Mental Health Professional

SUPERVISOR: Head Start Director

SUPERVISES: None

EXEMPTION STATUS: Non-exempt

POSITION SUMMARY: The Mental Health Professional is responsible for ensuring high quality Mental Health services within ECKAN’s service area. Additionally, must have knowledge of and support the Agency’s mission, vision and code of ethics and strategic plan for helping people, changing lives. Must comply with drug and alcohol free workplace policy. Position contingent upon continued program funding. Hiring subject to Policy Council approval.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide intensive mental health services to ECKAN Head Start service area including Anderson, Coffey, Douglas, Franklin, Miami, and Osage counties including but not limited to consultation, observation, email, phone calls, virtual meetings to provide support and suggestions for mental health strategies to support children and families.
• Provide mental health services to students with the greatest behavioral/emotional needs in the classroom/on site/in-home.
• Provide guidance to staff on elevated ASQ:SE-2 (Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social Emotional) screenings including but not limited to: verbal consultation to teacher or staff member, observation of child, written information, meeting with parent/guardian to establish a mental wellness plan, referral to community mental health services.
• Provide guidance to staff on elevated Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale screenings, including but not limited to: verbal consultation with the teacher or staff member, written information to share with staff or parents, individual meeting with parent to establish a mental wellness plan including facilitating a referral to community mental health services.
• Provide mental health consultation to staff regarding student behavior in classroom and how to best support student growth including environment, routines, and interactions between child and staff, other students and family members using Conscious Discipline and other strategies.
• Provide observations in classroom as needed of individual students or to obtain a snapshot of the classroom and provide feedback on ways to support individual students and the classroom as a whole.
• Meet individually with parents to assess mental health/behavioral support needs and provide parenting strategies, and mental health/behavioral referrals as needed including home visits.
• Create relationships with local universities (KU, Emporia, Baker) to access Master’s Level Social Work or Counseling student interns and supervise interns to provide direct service in the classroom in the form of observations, consultation with teachers, and therapeutic services such as individual or group counseling.
• Create relationships with community mental health providers to facilitate referrals for outpatient, inpatient or in-home mental health services.
• Assist families in establishing social/emotional support when students transition out of the Head Start Early Childhood program into kindergarten or other Early Childhood program.
• Facilitate referrals for in-home or outpatient mental health services for students or family as needed.
• Provide trainings on Conscious Discipline or Trauma Smart to staff as needed.
• Provide support in creating Wellness plans for staff as needed.

ADDITIONALLY:

• Ability to form relationships with teachers, administrators, Family Services workers, Social Workers, Health providers, Para-professionals, Speech/language providers, OT/PT
• Ability to work with Administrative and Director level personnel
• Ability to form relationships with students and families
• Utilize a Strengths-Based approach to working with students, families, staff

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree required
• Clinical level mental health professional, holding a current clinical license of LSCSW/LCSW/LPC
• Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S) licensure or play therapy training (preferred)
• Experience using Conscious Discipline (or equivalent social/emotional curriculum)
• Experience working in education setting, preferably in early childhood
• Trauma Smart training
• Knowledgeable of Head Start rules and regulations
• Three years’ professional work experience with a record of progressive administrative responsibility and licensing
• Be able to pass required KBI, background and health tests
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Must be able to participate in daily kneeling, stooping, bending and sitting on the floor, and occasionally lifting up to 40 pounds
• Possess a valid driver’s license and comply with ECKAN insurance standards, as applicable
• Excellent verbal and written skills
• Experience training large and small groups
• General office and computer skills