Part-time Mental Health Therapist - Middle School - 0.75 FTE (Temporary)
St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School and St. Francis of Assisi 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: