Lutheran Services Florida·West Palm Beach, Florida
The Behavior Support Specialist manages behavioral interventions for preschool children and provides coaching and training to staff and parents. They also facilitate case management, conduct classroom observations, and link families to necessary mental health and psycho-educational services.
Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) envisions a world where children are safe, families are strong, and communities are vibrant.
LSF is looking for a talented Behavior Support Specialist who wants to make an impact in the lives of others.
00am to 5:00pm!
The purpose of the Behavior Support Specialist is to perform professional work in behavior management of pre-school children, training and coaching for staff and parents, case management including referral for psycho-educational and mental health services.
Responsible for developing, modeling interventions, and monitoring the child’s progress and linking parents/families to mental health and/or psycho-educational services.
Successful experience working with pre-school age children with behavioral concerns.
The work involves linking parents/families to community services, providing support, making referrals and following up on referrals, designing and implementing classroom behavior support plans, providing mental health and behavioral management education to parents and staff, planning and consulting with the contracted mental health professionals.
This work is performed under the supervision of the Licensed Mental Health Counselor and is reviewed through conferences, reports and evaluations of program effectiveness.
Participates in the HS/EHS Quality Assurance efforts.
Provides parents support to access necessary resources and conducts in-home follow-up, monitoring and training to assure consistency between parents and teachers as needed Teaches effective parenting skills.
Participates in the multi-disciplinary case management team meetings, individual and staff conferences, health services advisory meetings, team meetings and other appropriate meetings, as necessary.
Performs case management services when appropriate through referrals to mental health service providers, psycho-educational services and other appropriate community agencies and resources.
Assists the teacher with understanding and implementing the Behavior Support Plan.
Conducts appropriate individual observations and assessments of enrolled children as necessary.
Conducts classroom level observations at least twice per year (Fall and Spring). Analyze observation data to monitor improvement in social-emotional learning and behavior management, and plan effective respond to improve child and family outcomes.
Provides coaching support to teachers in implementing the Trust-Based Relational Intervention Model (TBRI) with fidelity.
Performs crisis intervention activities when necessary.
Reviews and supports Behavior Support Plans written for children with behavior concerns by the Mental Health Counselor or contracted Mental Health Provider.
Assist Licensed Mental Health Counselor with behavior management training and on-site technical assistance to the centers.
Assists with processing internal referrals to Licensed Mental Health Counselor and /or contracted Mental Health Provider.
Assists with monitoring services facilitated by the Mental Health Counselor and/or contracted Mental Health Provider.
Attends all workshops and meetings as deemed necessary by immediate supervisor and the Executive Director
Attends all required staff and parent meetings and activities.
Maintains strict confidentiality with respect to children, families and staff in accordance with established policies and procedures.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
LSF is committed to providing a safe work environment while also focusing on staff wellness. An essential part of all employees’ job is the development of safe working practices and adherence to safety rules, including:
Following safety warnings and directions at all times.
Using personal safety devices or PPE when required.
Reporting any unsafe conditions to their supervisor.
Following process for reporting suspected child abuse and neglect.
Ensure active supervision of assigned children.
Following procedures when pulling out children for behavior intervention services or therapy.
Reporting unsupervised children, after ensuring child’s safety.
Must be able to lift at least 45 lbs. Reasonable accommodation may be made for otherwise qualified persons with disabilities.
Minimum of one year of experience in mental health services for children; or working with pre-school age children with mental or behavioral disabilities; or experience implementing Behavior Support Plans for pre-school children; or any equivalent combination of related training and experience. Bilingual preferred: English/Spanish or English and other languages present in the local area.
Certification in First Aid and CPR within six months of the date assigned to this position; and successful completion of a Level II background screening, local criminal record check and drug screening prior to hiring.
Why work for LSF?
LSF offers 60 programs across the state of Florida serving a wide range of populations in need. Mission Driven staff members become part of the LSF community while transforming the lives of those in need. Our staff additionally find growth opportunities as they explore areas of interest within the organization.
LSF is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
Lutheran Services Florida is mandated to perform background screenings for employment in accordance with the Florida Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse as outlined in Section 435.12, Florida Statutes. Additionally, pursuant to House Bill 531 (2025), Lutheran Services Florida must ensure that all job vacancy postings and advertisements include a clear and conspicuous link to the AHCA Clearinghouse website and its requirements. For more information on background screening requirements please visit: https://info.flclearinghouse.com [https://info.flclearinghouse.com/]
Market context
In Florida, preschool behavior support specialist roles are typically in demand where early childhood programs need support for children with behavioral and mental health needs. These positions are competitive because they require a related bachelor’s degree, at least one year of relevant child behavioral or mental health experience, and the ability to meet physical and certification requirements. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to save research time, then confirm your experience aligns with the certification timeline before applying.
Preschool Program Aide
Preschool Program Aide (329)
Head Start Lead Teacher I (318)