Early Childhood 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 within the Tulare City School District. 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: 

• Strongly seeking bilingual in Spanish/English early childhood mental health professional.
• A minimum active associate number AMFT, APCC, or ASW or a clinical license in LMFT, LPCC, or LCSW in California highly preferred (unlicensed professionals considered only with relevant experience, training, education and fit).
• Master’s degree or higher marriage and family therapy, psychology, social work, or related behavioral science field preferred.
• 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 own values, beliefs, assumptions, biases, and experiences and how to influence what brings to the consultative work, relationships and interactions. Ability to assist others in self-reflection and perspective-taking.
• Ability to develop trusting and collaborative relationships with supervisees to support their professional growth and program quality.
• Show flexibility and comfort working in natural environments including education classrooms, homes, or other non-traditional clinical settings. Occasionally, work evenings and/or weekends.
• Ability to support the mental health of young children and the adults who care for them.
• Understand and embrace the complexity, ambiguity, and process-orientation of consultative work.
• Understand and embrace a multidisciplinary approach for working with young children, families, and other caregivers and staff.
• Understand typical and atypical growth and development of young children. Understand cultural variations in development, teaching practices, childrearing practices, and caregiver expectations.
• Respect diversity and embrace working with multi-cultural communities.
• Understand the influence of power, inequity, and oppression as related to adult and child behavior and relationships.
• Communicate respectfully and maintain effective relationships with all staff, partner agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to accept responsibility, set goals, work independently, and cooperate with others.
• Professional, self-motivated, and self-directed.
• Effective and strong communicator. Ability to communicate clearly in English both verbally and in writing. Ability to write concise, informative written information in a timely manner as needed within the position.
• Ability to exercise good judgment clinically, legally, and ethically and willing to consult with supervisor as needed. Ability to make decisions and multi-task.
• Position requires travel to consultation assignments within the Monterey Peninsula School District. Have own reliable transportation given the position requires daily travel to various locations.

ADMINISTRATIVE WIDE DEMANDS: 

• Job duties will be performed in a school environment and the physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties of this job.
• The role will require long periods of standing, walking, and sitting.
• This role will involve possible frequent periods of driving between locations.
• This role will involve a range of movement and motion such as bending, twisting, sitting on the floor, and interacting with young children in indoor and outdoor settings.
• The ability to lift up to 20lbs and take stairs may be needed during some job duties.
• The employee will be required to use hands for computer work, answering phone calls…etc. 

ESS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.