Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 am to 5 pm

Wage: $32.56 to $36.06 hourly

Benefits

* Medical/Dental

* FSA

* 403(b) Retirement

* Additional Voluntary Benefits

* Paid Holidays

* Vacation/Sick Leave

* Education Assistance Program

* Employee Assistance Program

* Longevity awards

Position Summary:

The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant takes a promotion, prevention and intervention approach to partner with coaches and early childhood professionals for the purpose of strengthening the capacity of staff, families, programs, and systems to promote optimal social and emotional development and to prevent, identify, and reduce the impact of mental health challenges amount children and families. The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant will work with the Associate Director of Early Learning Provider Services and the Child Care Aware of Washington IECMH Director to develop and implement a mental health service delivery system within licensed childcare programs throughout Central's Early Achievers eight county Region.

Responsibilities:

General

• Promote and market groups and services to licensed community childcare programs
• Work closely with licensed childcare staff, children, families and administration to respond to the individual needs and abilities of children and families, assisting them to attain skills, strategies, supports and resources of personal and social adjustment and efficacy.
• Collect data, maintain records, and support compliance of all Child Care Aware Contract requirements.
• Promote the emotional development of children, families, staff and parents by providing training and information on mental health and social services.
• Promote and provide mental health professionals that support providers in reducing child expulsion from child care settings due to behavioral, social, and emotional needs of the child(ren).
  

Observations, Consultation and Coaching

• Visit licensed childcare facilities regularly dependent on program needs.
• Conduct visits in partnership with Early Achievers Coaches to support mental health needs of licensed childcare providers
• Conduct early childhood mental health consultation in classrooms.
• Provide child development information related to social-emotional development and mental health.
• Provide guidance to licenses Childcare Directors/Owners and their staff on selecting, implementing, and interpreting social-emotional screening and assessment tools and findings.
• Provide guidance and model developmentally appropriate activities for children and effective ways to work with and support young children.
• Provide written and oral observations and strengths-based feedback to staff.
• Meet with staff to review observations and develop and implement plans as needed.
• Conduct observations and assessment of individual children as assigned or referred for consultation.
• Meet with families to consult on child and family needs and create a follow-up on plans to support these needs. (Meetings could take place in the family home, community or center setting.)
  

Training

• Support, coordinate and provide staff trainings related to social-emotional and mental health supports.
• Coordinate, facilitate and provide parent trainings.
  

Programmatic Consultation

• Participate in Direct Service Team Meetings and Family Staffing's.
• Participate in the development and implementation of mental health program and policy
• Collaborate with program leadership regarding program structure and implementation
• Participate in ongoing meetings with the Child Care Aware Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Director and state IECMH peers
  

Individual Child Screening, Assessment and Referral

• In partnership with staff, conduct standardized developmental, behavioral, and/or social-emotional screenings and assessment for individual children.
• Provide child and family referral and follow-up to community services.
• Provide screening, assessment and referral services.
  

Other

• Coordinate and collaborate with Early Achievers Leadership Team identifying mental health needs that could be addressed through mental health consultation.
• Collaborate on a regular basis with other agencies such as School Districts, Public Health and Social Services.
• Participate in meetings, trainings, and community activities.
  

Perform other duties as assigned

Job Requirements:

The following requirements are those that are normally required for performance of this position. Any disabled applicant or incumbent who does not meet one or more of the physical requirements, but who can perform the essential function of the job (with or without reasonable accommodations) shall be deemed to meet these requirements.

Physical Requirements:

This position normally requires that physical demands of standing, walking, bending, lifting or performing other work requiring low physical exertion, talking and hearing on a regular basis to perform the job requirements. These physical demands are required up to 80% of the time. Position also requires ability to drive with adequate vision and skill.

Non-Physical Requirements:

Education

• Master's Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling of Social Work or related field OR advanced degree such as Master's in Early Childhood Education or Child Development and/or Infant Mental Health Endorsement and 3-5 years experience in delivering IECMHC and/or early education services.
  

Experience

• Experience formulating and writing assessments and support plans, preferable for young children.
• Three years' experience with evidence-based practices and curricula to promote early childhood mental health is desirable, e.g., Parents as Teachers.
• Experience working as a team in providing services.
• Experience working with young children
  

Special Skills

• Bilingual (English/Spanish), Preferred, but not required
• Demonstrated understanding of infant and early childhood mental health including the differences in mental health services and concepts across cultures.
• Demonstrated knowledge of child mental health services system.
• Knowledge of Early Achievers, Washington's Quality Rating and Improvement System
• Knowledge of Head Start, ECEAP and State Licensing desirable.
• Knowledge of culturally relevant services in the community.
• Knowledge of treatment in the areas of child behavior management and family crisis intervention.
• Ability to work with staff and families, including children and parents who have disabilities.
• Ability to provide emergency counseling, treatment and referrals.
• Ability to build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with service providers and families.
• Ability to partner with providers as a member of a diverse team.
• Ability to lead and facilitate provider training and parent education groups.
• Ability to use results from screenings and assessments to guide work with families and staff, set goals and develop individualized learning plans.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to organize tasks, manage time effectively and work independently.
• Must possess good human relations and interpersonal skills.
• Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of substance abuse issues, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, motivational interviewing, and reflective practices.
• Skills in parenting education and group facilitation.
• Strong computer skills and ability to maintain accurate confidential record-keeping system.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.
• Ability to travel, appropriate auto insurance and reliable transportation
  

Licensure, Registration, Certification

• Licensed or certified mental health professional including certification in infant/toddler mental health preferred
• Current valid license issued as an independent Social Worker, Mental Health Counselor or Marriage and Family Therapist with the State of Washington preferred.
• STARS Training, Blood borne pathogens, and clear TB Test results required within 30 days of start of employment
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time with a valid Washington driver's license and minimum required liability insurance for WA State
• Must be deemed insurable as determined by Catholic Charities' liability insurance provider
  

Employment is conditional upon:

• Being cleared by criminal background check and fingerprinting when required