who We're Looking For (Key Traits)

We seek a School Psychologist who is:

• Systemically-minded and Relational: Prioritizes strong relationships and understands student well-being is inseparable from the environment.


• Trauma-informed: Approaches evaluation and intervention with a "What happened to them?" lens.


• Reflective and Collaborative: Consults as a partner, willing to examine system-level factors.


• Committed to Mental Health: Provides direct, evidence-based support and staff training.


• Calm and Consistent in Crisis: Maintains a regulated presence during de-escalation and safety planning.


• An Expert Consultant: Translates complex data into practical, trauma-informed strategies for staff and families.

What You'll Do (Major Components)

• Psychoeducational Evaluation: Conduct comprehensive, culturally-responsive, function-based evaluations (problem-solving model). Reports must be actionable and focus on systemic recommendations and skill-building goals.


• Systemic Consultation and Intervention: Serve as a mental health/behavioral consultant, leading reflective case consultations and facilitating staff training (e.g., trauma-informed care, restorative practices, PBIS).  Provide training and professional development for staff and families.  


• Direct Student Support: Provide evidence-based individual and group counseling/intervention focused on emotional regulation and coping strategies. Participate in crisis response and safety planning.


• Use Trauma-Informed and Restorative Practices: Approach all work through a trauma-informed lens and implement restorative practices over exclusionary discipline.


• Monitor Progress: Collect and analyze data to monitor intervention effectiveness.

Qualifications

Required: 

• Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with School Psychologist endorsement, demonstrated commitment to trauma-informed/restorative practices, expertise in FBA/BIP development, and physically able to participate in crisis management training.


• Willingness and physical ability to participate in a district-provided crisis management 


• training program; team lift 100 lbs and push/pull 75lbs

Preferred: 

• Experience in a therapeutic day school or alternative setting, training in evidence-based therapeutic models (e.g., CBT, DBT skills, ACT, EMDR), and experience with consultative models (e.g., MTSS, RTI).

Essential Dispositions

You must approach your work with curiosity over judgment, humility and reflectiveness, resilience and patience, cultural responsiveness, and a commitment to equity.

Why This Role Matters

You will be the clinical anchor for the staff, helping them view behavior through a lens of compassion, function, and skill-deficit. This role involves profound understanding, systemic change, and an unwavering belief in the human capacity to heal to transform a student's trajectory.