Full-time Mental Health Therapist - 1.0 FTE (Temporary)
St. Patrick's Community School and St. Lorenzo Ruiz Middle School
Red Deer, AB
Please note that this opportunity is open to all applicants (internally and externally).
Position Summary:
The Mental Health Therapist is a dynamic position designed to promote student well-being, emotional regulation, and inclusive mental health practices. This role bridges direct student support with staff capacity-building. The Therapist will provide targeted mental health interventions.
Key Responsibilities:
Direct Student Support
- Targeted Interventions: Work 1:1 or in small groups with students identified as needing Tier 2 or Tier 3 mental health therapy.
- Skill Building: Teach students explicit strategies for emotional identification, self-monitoring, and co-regulation.
- Crisis De-escalation: Assist school teams during acute behavioral or emotional crises, focusing on safe de-escalation and restorative follow-up.
- Student Advocacy: Serve as a safe, trusted adult for students experiencing complex mental health challenges, helping them navigate school environments successfully.
Collaboration & Systemic Support
- Team Collaboration: Partner with school counsellors, and administration to develop therapy and /or safety plans.
- Family Engagement: Consult with parents and guardians to ensure communication between home and school.
- Data Collection & Analysis: Assist school teams in tracking mental health data to assess the effectiveness of implemented strategies and interventions.
- Community Liaison: Connect students and families with external mental health agencies, medical professionals, and community resources when higher levels of care are required.
Qualification & Experience:
- Education: Master’s Degree in Social Work, School Psychology, Counseling, Educational Psychology, or a closely related field.
- Licensing: Active registration or licensing in good standing with the relevant provincial/state regulatory college (e.g., Registered Social Worker, Registered Psychologist).
- Experience: Minimum of 3–5 years of experience working with children and youth in an educational, clinical, or community mental health setting.
- Specialized Training: Strong asset if trained in recognized frameworks such as Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS), VTRA or CSTAG, and the Neurosequential Model in Education (NME).
Core Competencies & Skills:
- Deep understanding of trauma: Comprehensive knowledge of how complex trauma, ADHD, Autism, and anxiety impact executive functioning and emotional regulation in an educational setting.
- Coaching mentality: Ability to mentor and guide adult learners (teachers and support staff) with empathy, patience, and non-judgmental communication.
- Adaptability: High degree of flexibility to respond to daily crises across different schools while maintaining long-term coaching goals.
- Relationship Building: Exceptional interpersonal skills to build trust quickly with resistant students, stressed educators, and concerned parents.
How to Apply:
In order to be considered for this position, you must upload a current Resume and Cover Letter to the job posting you are applying to. The Cover Letter and Resume must be a Microsoft Word or PDF file.
If you are having trouble applying to this posting, please contact Apply To Education at 1-877- 900- 5627 or info@applytoeducation.comFor instructions on how to create a Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools account, please click this link: