Behavior Support Specialist

Martin County Schools is currently accepting applications for a Behavior Support Specialist for the upcoming school year. (Start Date: August 2026.) See the job description below for more information.

• This position requires a North Carolina Professional Educator's license in either Special Education or School Social Work.

GRADE: State Salary Scale for Licensed Instructional Support

FLSA: Exempt

REPORTS TO: Executive Director of Exceptional Children

SUPERVISES: Behavior Support Assistant

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: 10 months

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Special Education or Social Work
• NC Professional Educator's License in Special Education or NC School Social Worker License
• Two years of experience in education or related mental health field.
• Training and experience working with students who exhibit challenging behaviors which interfere with their learning and the learning of others.
• Training and experience in developing and implementing positive behavior interventions and strategies.
• Valid North Carolina Driver License.

NATURE OF WORK: This position will involve working as a part of a team to address behavior and mental health needs of students. The Behavior Support Specialist will provide supervision and support to the school-based programs designed to provide appropriate behavioral strategies for students experiencing behavioral challenges. The Behavior Support Specialist will provide support and training for school personnel throughout the district in behavioral supports and interventions. The Behavior Support Specialist also coordinates community service and skill-building programs for juveniles and at-risk youths.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Understanding of behavior management techniques and methods.
• Extensive knowledge of positive behavior interventions and supports.
• Ability to establish positive, flexible, and cooperative relationships with administrators, teachers, students, parents, and the community.
• Ability to provide coaching, skills training, and other supports to teachers and staff working with students with behavioral concerns.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills including presentation skills.
• An understanding of behavior intervention programs for students with severe behavioral challenges.
• Keep and maintain reliable and valid data on behavioral programs and interventions.
• An understanding of research based instructional strategies for students with severe behavioral challenges.
• Working knowledge of relationship between district, school-wide, classroom, and individual student core behavioral strategies.
• General knowledge of services, benefits and programs available for juveniles.
• General knowledge of county and non-profit agencies and their needs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. This list is meant to be representative, not exhaustive. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee is required to follow all board policies and procedures and to comply with the instructions and/or directives from his/her supervisor(s).

• Achieves and maintains certification in district-approved behavior intervention training program that requires the demonstration of proper physical and verbal de-escalation techniques used during a potential crisis situation.
• Provides behavioral consultation to school staff on individual students and classroom management.
• Assesses the need for Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plan including the development of effective data collection systems.
• Responds to behavioral emergency situations in schools throughout the district.
• Coordinates referrals and transitions for placement process for incoming students.
• Attends intake, IEP, Child/Family Team, and other school or agency meetings as necessary or directed by the supervisor.
• Observes students in the classroom to develop a better understanding of their needs.
• Coordinates with other Behavior Support Specialists as students move between counties.
• Participates in district and community behavioral and mental health committees.
• Provides related professional development activities to all school personnel.
• Participates in professional development opportunities as related to job description.
• Maintains confidentiality and complies with all pertinent federal, state, and district regulations and policies.
• Collaborates with various county agencies to identify at-risk youths.
• Creates, maintains, reviews client files to ensure accuracy and completeness
• Communicates with court counselors, school resource officers and Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention staff to ensure compliance with program policy and procedures.
• Maintains open communication with parents/guardians of program participants.
• Assists with annual grant proposal, request and all related requirements.

PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE REQUIREMENTS: The major physical and cognitive requirements listed below are applicable to the Behavior Support Specialist job classification within Martin County Schools. Work in this classification is considered medium physical work requiring the exertion of up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 25 pounds of force frequently, and up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Physical Requirements: Work regularly requires standing, walking, sitting, and speaking or hearing. Frequently requires using hands to finger, handle or feel, and repetitive motions. Occasionally requires climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms, pushing or pulling, and lifting. Work has standard vision requirements.

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or composite characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things. Requires the ability to prepare and analyze written and computer data.

Interpersonal Communication: Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly, or quickly. Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound. Must be able to communicate by telephone.

Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, handbooks, forms, lists, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, simple reports, forms, instructional materials, etc., using prescribed format.

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply rational systems to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists; to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in standard English.

Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; and to utilize decimals and percentages.

Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.

Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office equipment.

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of office machines, etc. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/ foot coordination.

Color Discrimination: Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with persons acting under stress.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works indoors. The noise level in the work environment is usually minimal. The work is performed in the office.