Classroom Teacher / Special Education

Special Education Teacher Journey House Residential Program
Shape the Future. Inspire Resilience. Teach with Purpose.

Are you ready to use your creativity to change young lives?
Natchaug Hospitals Journey House program seeks an innovative, compassionate special education teacher.

• Natchaug Hospital's Journey House program is a 13-bed specialized residential treatment facility on the Mansfield campus for adolescent girls ages 12 to 18 who are involved in the court-system. Residents are only admitted with a referral from the juvenile justice system. Referred girls have identified needs for behavioral health services and may have a history of one or more of the following circumstances - significant trauma, mental illness, victim of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, a history of substance abuse, and assaultive and/or self-injurious behaviors. Empower young women to rewrite their futures and transition successfully back to their communities.

Why This Role is Different

• Small class sizes and a deeply supportive environment.
• Shape, design, and adapt curriculum to match how each unique student learns.
• Focus on individual student growth, functional skills, and academic confidence.
• Collaborative work environment

Core Responsibilities

• Build flexible, engaging lesson plans tailored to individual learning gaps and trauma histories.
• Assess student strengths to create non-traditional, highly stimulating academic projects.
• Co-create credit-recovery pathways with students' home school districts to keep graduation on track.
• Partner with the clinical team to integrate goals into daily academic routines.
• Maintain a trauma-informed, predictable, and physically/emotionally safe classroom environment.
• Cultivate a strong, positive, and deeply engaging school culture.
• Provide accurate educational reporting for juvenile justice and school district stakeholders.

At Natchaug Hospital, we are focused on supporting our colleagues.

What our teachers love about Natchaug Hospital:

• Tuition Assistance up to $5,250.00 after six months of employment and up to 40% tuition discounts with partnering institutions for colleague AND dependents
• Employee assistance and wellness programs including a strong focus on promoting mental health
• School year calendar with Paid time off and health insurance packages
• 401(k) plan with employer match up to 7%
• Discounts on services, products and optional coverages movie tickets, pet insurance, travel and more!

Natchaug Hospital is Eastern Connecticuts leading provider for children, adolescents and adults with mental illness and substance abuse addictions. We offer a variety of programs including inpatient and outpatient behavioral health, residential treatment for court-involved teenage girls, geriatric services, clinical day treatment schools and chemical dependency services. Through our multi-site network of care, we constantly strive to meet its mission in helping people find their way while educating and empowering individuals to participate in their own care and recovery.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree required
• Current or pending special education certification required
• Current certification from the CT State Department of Education if not yet special education certified
• Experience working with children and adolescents in an educational setting (public or private).
• Experience working with children and/or adolescents with behavioral and emotional needs preferred
• Knowledge of education procedures for working with/teaching emotionally disturbed students, a plus
• Mindset: Deep empathy, patience, and a non-judgmental approach to justice-involved youth.
• Flexibility: Ability to pivot strategies quickly when a student needs emotional or academic modification.
• Cultural Competence: Commitment to supporting diverse populations facing complex trauma and systemic barriers.