Friends Seminary educates students from kindergarten through twelfth grade, adhering to the values of the Religious Society of Friends. We strive to build a diverse school where students exercise their curiosity and imagination as they develop as scholars, artists and athletes. In a community that cultivates the practices of keen observation, unhurried reflection, critical thinking, and coherent expression, we listen for the single voice as we seek unity. The disciplines of silence, study, and service provide the matrix for growth: silence opens us to change; study helps us to know the world; service challenges us to put our values into practice. At Friends Seminary, education is rooted in the Quaker belief in the Inner Light – that of God in every person. Guided by the testimonies of integrity, peace, equality, and simplicity, we prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be.
Founded in 1786, Friends Seminary, the oldest continually operating coeducational, independent Quaker school in New York City, seeks a Lower School Psychologist (K-4) to join our mental health support team and to support the students and families of the Lower School. The mental health support team includes a full-time psychologist in each division (Lower, Middle, and Upper).
The primary responsibility of the Lower School Psychologist is to promote the social, emotional, educational, and mental health and wellbeing of each child by partnering with teachers, administrators, parents, and outside professionals. The Lower School Psychologist will provide strategies for prevention, intervention, and remediation to assist students and other members of the Friends community in developing effective coping and problem-solving skills in response to their environments and interpersonal interactions. This is a full-time, 10-month position beginning August 19, 2024. The Lower School Psychologist reports to the Lower School Division Head.
Through work with the following groups, the responsibilities of the Lower School Psychologist are to:
Students
- Provide short term crisis intervention and direct individual counseling for children struggling with social, emotional, and / or behavioral problems.
- Facilitate various support and affinity groups for students, including Banana Splits (children living with one parent for a variety of reasons), as well as social skills, impulse control, anger management, bereavement/grief, social aggression, and adoption.
- Collaborate as a team to assess barriers to learning and determine the best instructional strategies to improve learning.
- Support student understanding of identity as individuals and as part of a diverse community.
Parents
- Consult with and support parents with parenting issues including discipline, self-regulation, sibling rivalry, sleep, and behavior management.
- Provide support and outside referrals for parents on family issues.
- Interpret neuropsychological evaluations and be able to analyze and communicate test results and recommendations verbally and in writing.
- Work with the school based team and the findings of neuropsych evaluations to develop useful learning plans for students.
- Host coffees and meetings on a variety of topics such as parenting, social and emotional well-being, learning, mental health, and child development for faculty and parents.
- Provide referrals for outside services for their child, including learning support, therapy, neuropsychological evaluations, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and behavioral treatment.
Faculty
- Observe children in class to evaluate behavioral or learning problems.
- Assist with behavioral issues in the classroom and provide resources for specific problems.
- Provide support around parent interactions.
- Support teachers in making neuropsych evaluation recommendations actionable.
- Assess need for referral to Guidance team or outside specialists.
- Foster positive classroom environments through social-emotional work in the classroom by providing units on specific areas such as building friendships, tattling vs. teasing, and bullying.
Administrative and School-Wide Duties
- Facilitate the child study component of Guidance meetings.
- Maintain and manage relationships with outside providers to grow our network of practitioners.
- Collaborate with outside practitioners, including tutors, therapists, evaluators, and medical professionals to make referrals and follow up on student care.
- Supervise and manage screenings for speech and language and occupational therapy.
- Collaborate with the Infirmary and Middle and Upper School Psychologists.
- Liaise with the Middle School Psychologist to support the transition to Middle School for at-risk children and families.
- Attend after school faculty meetings, grade level team meetings, guidance meetings, case conferences, and other relevant school events.
- Work with the crisis team to provide leadership, resources, direct services, and coordination with needed community services.
- Participate in school-wide prevention programs and initiatives that help maintain a positive school climate including DEB work and mental health initiatives.
- Consult with Admissions staff, as necessary.
Required Education and Qualifications
- Doctoral degree in clinical, counseling, or school psychology and appropriate New York State licenses and/or certifications required.
- Previous counseling experience in an elementary school preferred.
- Training and experience in evidenced-based treatment approaches including CBT and mindfulness.
- A well-developed sensitivity, knowledge, and understanding of the diverse backgrounds of community members allowing for the ability to connect with many constituencies.
- A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion.
- Excellent organizational and communication (written and verbal) skills.
- Understanding of the social and emotional development of children and SEL curriculum.
- Familiarity with elementary school curriculum and instruction.
- Proven ability to connect joyfully with students, families, and faculty.
Compensation
The salary range for this position is $125,000 - $140,000, commensurate with experience.
Benefits
Friends Seminary offers excellent benefits including paid time off, health, dental, vision, 403(b) with a School-paid match; wide-ranging opportunities for professional development, including tuition support and summer grants; and a talented and dedicated team of teaching colleagues and supportive administrators. Successful candidates will join a dynamic and forward-thinking teaching community of over 150 educators.
To apply, please submit the following:
- Completed Friends Seminary employment application
- Cover letter articulating your approach to emotional/mental health work in a school setting
- CV or resume
- Contact information for three to five personal references
When submitting your materials, kindly be sure to reference your first and last name, the position for which you are applying, and where you heard about the position in the subject line. i.e. [last name], [first name] - Lower School Psychologist - Friends Seminary website. You will receive a confirmation email when you submit your application. No phone calls, please.
Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates of color and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. We urge all applicants to identify and express their individuality and the ways in which they might enrich and diversify the School community.
Moreover, all successful applicants, whether for a faculty or administrative staff post, must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in their professional lives. Applicants for a faculty position should highlight ways their curriculum, pedagogy, and classroom culture may advance these goals. Applicants for an administrative staff position should highlight ways they seek to promote these goals in their office work, programming, or operational endeavors.
