ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Educare DC serves over 350 children from birth to five years – and their families – through our state-of-the-art center and through community partnerships. Building on the program foundations of Early Head Start and Head Start and accredited by NAEYC, Educare DC promotes school readiness by providing high-quality, comprehensive early learning programming for children who are historically underserved due to systemic racism, eliminating the opportunity gap often experienced by low-income communities. Educare DC is part of the 25-school Educare Learning Network that serves as a platform for broader change, inspiring high-quality programs in communities, improving public policies nationally and within each state, and demonstrating a comprehensive, research-based approach to the first five years of life and learning. Educare DC draws on a blend of private and public dollars, including federal childcare funding, Early Head Start, Pre-K, and other state and federal funding streams.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Under the direction of the Comprehensive Services Manager, the Mental Health Specialist will work with a team, including families, to develop and implement individualized behavior plans for children ages birth to 3, as well as individualized classroom interventions. These plans not only specify goals that target specific social emotional outcomes, but they also help the child access the school environment. The Mental Health Specialist will provide early childhood mental health consultation to general educators at Educare and Educare partner sites to support students with challenging behavior/social emotional delays to access our high quality language enriched curriculum and other early learning activities. As such, the Mental Health Specialist will adapt general education experiences and teach basic skills to these children, such as self-regulation and communication techniques, while establishing a developmentally appropriate classroom environment favorable to the development and personal growth of all children.

The Mental Health Specialist will be responsible for implementing all program requirements in adherence to all performance and outcomes standards as prescribed by the multiple funding and model requirements. By collaborating with teachers of students who have a wide range of learning, mental, social, and emotional abilities, the Mental Health Specialist plays an essential role in Educare’s overall model of academic excellence for at risk children and their families. An essential part of the coordinator’s position is the ability to communicate and work with families to support the development of their child with behavior challenges. The coordinator’s position will require that they provide direct interventions for children (0-3) that need individual support and monitor appropriate implementation of classroom interventions and interventions for children with social emotional concerns (0-3). Caseload quantity depends on student need and enrollment in our program.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Mental Health Specialist’s responsibilities will be:

Program Core Features of the Educare Model:

• Participate in trainings to build an understanding of the Educare
• Establish a high-quality early learning program that incorporates evidence-based curriculum and instructional activities.
• Implement, document, and demonstrate an understanding of the importance of multiple perspectives and have the skills to be successful in their interdisciplinary efforts.
• Participate in Family Child Service Reviews as scheduled.
• Maintain professional competence through in-service education activities provided by Educare of Washington, DC, the Educare Learning Network, and others.
• Meet with the Lead Teachers on a regular basis; review classroom and child data, develop an action plan, support goal achievement through active collaboration for children with special needs.
• Collaborate with the Family Engagement Specialist, and other Educare personnel and support staff to promote individual children's goals relating to social emotional development.
• Participate in the local evaluation and national Educare Implementation Study, engaging in a system of reciprocal, regular data feedback and utilization for individualized planning for children and families and continuous program improvement.
• Support and provide continuity of care to help children develop secure relationships.
• Attend and participate in all scheduled trainings, engage in coaching cycles with Classroom teams and develop individual plans for their own professional development.
• Provide an adapted curriculum focused on social/emotional development.

Curriculum:

• Support children’s ideas, initiative, and creativity.
• Assist teachers in developing, selecting, and modifying instructional materials and plans to meet the social emotional needs of all children with a wide range of mental, social, and emotional skills.
• Consult with classroom teachers on embedding social emotional practices in individual and small-group instruction ensuring that teachers maintain an appropriate classroom climate which establishes and reinforces acceptable child behavior, attitudes, and social skills.
• Implement individualized interventions such as a behavior plan, IFSP/IEP, etc.
• Participate in curriculum selection and other developmental programs as appropriate.

Assessment:

• Provide individual ongoing observations and authentic developmental assessments.
• Observe classrooms to determine staffs’ implementation of a healthy nurturing environment and to document atypical child behaviors.
• Assess social skills of children in various settings, i.e. playground, lunch, gross motor, garden, etc.
• Collect anecdotal notes and portfolio items to assess development using individual files.
• Participate in Family Child Service Reviews for children on their caseloads.
• Complete documentation of incidents in the child’s file.
• Assure files are complete, accurate, and confidentially maintained.

Home-School Connection:

• Assist in parent teacher-conferences and home visits at least twice a year when needed.
• Develop activities for parents that promote parent facilitation of their children’s mental health and social emotional development.
• Collaborate with Family Engagement staff to connect with families that desire mental health supports.
• Communicate regularly with parents by means of parent meetings, newsletters, home visits, individual parent consultation, and trainings.
• Interpret school program to parents in order to strengthen parental understanding of children’s individual needs and the school’s role in the child’s social emotional development.

Other:

• Attend and facilitate staff trainings, staff meetings and parent meetings as requested to develop adult knowledge about social emotional development.
• Actively participate in the development and implementation of a personal Professional Development Plan.
• Cooperate with other professional staff members in assessing and helping solve children’s health and learning challenges, especially those related to the social-emotional domain.
• Collaboratively work with Instructional Coaches/Master Teachers and Teachers to develop a functional behavior assessment and behavior intervention plan for students with behavior challenges.
• Provide examples of accommodations, interventions, and modifications for children with social emotional developmental delays.
• Be familiar with the RTI (Response to Intervention) process, and appropriately use it for students who may not currently have a diagnosed disability.
• In cooperation with other staff, carry out routine duties such as toileting, hand washing, cleanup, and supervision of children at all times, including outdoor play.
• Perform other incidental tasks consistent with the goals and objectives of this position.

EXPERIENCE AND ABILITIES

• 3-5 years of relevant experience
• Knowledge of early childhood and social emotional development for the specific age group (0-3)
• Knowledge of Head Start Performance Standards
• Knowledge of City and State licensing requirements
• Knowledge of referral process for children with atypical behaviors (0-3)
• Knowledge of Individual Education Plan and Individual Family Service Plans
• Knowledge of the tiers of the Response to Intervention (RTI) Process
• Skills in early childhood mental health consultation
• Successful experience working in a team setting
• Ability to create a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
• Ability to create and implement a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
• Ability to work respectfully and cooperatively with all staff
• Ability to present a positive image of the organization to members of the community
• Ability to plan, organize and implement position responsibilities
• Provide administrative support to the department while maintain a high level of confidentiality
• Execute special projects for the department

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education, Psychology or a related field and 3 years of comparable experience.

ADDITIONAL JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Clearance of background checks as required by local, state and federal regulations.
• Physical examination and diagnostic tests as required by local, state and federal regulations.
• A bi-annual physical exam, drug screen, covid19 vaccination, and TB test are required as a condition of continual employment.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Advanced command of the English language and grammar, both verbal and written.
• Visual and auditory acuity within professionally determined normal ranges, with correction if needed.
• Manual dexterity sufficient to operate a computer and office equipment, including, but not limited to, the telephone, fax machine, copier, and tape recorder.
• Must be able to lift 40 pounds.
• Must be able to travel.
• Must be able to enter and exit a vehicle without assistance and withstand exposure to adverse weather conditions.
• Experience working successfully with a culturally diverse staff and clients.
• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function.