JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Mental Health Specialist

Employment Status: Full-time

Immediate Supervisor:  Executive Director

Titles of Position Supervised:  None

Major Objectives

Provide support for teaching staff in effective classroom management, positive learning environments, and supportive teacher practices, provide support for parents and families, and provide strategies for supporting children with challenging behaviors and other social, emotional, and mental health concerns

Responsibilities

• Implement strategies to identify and support children with mental health, behavioral, and social and emotional concerns
• Conduct monthly observations and consultations of all classrooms to address teacher and individual child needs and assist in the creation of physical and cultural environments that promote positive mental health and social and emotional functioning and improve classroom management and teaching practices
• Provide training for staff and parents to observe and identify issues related to child mental health, social and emotional well-being, typical and atypical behavior, and development, and how to appropriately respond to these issues to promote children’s social and emotional development
• Assist other staff in meeting children’s mental health and social and emotional needs through strategies that include observation and consultation
• Address prevalent child mental health concerns, including internalizing problems such as appearing withdrawn and externalizing problems such as challenging behaviors
• Collaborate with both parents and staff to understand mental health and access mental health interventions and community resources as needed in the implementation of policies to limit suspension and prohibit expulsion
• Partner with staff and families in a timely and effective manner
• Obtain parental consent for mental health consultation services at enrollment
• Build community partnerships to facilitate access to additional mental health resources and services
• Evaluate that the program is following appropriate discipline guidelines to include offering positive reinforcement, redirection, setting realistic expectations, and setting clear and consistent limits
• Convey the importance of meeting both the needs of the group and individual children
• Implement strategies to make parents feel welcome and a part of the overall program
• 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
• Build trusting and respectful relationships so parents will feel comfortable in sharing information on sensitive issues and confident their privacy will be respected
• Identify and report situations which could lead to child abuse and neglect in, so far as possible, a helpful rather than punitive manner toward the parents/caretakers and share potential situations with Family Service Workers to resolve before situations rise to the level of abuse or neglect
• Assure mental health and wellness information is available to staff regarding health issues that may affect their job performance, and that staff development on the subject of mental health and wellness is provided quarterly
• Provide ongoing support to assist parents’ navigation through health systems to meet the specifically identified needs of their children
• Aid parents and families, as necessary, in obtaining mental health services for parents and other family members
  
  

General Skills

• Keeps Management informed by participating in staff meetings, submitting assigned paperwork according to timelines, and contributing ideas and information as requested
• Protects program integrity and client privacy by keeping any and all program information gained through employment at CSO absolutely confidential during and after this employment
• Demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning by participating in Staff Development training and attending relevant and approved workshops
• Contributes to team effort by welcoming new and different work requirements; exploring opportunities to add value to the organization; helping others accomplish related job results as needed
• Completing any other duties as assigned

Qualifications and Skills

• Degree: Current Mental Health License or Certification
• Cleared Criminal Record check and Arkansas Child Maltreatment check

• Cleared FBI Record check, including fingerprints
• Ability to pass a TB screening
• Ability to travel from center to center to complete job requirements
• Ability to work a varied schedule between the hours of 7:30 and 5:30
• Ability to lift up to a 40-pound child or get down on the floor if needed
• Ability to work well independently and collaboratively within a team environment
• Able to manage and prioritize your own workload
• Respond appropriately (mentally and physically) to any emergency or crisis situation
• Proficiency in Computer, Verbal, and Written Skills
• Professional demeanor