Funded through a grant from the US Department of Education, ARROW is an opportunity for the District of Columbia to launch recruitment and retention activities that build knowledge, skills, professional opportunities and job satisfaction for school behavioral health professionals to enter and remain in the workforce through collaboration with local education agencies (LEAs), District colleges and universities and school behavioral health organizations and partners. Learn more below:
First Year Cadre
The ARROW First Year Cadre is for school-based behavioral health providers, i.e., school social workers, school psychologists and counselors (school counselors and licensed counselors), who are new to working in a school-based setting and have an employment start date of Nov. 1, 2022 or after!
The First Year Cadre is an opportunity for providers in their first year working in a school-based setting to build foundational skills necessary to be successful in the school environment. This cohort will serve as the inaugural cadre and run from April to June 2024. Please see this one pager for more information and the eligibility criteria.
Applications are now open and close Friday, March 6, 2024.
Participants who successfully complete the cadre will be eligible for a $500 stipend.
Questions? Reach out to [email protected].
ARROW Career Center
The ARROW Career Center is a resource for aspiring school-based behavioral health providers in the District of Columbia to view internship and job postings and learn about what it is like to work in a DC public or public charter school. Please visit the ARROW Career Center here, and if you are a current or prospective school-based behavioral health provider or student/trainee, visit this page regularly for updates.
If you are a DC public or public charter local education agency (LEA) or school or a community-based organization (CBO) that provides school-based behavioral health services in partnership with the DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), submit employment opportunities using this form: ARROW Career Center Submission Form.
Retention Bonus:
In acknowledgment of the tremendous commitment that District school-based behavioral health staff have shown in supporting the students, families and staff in DC public and public charter schools, OSSE is offering a one-time retention bonus of $1,000 to eligible school-based behavioral health providers employed by DC public and public charter schools and community-based organizations (CBO) that participate in the Comprehensive School Behavioral Health System and Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) School Behavioral Health Program.
Eligible providers include school-based psychologists, social workers and counselors who offer mental and behavioral health services in their school placement and have been employed as a school-based behavioral health provider in an eligible placement since Oct. 31, 2022. If you transitioned between eligible employers during that time, the lapse in employment may not exceed 30 days.
The application window of Tuesday, Jan. 16 – Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 has closed, and all submitted applications are under review. All applicants will be receiving qualification notifications soon.
If you have any questions, please review the FAQ page or email [email protected].
For more information about the Retention Bonus view the information session recording here.
DIFS Information Session:
View the DIFS Information Session recording HERE for more information about the next steps in the ARROW Retention Bonus Process. All DIFS registration documents are due by close of business Wednesday, April 3, 2024 and should be sent to [email protected].
If you have any questions regarding your DIFS paperwork, please email Ivana Thornton ([email protected]) or Alexis Williams ([email protected]).