Rye Country Day School is seeking a Lower School Psychologist beginning August 2021. Rye Country Day School is a coeducational, Prek-12, college preparatory school located in Westchester County, New York dedicated to providing students with an excellent education using both traditional and innovative approaches. We are actively committed to creating and sustaining a school community that is nurturing, supportive, diverse, and inclusive, one in which all students can participate fully and achieve their maximum potential through academic, athletic, creative, and social endeavors. We expect and promote moral responsibility and strive to develop strength of character within a respectful school community.

The Lower School Psychologist works closely with the Lower School Principal, Lower School Assistant Principal, Lower School Learning Specialists, Director of Counseling Support Services, Director of Health and Wellness, and Lower School faculty and parents/guardians to support students. Included in the Lower School Psychologist’s role are the following:

• Sees individual Lower School students on an as-needed, short-term basis
• Provides age-appropriate crisis intervention for individual students
• Assists students in developing advocacy, healthy coping skills, and developmentally appropriate problem-solving
• Makes tutor, testing, and therapy referrals (meets with tutors/evaluators before referring)
• Makes appropriate referrals outside of school for ongoing care and support; maintains a diverse list of outside referrals that meets the needs of the students and employees with regard to race, gender identity, socioeconomic needs, geographic location, and insurance panels
• Develops and engages with a network of counselors at other area independent schools
• Consults and liaises with outside therapists and evaluators using school documentation
• Teaches and participates in curriculum development for health lessons and social-emotional learning in the division
• Supports the health and well-being of all learners by creating a supportive environment that stimulates and promotes ethical, social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth
• Provides opportunities to discuss child development issues with parents and guardians; holds individual parent meetings as needed
• Serves as a resource for teachers about the emotional development of children; meets regularly with teachers about students in need of services and about any students of concern
• Designs and leads meaningful psychoeducation for Lower School faculty
• Performs classroom observations of students of concern and works in conjunction with learning specialists to develop a plan to support the student
• Leads Child Study Team meetings with classroom teachers, principal, learning specialists and families
• Reads and interprets psychoeducational evaluations for students in grades PK-4 and makes in school intervention and accommodation recommendations
• Assists with the transition of new students, including meeting with all new fourth grade students
• Works in consultation with the Middle School Counselor for transitioning fourth grade students
• Participates in the TLP organization (group organized with other independent schools to discuss accommodations and other independent school policies)
• Consults as needed for evolving policy and procedural needs
• Keeps student, family, and employee information as confidential; maintains proper documentation in order to keep confidential records and only shares private information on an as needed basis with clear justification
• Participates as a full member of the Lower School faculty, including attending faculty and grade-level team meetings
• Conveys enthusiasm for intellectual inquiry
• Actively seeks professional learning and education on and implements best clinical practices regarding trauma-informed counseling, assessment and treatment techniques for culturally- and racially-diverse populations, identifying avenues for prevention and intervention efforts, understanding racism-related stress and coping processes
• Maintains credentialing with New York State
• Supports the mission of the School and performs other related tasks as assigned by administration