As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

At the University of Washington School of Social Work, we commit ourselves to promoting social and economic justice for poor and oppressed populations and enhancing the quality of life for all. We strive to maximize human welfare through education, research, and public service. We embrace our position of leadership in the field of social work and join in partnership with others in society committed to solving human problems in the twenty-first century.

The UW and the School of Social Work promote diversity and inclusivity among our staff, faculty and students; we seek applicants for this position who are committed to these principles and whose experiences have prepared them to fulfill our commitment to inclusion and have given them the confidence to fully engage with audiences from a wide spectrum of backgrounds.

Forefront Suicide Prevention is the catalyst for a social movement to save lives lost to suicide. We are considered a national thought leader developing innovative legislation and programs that can be scaled to build capacity for everyone to play a role in suicide prevention. We champion state policy and systems changes within healthcare, schools and higher education institutions, train and support a broad coalition of volunteers to provide resources in their communities, and educate media to shift the culture of this public health issue from one of stigma and silence to openness and empowerment of individuals to take action.

As a Center for Excellence housed within the UW School of Social Work, our work with schools (K-12) focuses on increasing access to comprehensive suicide prevention through systems change, collaboration, and robust training and technical assistance. Our partners currently include over 50 high schools within Washington State, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, all nine educational service districts (ESDs); we anticipate continued program growth as our program seeks to scale to a larger audience statewide.

Forefront Suicide Prevention and the UW School of Social Work have an excellent opportunity for a full time (1.0 FTE) Regional High School Advisor.

The Regional High School Advisor role is dedicated to building community-level support in suicide prevention across Washington State. Forefront is seeking individuals with clinical expertise and experience working with high schools to continue to build and develop the program, provide guidance and technical assistance, and develop new resources to influence the field of high school mental health and suicide in WA State. This is a regional position (with the opportunity to work in-person, remotely, or as a hybrid employee). Our regional High School Advisors should be prepared for remote and hybrid work within Washington State. The Regional High School Advisor must have the ability and desire to travel to high school campuses, conferences, regional internal meetings, to The University of Washington and other locations as needed for the functions of their role.


DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The regional high school advisor serves a primary role in coordinating the administrative, operational, and programmatic components of our schools-based programing. Responsibilities and duties will include:

Provide direct technical assistance to schools/school districts on mental health practices, programming, and policies. (75%)

Onboarding schools/districts and maintaining relationships and building relationships with schools and districts within your assigned caseload.

Assisting schools in completing required elements of our programs – including onboarding, evaluation, needs assessment, and planning to improve their comprehensive mental health and suicide prevention activities, policies, and programs.

Providing ongoing expert consultation and technical assistance to help schools implement strategic plans.

Assisting with the development of professional development materials for broader school and district convenings based on experience working with individual schools and districts.

Strategy & Program Development (15%)

Create, gather and/or recommend materials for inclusion in Forefront’s schools-based programing. This could include trainings, resources, and other materials that provide evidence-based programs and practice in the areas of mental health promotion and suicide prevention for youth.

Maintain relationships with schools and school districts in our technical assistance portfolio.

Develop implementation tools and materials as needed.

Resource Development (10%)

Assist implementation team in identifying and developing new resources on the topics of mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention in high schools.

Assist in the curation and development of materials, topics, and speakers for webinars and other professional development opportunities for high schools in our technical assistance portfolio.


MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Minimum of master’s level training in psychology, social work, school counseling, or related field required; MSW’s, MPH’s, MED’s, and early to mid-career PhD’s are encouraged to apply.

Minimum of 2 years of experience working with adolescents in educational, healthcare, or community settings.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.


ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Strong verbal communication.

Strong written communication.

Excellent attention to detail.

Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills, including comfort with establishing new partnerships.

Strong commitment to customer service and promoting access to comprehensive suicide prevention efforts across Washington state.


DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

3-5 years of experience with secondary education systems strongly preferred.

Experience building and managing programs.

Bilingual in English/Spanish.


Application Process:   The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.