Early Childhood Clinician

Job Description Summary:

Job Description:

Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC), with offices in Connecticut, Colorado and California, is one of the country’s most creative and dynamic providers of primary medical, dental, and behavioral health services, and a leader in practice-based research, health professionals training, and use of innovative technologies to advance health and healthcare. CHC is designated as a federally qualified health center and a patient-centered medical home by HRSA, the Joint Commission, and NCQA, respectively. We employ several hundred medical, dental, and behavioral health providers who are engaged in practice, teaching, and research.

In the role of Early Childhood Clinician/Mental Health Consultant you will join the team at the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut (CGC), an affiliate of Community Health Center, Inc. since January 2020. CGC and our multidisciplinary teams have been serving the Greater Stamford community since 1954, providing mental health services to children birth to 18 and their families across seven dynamic programs.

The Blended Early Childhood Clinician/Mental Health Consultation Role

Working under the supervision of the Project Director: SAMHSA Early Childhood Therapeutic Partnership, the Clinician/Consultant will be primarily preschool-based to provide a blend of mental health consultation and clinical services to children and families served by CGC and our preschool project partner. This role is partially funded by a five year SAMHSA grant (October 2022 to September 2027) and is hybrid position; 4 days per week are on-site in our project partner’s Stamford, CT preschools and 1 day per week is remote/virtual. This is subject to change dependent on programmatic need.

Responsibilities within the Role

• Mental Health Consultation
  • Observe assigned partner preschool classrooms monthly
  • Guide monthly reflective consultation with preschool classroom teachers, program administrators, and organization leadership individually and in small groups
  • Complete child-focused observations and provide written feedback with recommendations to the preschool team and the child’s caregiver(s)
  • Create and present professional development trainings for preschool staff
  • Provide feedback in support of collaborative programmatic consultation
• Preschool-based Mental Health Services
  • Complete comprehensive, strength- and need-based child and family assessments, diagnoses and clinical formulations
  • Craft detailed care plans, responsive to the priorities of the family needs and strengths identified in the assessment
  • Engage families in individualized psychotherapeutic and psycho-educational child and/or caregiver interventions
• Utilize the agency’s electronic health record (EHR) system to ensure proper and timely completion of clinical documentation, program statistics, and outcome data, in compliance with all applicable agency, program, and government requirements and best practice standards
• Participate in weekly individual reflective supervision, administrative supervision, and CGC’s multidisciplinary consultation team meetings
• Actively participate in both CHC and CGC’s exciting array of in-service trainings and staff development activities
• Other role related activities as needed

Clinical Experiences You Bring (Preferred)

• Experience providing mental health diagnostic and treatment services to children (birth to 5 years) and their families
• Functional practice knowledge in early childhood development; developmental, emotional and behavioral disorders; effects of trauma and environmental stressors on brain development; attachment theory; and mental health consultation.
• Experience in early care and education settings
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of typical child development and grounding in at least one relevant orientation to treatment (e.g. psychodynamic, trauma informed, family systems, etc.)
• Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® by the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health

What We Provide to You

• Early Childhood specific training in the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children and Zero to Three’s DC:0–5™ Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood Clinical Training
• Training, consultation, and certification in evidence-based trauma treatment framework Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC)
• Access to regular professional development opportunities via both CGC and CHC Grand Rounds series
• Annual funding and specially designated PTO to explore and support your personal continuing education interests
• Reimbursement for annual state clinical licensing fees
• Weekly individual reflective and administrative supervision
• Clinical supervision in required discipline for clinical licensure hours, as needed
• CHC’s complete and competitive benefits package

Education and Skills You Have (Required)

• Completion of a Master’s degree program that tracks to licensure in a mental health profession (Social Work, Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy)
• Licensed mental health professional in Connecticut, or eligible to immediately become licensed (LMSW, LCSW, LPC-A, LPC, LMFT-A, LMFT)
• Experience working with patients from culturally diverse backgrounds and the ability to center cultural humility and curiosity with your practice
• Verbal and written English fluency; candidates with additional fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Ukrainian or another language widely spoken in our community is a plus
• Technical computer skills; including familiarity with Microsoft Office, Zoom, Google Suite, and EHR systems

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

• Hours will vary; our schedules range Monday-Friday from 7am-7pm and Saturdays.
• CGC does not work on Saturdays. In this role, hours will be based around our preschool project partners hours of operation
• Minimal physical effort.  Must be able to operate computer and telephone continuously.
• Regular regional travel as necessary.
• In this role, all travel is local to Stamford. Mileage will be reimbursed

Organization Information:

The Moses/Weitzman Health System is a global leader addressing challenges faced by organizations caring for the poor and diverse populations, and is home to programs focusing on education, research, and process improvement support for safety net providers. The system delivers primary care to more than 150,000 patients in Connecticut, and extends access to specialty care for more than 2.5 million individuals across the U.S. It is a national accrediting body for organizations training advanced practice providers, and offers accredited education and training for Medical Assistants in multiple states. As an incubator for new ideas in areas including social justice, the environment, and social determinants of health, the MWHS is addressing challenges faced by providers caring for underserved communities, creating innovative and impactful initiatives led by nationally and internationally recognized experts. As it forges pathways into the future of primary care, the MWHS honors Lillian Reba Moses (1924-2012), a granddaughter of slaves, and Gerard (Gerry) Weitzman (1938-1999), whose ancestors escaped pogroms in Eastern Europe. Their vision and commitment to justice and equity in healthcare is the foundation upon which the Moses/Weitzman Health System was built.

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