Duties
Key Responsibilities:
? Foster Safety: Build relationships, help maintain a safe environment, and implement
co-regulation/safety plans calmly during crisis.
? Support Learning: Assist with instructional materials, support students one-on-one or in
small groups with differentiated lessons and IEP goals, and integrate academic learning
with social-emotional skill-building.
? Teamwork: Work interdependently with the team, participate in reflective
problem-solving, and engage in debriefs after challenges.
? Use Best Practices: Approach all behavior as communication, implement positive
behavior supports and restorative practices, and protect student dignity.
? Monitor: Collect data on academic, behavioral, and social-emotional progress to help
drive team decisions.
Qualifications
Qualifications:
? Required: High School Diploma/GED, Illinois Paraprofessional Educator License (or
willingness to obtain), and commitment to trauma-informed, restorative practices.
Physically able to participate in crisis management training. Ability to team lift 100 pounds and pull/push 75 pounds.
? Essential Dispositions: Curiosity over judgment, humility, resilience, cultural
responsiveness, and commitment to equity.
Salary/Benefits
$20 per hour plus Individual Health Insurance paid
Additional Notes
The TriCounty Connections Academy is a therapeutic day school designed for K-12 students
whose complex social-emotional and behavioral needs require intensive support beyond what
traditional settings can provide. We serve students others may have given up on—and we
believe deeply in their capacity to heal, grow, and succeed.
Our approach is grounded in:
? Trauma-informed care
? Restorative practices
? Positive behavior support
? Reflective, collaborative problem-solving
? Unwavering belief that all behavior is communication and all students are capable of
growth
We are not a behavioral management program. We are an educational community committed
to teaching the skills students need—emotional regulation, social connection, academic
progress, and resilience—while honoring their dignity and humanity every single day.