Mental Health Coordinator

Description

Mental Health Coordinator

Join an exciting team of professionals making a difference in the lives of children and families! Head Start has been improving the lives of low-income children and families in Santa Cruz County since 1965 through high quality, comprehensive child development, and family support services. Head Start supports school readiness and promotes healthy families through delivery of education, health, and social services. Head Start also provides quality training and support to employee’s individualized professional growth and development. 

POSITION SUMMARY

Under the guidance and direction of the Comprehensive Services Manager, the Mental Health (MH) Coordinator is part of the Comprehensive Services team and is responsible for participating in the planning, development and implementation of the Mental Health plans and policies developed in accordance with the Head Start Performance Standards. This position is also responsible for the day-to-day implementation of services that support the administration and ongoing assessment of services and partnerships in the areas of mental health & wellness.  The role of the MH Coordinator includes the coordination of mental health activities with other content areas, service providers, and community agencies, provide staff training and development including on-site consultation, coaching, and mentoring to other staff. 

Position is regular full-time, Exempt and year round. Annual salary range is $67,000 - $68,500 (dependent on qualifications/ experience) plus pay differential for bilingual skills awarded upon qualification.  

PRIMARY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES/ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Link children and families to an ongoing source of continuous, accessible mental health care, as appropriate.
• Facilitate referrals for mental health resources and services for children and families.
• Coordinate a regular schedule of on-site consultation by a mental health professional that supports parent and staff efforts to address children's needs in a timely manner.
• Engages in developing a Staff Wellness Plan, and leads the implementation.
• Coordinate and schedule MH Consultants to conduct Mental Health classroom observations and staff trainings/workshops/support groups.  
• Track provision of all child & family mental health services and ensure that follow-up services are received in a timely manner.
• Collaborate with other CFDP managers & the broader agency, to identify innovative opportunities to promote a culture of mental wellbeing in all areas.
• Collaborate with education staff to integrate positive social-emotional development into service delivery.
• Implement the Social-Emotional Curriculum & Trauma Informed Care practices in partnership with other staff. Conduct staff trainings and workshops
• Collaborate with Family Services Manager to plan and implement ongoing trainings on mental wellness, social-emotional development and other relevant topics based on identified need and parent interest.
• Consult with FSA’s, Teachers, Home Visitors as needed to provide staff with strategies in supporting children and their families participating in CFDP programs.  
• Provide developmentally appropriate strategies to support staff in supporting children’s social-emotional development and wellbeing for behavioral issues.  
• Communicate and collaborate with the management team to coordinate services for staff and clients. 
• Assist, collect, monitor and analyze programmatic/client data.   
• Provides leadership representation for Encompass in relationships with community partners.  
• Responsible for monitoring compliance with regulatory requirements.  

• Provide strategies to enhance staff’s abilities to meet individualized needs of children identified through the Behavior Concern Process.
• Assists with recruitment activities and events as assigned.

• Assists with related special projects or other tasks as required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Job duties will be performed in an office and child development center environments.  The physical requirements below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties of this job.

• Regularly required to sit; stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, or crouch
• Occasionally required to climb or balance
• Occasionally and frequent ability to lift or exert a force of up to 20 lbs.
• Occasional ability to lift or exert a force of up to 40 lbs.
• Occasionally job may involve moderate exposure to high/low temperatures, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, unpleasant odors and loud noises.
• Frequent repetitive use of computer keyboard/mouse, IPad, and extended time viewing a monitor

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Baccalaureate Degree in a field closely related to Mental Health or Early Childhood Education w/coursework and/or experience related to mental health.
• Computer competence; knowledge Microsoft Office, Outlook, Word, Excel and Power Point.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.  Written communication skills include appropriate grammar application, sentence structure and presentation.
• Self-motivated, ability to work both independently and with a team successfully.
• Ability to prioritize tasks be detailed oriented, exercise good judgement and multi-task.
• Able to travel within the community/county on a regular basis.
• Flexibility; must be able to work evenings/weekends as needed.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Experience working with families and children (birth through 5 years old).
• Experience with electronic record keeping systems and reporting.
• Experience working with diverse populations.

PREFERRED

• Bilingual (English/Spanish)

ABOUT US
Encompass Community Services is committed to racial equity and standing against discrimination of all kinds. We believe that having a diverse workforce, representative of the many communities we serve, is a tremendous strength for our agency. We are committed to providing staff development and advancement opportunities that support and foster a strong and diverse workforce that supports excellence in services.

At Encompass, we provide our community with a wide range of services related to family & social well-being, early childhood education, behavioral health, housing and more.  Every day through these services, we work to make health, education and housing more equitable for all people in Santa Cruz County. For more than 40 years, our work has touched generations by helping people have access to education, rebuild relationships, restore their health and regain dignity.

Our total compensation package includes a comprehensive medical and dental insurance plan, 403(b) retirement plan, paid holidays, vacation and paid sick time.

Encompass Community Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. We are committed to excellence through diversity and strive to establish a climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the contributions of all clients and employees. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

If we find that your qualifications are a good fit with our current needs, we will contact you with further instructions. Thank you for your interest in Encompass!

Qualifications

Salary : $67,000 - $68,500