Bilingual Mental Health Consultant - Infant & Early Childhood

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 coordinate with other childcare leadership to develop and implement a mental health service delivery system within licensed childcare programs throughout the Early Achievers eight county region. To best support the families we serve, this role requires fluency in both English and Spanish, as well as regular travel to childcare facilities and client homes.

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 onmental healthand 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 licensedchildcare 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, as well asstrengths-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 staffings.
• 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 to identify 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 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, preferablyfor young children
• Three years' experience with evidence-based practices and curricula to promote early childhood mental health (e.g. Parents as Teachers) is desirable
• Experience working as a team whenproviding services
• Experience working with young children

Special Skills

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) 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 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.
• 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.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.

Licensure, Registration, Certification

• Must have or be able to obtain upon hire one of the below licenses or credentials with the Washington State Department of Health or Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
  
  
  
  • Mental Health Counselor or Associate (LMHC or LMHCA), Marriage and Family Therapist or Associate (LMFT or LMFTA), or Independent Clinical Social Worker or Associate (LICSW or LICSWA)
  • Licensed Agency Affiliated Counselor (LAAC) credential
  • Educational Staff Associate certificate as School Counselor, School Social Worker, or School Psychologist
  
  
  
  
• 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
  
  

Work Schedule:Monday- Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm

Wage Range:$80,000-$90,000, depending on education & experience

Benefits:

• 13 paid holidays, 12 days of vacation, 12 days of sick leave per year
• Health insurance including medical & prescription coverage, with optional dental and vision insurance plans. Majority of premiums paid by Catholic Charities
• Retirement 403(b) Plan: employee contributions commence upon employment; Catholic Charities contributes 2% of monthly income and matches up to 4% of employee contributions following 6 months of employment
• Basic Life Insurance paid 100% by Catholic Charities
• Flexible Spending Account eligibility following 6 months of employment
• Education Assistance Program reimbursing up to $5,250 per year for approved continuing education after 6 months of employment
• Additional voluntary insurances including supplemental life, accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D), critical illness, long term disability, accident, and ID theft
• Employee Assistance Program includes 3 counseling sessions per year, legal consultations, financial coaching, and other wellbeing tools
• Annual longevity awards begin at 5 years of employment

It is the practice of Catholic Charities to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, citizenship status, marital status, creed, genetic predisposition or carrier status, sexual orientation, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Applicants from underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We gladly offer reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities to support participation in the hiring process and employment.