[2025-2026] Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant (Full-Time)

About the role: The Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant position is responsible for providing direct services of mental health consultation onsite to teaching staff as well as caregivers and their children in the Bellflower, CA area. The consultant provides consultation and training to empower and build the capacity of staff and families to cultivate positive and inclusive environments, support the social-emotional health and development of all children in the classroom or home, and work effectively, responsively, and collaboratively with children and families with mental health concerns, challenging behaviors and individual developmental differences. The consultant’s aim is to enhance all relationships involved in the care setting, create nurturing and emotionally responsive environments, strengthen staff effectiveness in interactions with young children and families, and build strong school/home alliances. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Implement all aspects of the delivery of the Effective School Solutions model of early childhood mental health consultation services to staff, children and families that includes system, program, center and child-level consultation.
• Conduct consistent and ongoing consultation meetings/conversations, observations, assessments and other consultative/therapeutic activities.
• Participate in individual and group reflective supervision that is marked by atmosphere of trust, respect reflection and collaboration.
• Participate in regular administrative supervision. Adhere to protocols, processes and timelines related to referrals, case assignments and documentation (NO MEDI-CAL billing, productivity or documentation).
• Establish and maintain strong collaborative and professional relationships with staff across departments.
• Support referral process for community-based services and resources, as needed.
• Develop and/or facilitate trainings on a range of early childhood mental health topics for consultation as part of consultation support.
• Provide interventions to assist with mental health or behavioral crisis as arise, including with situations related to mandated reporting and any suspected child abuse adhering to laws and regulations.
• Complete data collection procedures and provide data reporting as requested. Support the development and implementation of program evaluation and outcome measurement procedures.
• Attend supervision and other meetings as required for the program.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS: 

• Master’s degree or higher marriage and family therapy, psychology, social work, or related behavioral science field preferred.
• LMFT, LPCC, or LCSW in California highly preferred (unlicensed professionals considered only with relevant experience, training, education and fit)
• 3 + year experience working with young children 0-8 and their families as an early childhood educator, mental health clinician and/or other clinical roles specializing in the mental health development of young children and their families.
• Knowledge of early development and work experience in group settings for children.
• Experience with assessment of young children’s social and emotional functioning.
• Experience with and/or knowledge of group dynamics and intervention with adults.
• Experience working within multi-cultural and under-resourced communities
• Experience therapeutically supporting children and adults affected by poverty, trauma and the multitude of other stressful, adverse experiences.
• Endorsement as an infant/family early childhood mental health specialists/reflective practice facilitator or reflective mentor highly preferred although not required.
• Education or training in infant mental health, early childhood mental health and early childhood development including evidence-based, trauma-informed models (i.e. Child-Parent Psychotherapy).
• Familiarity with a school-based mental health consultation in early care and education settings such as Early Head Start, Head Start, and state-preschool programs.
• Practice from a bio-psycho-social clinical approach, inclusive of ecological, attachment, trauma, neuroscience, and developmental theories and rooted in infant mental health philosophy and principles.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS: 

• Demonstrate understanding of early childhood mental health consultation as building the mental health capacities of teachers, staff, families and others who care for young children and utilize the principles of the consultative stance in the oversight and implementation of the program.
• Demonstrate the value of self-reflection and practice the examining one’s o