Job Description
Job Description
All Kids Academy Head Start is seeking a Disabilities/Mental Health Services Specialist. Join our team in the mission to close the achievement gap by providing quality school readiness programs and comprehensive services to children, families, and communities in East County.
Summary:
Under supervision of the Manager of Education and Home Based Services, the Disabilities/Mental Health Services Specialist will work to support the social and emotional development of preschool age, infants and toddlers enrolled in AKA Head Start. Develops, implements, coordinates and evaluates special education services and methods for both staff and families in providing the overall health approach to program services. Services must be coordinated with Program Support Manager. Plans and administers the disabilities and mental health services on an individualized basis for children and families.
Hours per week: 40
Weeks per year: 45
COMPETITIVE BENEFITS:
- Group medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 403(b) retirement plan with up to 6% employer match
- Annual 5% pay rate increases, up to the maximum step
- 16 Paid holidays
- Paid vacation and sick leave
- Two paid personal days
- $1500 Tuition Reimbursement each year
- $1000 Service Awards every 5 years
- Employer-paid Life, AD&D, and Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Free Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Voluntary benefits: Life and AD&D, Accident Insurance, Short-term Disability, Critical Illness Insurance, and Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
- Paid professional development days
MINIMUM EMPLOYMENT QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Any combination equivalent to:
1. Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or Early Childhood
Development, Early Intervention, or related degree (with minimum of six (6) classes with
primary focus on ECE/ECD). Master’s degree preferred;
2. Knowledge and experience in working with early childhood Mental Health and Disabilities
services; and
3. Valid CA Driver’s License and access to vehicle transportation.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
Knowledge of:
1. Treatment strategies in the area of child behavior management;
2. Strategies in the area of family crisis interventions;
3. MS Word, Power point, Excel and Outlook;
4. Community resources and how to access services and maintenance of required
documentation;
5. Standard record keeping including progress notes and maintenance of required
documentation; and
6. Human behavior and motivation.
Ability to:
1. Utilize agency resources, technologies, and libraries to appropriately answer questions and
provides guidance to staff and parents;
2. Train and provide presentations to large and small groups;
3. Collaborate with and have working knowledge of local community resources related to
Mental Health;
4. Communicate (verbally and with the written word) effectively and appropriately with
others;
5. Work independently as well as in a team environment;
6. Maintain a sustained concentration and attention to detail and accuracy;
7. Prioritize and manage workloads and deadlines;
8. Meet the needs of all children specifically those with special needs, challenging behaviors, at
risk, gifted, and culturally diverse populations;
9. Work with teachers in implementing child behavior management strategies;
10. Work with families in a supportive manner throughout the diagnostic and referral
processes;
11. Work with staff to improve their own mental health and to empower them, in turn, to
provide supportive services to children and families; and
12. Arrange for services or provide counseling and treatment for children and families with
diagnosed problems.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
1. Ensures an integrated and comprehensive system of services for children with disabilities
offered by AKA Head Start and outside agencies in accordance with Head Start Performance
Standards and applicable laws and state regulations;
2. Provides classroom, CDE CSPP, Title 5, and child observations, and child development and
behavior screening and assessments;
3. Facilitates positive behavior support planning, offering recommendations for children with
behavioral challenges;
4. Collaborates, models, and assists education staff and parents with the implementation of
behavior regulation and positive behavior support plans following SOPs;
5. Develops and monitors support plans for children, evaluating plans for effectiveness and
follow-through, modifying as necessary;
6. Provides on-site role modeling, coaching and consultation with teaching staff;
7. Works one-on-one with children as needed, offering individualized guidance and
demonstrating effective practices.
8. Develops and provides training and technical assistance to staff and parents on behavior
and emotional regulation techniques;
9. Coordinates and collaborates closely with the licensed Mental Health Consultant to plan,
organize, and implement appropriate strategies, services, and supports for children,
ensuring that interventions are appropriate for each child’s individual needs and the needs
of the classroom.
10. Observes the children with special needs and provides the teacher and parents with
additional strategies that will strengthen the child's skill development.
11. Maintains records of service, and provides parents/guardians and staff with techniques to
use with children who have challenging behaviors and may conduct trainings for teaching
staff on an individualized basis as needed;
12. Maintains record keeping and reporting systems, including service plans, schedules,
timelines, SOPs for disabilities and mental health services in accordance with Head Start
Performance Standards, CDE, CSPP, Title 5, and applicable laws and state regulations;
13. Ensures coordination of communication with teaching staff, parents, program consultants
and community to enhance services to children and families; and
14. Ensures effective transition planning for children with disabilities and their families to school
districts.
15. Seek and partner with community organizations that offer services in the Disabilities and
Mental Health field.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. Must have the ability to sit for extended periods;
2. Must be able to work at a computer for extended periods;
3. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distant vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth
perception, and ability to adjust focus;
4. Must be able to hear and speak:
5. Work in classroom with children;
6. Visit sites on a daily basis as needed;
7. Must be able to regularly stand to file miscellaneous documents in filing cabinets; and
8. Occasionally bend, stoop, and lift up to 25 pounds.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Prior to employment, in compliance with Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 as amended, employment candidate will be required to provide either proof of U.S. citizenship or other documents that establish the candidate’s eligibility to be employed in the U.S. Head Start regulations require that no person shall work in any Head Start program until they have been fingerprinted and cleared through the Department of Justice.
AKA Head Start is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No person will be denied employment, discriminated against, or prohibited from participating fully in employment opportunities for reasons of race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), creed, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition), age, gender, gender identity, political affiliation, sexual orientation, genetic characteristic, marital status, military or veteran status, medical or physical disability, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by federal state, or local law.
Applicants will be required to obtain a Health Screening, TB clearance, proof of immunization against measles and pertussis (MMR and Tdap vaccines), and background clearance prior to starting employment.