MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST (Licensed Mental Health Counselor Only)

Description

  "We are an Equal Opportunity Employer/Drug Free Workplace"

Status: Hourly, 30 hours per week, with full benefits, schedule 8am to 2pm

Rate of Pay: $41.13 per hour

Summary: Under the supervision of the Director of Education, and day-to-day coordination with Disabilities Coordinator, the Mental Health Specialist will support a program-wide culture that promotes children’s mental health, social and emotional well-being and overall health including children with disabilities. Utilization of the Centers for Social and Emotional Foundation for Early Learning (CSEFEL) Teaching Pyramid Model-Positive Behavior Support in conjunction with the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) and Ages and Stages screening and ongoing assessment instruments with all children, including children with disabilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

1. Provide direct early childhood mental health services utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach which directly engages teachers and parents. 

2. Assist teachers to improve classroom management and teacher practices through strategies that include using classroom visits, consultations and observations, address teacher and individual child needs and creating physical and cultural environments that promote positive mental health and social and emotional functioning. Conduct general classroom observations as appropriate and individual classroom observations as needed with parental consent. Implement related practices which are responsive to infants and toddlers and their rapidly changing needs. Consult with the staff regarding individualizing services, including ways of structuring the child’s program and implementing strategies and plans which will foster development for children with atypical development. 

3. Consult with staff to address prevalent child mental health concerns, including internalizing problems such as appearing withdrawn and externalizing problems such as challenging behaviors. This will include a review of and consultation with education /curriculum specialist and teachers regarding general positive social and emotional classroom practices which support all children and scheduling timely staff consultations to address concerns of children who appear withdrawn or exhibit other challenging behavior. Initiate consent for clinical assessment and planning in collaboration with parents and teachers for children who are unresponsive to the initial intervention planning process.

4. Facilitate opportunities for parents and staff to understand mental health and access mental health interventions, if needed, through the provision of educational resources and referral. Group and individual parent and staff educational opportunities and resources must be provided. Assist staff and parents to make contact with and to take advantage of community child mental health and parenting education resources which promote the healthy development of children. Work in partnership with assigned social services, mental health and disabilities staff to locate appropriate providers for an individual child or family who would benefit from such services. Ensure that all referrals, follow up and ongoing efforts are documented on Program selected forms and in electronic data entry system.

5. Initiate clinical assessments, plans referrals and consultation with agency and grantee leadership team, staff and parents to assist in the implementation of the policies to limit suspension and prohibit expulsion as described in HSPPS 1302.17 and in program Policies and Procedures. In such instances, mental health consultants must engage with the parents and utilize appropriate community resources; develop a written plans to document the action and supports needed, provide services that include home visits; and determine, in consultation with the disabilities and education coordinator and parents, whether a referral to a local agency responsible for implementing IDEA is appropriate. 

6. Provide opportunities for parents to discuss with staff and identify issues related to child mental health and social and emotional well-being, including observations and any concerns about their child’s mental health, typical and atypical behavior and development, and how to appropriately respond to their child and promote their child’s social and emotional development. Work in partnership with the disabilities and education coordinators to help teaching staff to identify and work with children with disabilities who may also have social, emotional or behavioral concerns.

7. Collaborate with parents to promote children’s health and well-being by providing mental health education support services that are understandable to individuals, including i