Position Summary
Provide direct guidelines and implement program practices which promote the healthy social and emotional development of all children, including children with disabilities. Incumbent in this position utilize an early childhood mental health consultation model that strengthens program and classroom practices; delivering a comprehensive mental health services to children and families according to the Head Start/Early Head Start performance standards and any other regulatory bodies.
Duties
- and Responsibilities.
- Provide clinical guidance and trainings to all teaching staff, behavior support assistants and families regarding how to design and implement program practices which are responsive to the identified social, emotional, and behavioral mental health concerns using the children results from developmental, sensory, and behavioral screenings.
- Conduct general classroom observations as needed, and individual classroom observations as needed with parental consent.
- Assist the classroom staff in implementing strategies which include the universal promotion of healthy social and emotional development for all children utilizing the recommendations from selected assessment instruments.
- Ensure that child mental health activities are integrated into curriculum and lesson plans.
- Conduct timely follow-up on referrals of children with mental health concerns through observations, teacher/parent interviews, multidisciplinary team meetings, strategies, distributing educational information and referrals for therapy services.
- Work in partnership with the disabilities coordinator to help teaching staff to identify and work with children with disabilities who may also have social, emotional, or behavioral concerns.
- Work collaboratively with behavioral service team in the areas of child behavior management and family crisis intervention.
- Works in collaboration and professionally as part of multidisciplinary team, monitors mental health services: tracks referrals, follow-up, evaluations, re-evaluations.
- Regularly oversee family service workers documentation for mental health services compliance and informs Center Director/Lead Teacher of any issues or follow-up items.
- Works with families in a supportive manner throughout the diagnostic, referral, and transition processes including:
- Follow up is required in consultation with social services for parents who have not returned to the center to address anxiety, stress, changes in family circumstances, coping strategies, resilience, and the importance of consistent and predictable routines.
- Ensure timely follow up of monitoring reports and provide feedback on recommendations as needed.
- Complete timely and accurate Child Plus reports and other required reports and provide recommendations, as applicable.
- Document all actions taken in response to Mental Health referrals in Child Plus including but not limited to enter all individual case notes, attachments, and documentation at the point of service in a timely manner.
- Mental health services and referrals services must be provided for concerns identified on the Family Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ) as well as for children who are at risk for preschool suspension (expulsion is prohibited) upon further consultation with social services team members.
- Work with the social services team members to offer services and referrals to parents of children with intervention plans and/ continued needs as well as additional families who may be experiencing mental health concerns as a result of a health issue that affects the community including a pandemic.
- Participates in annual Head Start Program Self-Assessment and any other assessments as required by the agency.
- Facilitates educational trainings/workshops on mental health topics for teachers and/or families.
- Coordinate trainings by community agencies and behavioral Services for Mental Health topics and parenting education resources.
- Adheres to all regulatory guidelines including Easter Seals Policies & Procedures, Head Start/Early Head Start performance standards, and other regulatory bodies as applicable.
- Maintain Affiliation Agreements for community agencies that provide Mental Health and Disabilities services for children at the Centers.
- Attends all required or requested meetings and trainings.
- Work a flexible schedule as required.
Educational Requirements
- Master’s degree and licensure as Mental Health Counselor, Mental Health Family Therapist, or Clinical Social Worker.
- Minimum of 1 year of clinical experience working with young children and their families
- Knowledge of Head Start/Early Head Start Performance standards is preferred.
- Bilingual or trilingual preferred (English, Spanish, Creole)
Other
Other related duties as necessary to ensure the smooth running and efficiency of Easter Seals South Florida as a whole.
Successful completion of background process which includes: Local background check, Level 2 clearance (FBI, FDLE), clear TB test, medical clearance, drug test and reference checks.
Adhere to the use of Universal Health & Safety Precautions as applicable
Physical Demands
Ability to travel to all centers and meeting/training locations
Ability to detect unsafe situations by sight or sound at Centers, when necessary.
Ability to move quickly to intervene in unsafe situations.
Reporting to this position
• No staff
