MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST (Licensed Mental Health Counselor)

Description

Status: Hourly, 30 hours per week, with full benefits, schedule 8am to 2pm, visits multiple centers

Rate of Pay: $41.13 per hour

Summary: Under the supervision of the Director of Education, and day-to-day coordination with Disabilities Coordinator, the Mental Health Specialist will support a program-wide culture that promotes children’s mental health, social and emotional well-being and overall health including children with disabilities. Utilization of the Centers for Social and Emotional Foundation for Early Learning (CSEFEL) Teaching Pyramid Model-Positive Behavior Support in conjunction with the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) and Ages and Stages screening and ongoing assessment instruments with all children, including children with disabilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

1. Provide direct early childhood mental health services utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach which directly engages teachers and parents. 

2. Assist teachers to improve classroom management and teacher practices through strategies that include using classroom visits, consultations and observations, address teacher and individual child needs and creating physical and cultural environments that promote positive mental health and social and emotional functioning. Conduct general classroom observations as appropriate and individual classroom observations as needed with parental consent. Implement related practices which are responsive to infants and toddlers and their rapidly changing needs. Consult with the staff regarding individualizing services, including ways of structuring the child’s program and implementing strategies and plans which will foster development for children with atypical development. 

3. Consult with staff to address prevalent child mental health concerns, including internalizing problems such as appearing withdrawn and externalizing problems such as challenging behaviors. This will include a review of and consultation with education /curriculum specialist and teachers regarding general positive social and emotional classroom practices which support all children and scheduling timely staff consultations to address concerns of children who appear withdrawn or exhibit other challenging behavior. Initiate consent for clinical assessment and planning in collaboration with parents and teachers for children who are unresponsive to the initial intervention planning process.

4. Facilitate opportunities for parents and staff to understand mental health and access mental health interventions, if needed, through the provision of educational resources and referral. Group and individual parent and staff educational opportunities and resources must be provided. Assist staff and parents to make contact with and to take advantage of community child mental health and parenting education resources which promote the healthy development of children. Work in partnership with assigned social services, mental health and disabilities staff to locate appropriate providers for an individual child or family who would benefit from such services. Ensure that all referrals, follow up and ongoing efforts are documented on Program selected forms and in electronic data entry system.

5. Initiate clinical assessments, plans referrals and consultation with agency and grantee leadership team, staff and parents to assist in the implementation of the policies to limit suspension and prohibit expulsion as described in HSPPS 1302.17 and in program Policies and Procedures. In such instances, mental health consultants must engage with the parents and utilize appropriate community resources; develop a written plans to document the action and supports needed, provide services that include home visits; and determine, in consultation with the disabilities and education coordinator and parents, whether a referral to a local agency responsible for implementing IDEA is appropriate. 

6. Provide opportunities for parents to discuss with staff and identify issues related to child mental health and social and emotional well-being, including observations and any concerns about their child’s mental health, typical and atypical behavior and development, and how to appropriately respond to their child and promote their child’s social and emotional development. Work in partnership with the disabilities and education coordinators to help teaching staff to identify and work with children with disabilities who may also have social, emotional or behavioral concerns.

7. Collaborate with parents to promote children’s health and well-being by providing mental health education support services that are understandable to individuals, including individuals with low health literacy. 

8. Maintain a regular schedule of on-site mental health services involving the licensed mental health professional, program staff and parents and utilizes a multi-disciplinary team planning approach to address strengths and identified areas of concern. The schedule of services rendered must include the monthly and weekly days of service and the schedule must be posted and visible to parents. 

9. Conduct training topics which must be addressed during program year include: staff and parent wellness, recognizing mental health and substance abuse problems and accessing related referral resources, perinatal depression, separation and attachment issues, parenting practices strengths and concerns, childhood fears, helping children adjust to changes in family circumstances, and domestic violence, including in individual and group settings. Staff wellness information and support must be provided to teachers and referrals to program leadership, including to agency Human Resources department, and to community resources as appropriate must be made to address identified concerns.

10. Ensure that case documentations and recording are completed at the Point of Services (POS) on the day that services are rendered.

11. Work collaboratively with agency leadership to ensure that tele-mental health services are available to staff and families in the event of events such as hurricanes, pandemics and unforeseen events. Ensure that services comply with Florida, Statute 456.47 concerning the use of an electronic platform (not telephone, email or fax).

12. Complete a summary report of on-site consultation visits, signed by all participants and

providing a copy for the center director at the conclusion of each consultation 

conducted. Compile reports monthly and quarterly as required.

13.  Staff and parent trainings conducted must be documented on an agenda, the program 

staff /parent sign in sheets and the evaluation forms and submitted on schedule

 identified by program. 

14.  Record and report general classroom and individual observations which are conducted 

on site as appropriate. Concerns and/or recommendations must be discussed with the 

curriculum specialist and or lead teacher providing a copy for the center director. 

15.  Complete multidisciplinary team meeting, planning and Follow up Intervention Plan 

forms in collaboration with assigned center staff. 

16. Comply with program and local, national and state requirements relative to 

confidentiality.

17. Coordinate Staff and Families Wellness events and activities ( relaxation, meditation, self-care, smoking cessation, etc)

18. Schedule office hours open to staff and families to discuss their own mental health concerns.

Requirements

Education/Experience:

Candidate MUST hold any of the following State of Florida licenses: Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Psychologist or State Certified Child Development Specialist, Licensed Marriage or Family Therapist (LMFT).

A master’s degree or above in a mental health related field; Licensure in the consultant’s specific field of study ; Three or more years of post-master’s experience involving work with young children, infant-child mental health, and the delivery of IECMHC; The capacity to work within the culture and system of the service community in which consultation is delivered. Teaching Pyramid Model-Positive Behavior Support Certification must be obtained within 90 days of employment.

Language Ability:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from clients, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to effectively present information.

Math Ability:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability: 

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills: 

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Certificates and Licenses: 

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Psychologist or State Certified Child Development Specialist, Licensed Marriage or Family Therapist (LMFT)

Red Cross First Aid Certificate preferred within 90 days.