Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant - Chicago, United States - Illinois Action for Children

Illinois Action for Children

Verified Company

Chicago, United States

3 weeks ago

Posted by:

Mark Lane

beBee recruiter

Description

Carol Robinson Community Area (Southwest) - Bilingual Spanish

Salary:
$62,000 - compensation commensurate with experience

This incumbent will be expected to promote and adhere to the workplace core capabilities of: accountability, customer focus, continuous quality improvement (CQI), communication, competent people, and clear priorities.

All work to be completed in accordance with organizational standards.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

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Consultation and Referral: Establish and maintain ongoing supportive relationships with childcare providers in the communities we serve. A minimum of 200 on-site contacts should be made per service year. Provide program-level mental health consultation and technical assistance to childcare providers (both licensed and non-licensed) in communities we serve. Provide ongoing support for childcare staff to enhance interactions with the children and parents they serve. Assist ECE providers in designing setting-based intervention strategies to enhance children's social-emotional development and mitigate behavioral disruptions. Provide mental health consultation regarding particular children with mild social-emotional challenges, including administering of screening and assessment tools as warranted. Provide information to the provider regarding community resources that might be helpful to the identified needs of the family and caregiver. Facilitate trauma-informed collaborative relationships with providers which demonstrates care, respect, cultural competence, and developmental sensitivity. Educate providers about the risk and protective factors associated with trauma/childhood adversity, healthy child development, and assist them with developing tools/strategies to strengthen development.
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Training: Facilitate delivery of training to the ECE community, either by providing the training directly or arranging for other competent trainers to do so. A minimum of 40 training hours should be provided per service year. Identify those training topics appropriate primarily for local presentation and those that lend themselves to broader audiences (such as State conferences) and facilitate either or both types of presentation as appropriate.
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Record keeping: Maintain all records as needed on a daily basis, including records necessary for program evaluation. Assists in the gathering of data and preparation of reports required by regulatory agencies and/or necessary for program evaluation.
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Community Liaison: Represents the agency in a positive light to active and potential clients, referral and funding sources, and the general public. Utilizes community contacts to advocate for clients and to promote child and family well-being. The MHC will work proactively to improve and facilitate understanding and collaboration between the ECE field and the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health field. Demonstrates the ability to communicate and collaborate with children, families, professionals and communities to establish supportive relationships.
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Legal and Ethical Responsibilities: Complies with all pertinent state and federal laws, DHS and DCFS Rules and Procedures, COA standards, and Code of Ethics for Child Welfare Professionals.
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Professional Development: Enhances professional competence through ongoing awareness of developments in the field of early childhood mental health and development. Will participate in all mandatory trainings.
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Quality Improvement: Contributes to quality improvement through active participation in Quality Improvement/ Utilization Review activities.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

Master's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Infant Mental Health, or a related field.
Knowledge of early childhood development, including an understanding of the concepts and dynamics underlying young children's socialemotional development (such as attachment and separation), as well as an understanding of family dynamics and the importance of childcaregiver interaction.
Experience in the Early Childhood Care and Education field, including an ability to be comfortable practicing in various early childhood settings, and to effectively integrate various appropriate mental health activities and philosophies.
Ability to identify key signs, symptoms, impact, and manifestations of trauma, disrupted attachment, and adversity in children and adults.
Demonstrated knowledge of human development and how people can be affected by trauma, abuse, adversity, and stress at various stages.
Demonstrated understanding of how behaviors, including those that appear to be "problems" or symptoms often reflect traumarelated coping skills.
Willingness to work evening and weekend hours when necessary to meet the needs of the child care providers and families that we serve.
Demonstrated competence in serving a culturally diverse population. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a diverse workforce.
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