Mental Health Specialist

Job Details

Level
Experienced

Job Location
Pilsen Administrative Offices – Chicago, IL

Position Type
Full Time

Salary Range
$50.00 – $55,000.00 Salary/year

Job Category
Nonprofit – Social Services

Description

Gads Hill Center, a social service organization established in 1898, creates opportunities for children and their families to build a better life through education, access to resources and community engagement.

At Gads Hill Center we envision a community in which all children benefit from healthy, financially stable households that support their early learning and growth. We invest in the potential of children and families through early childhood education, youth programs, and mental health supports. Ultimately, Gads Hill Center builds a community where all families can help their children have access to quality education in order to succeed in school and life.

JOB SUMMARY

The Mental Health Specialist is responsible for providing early childhood mental health support to Early Head Start, Head Start and Prevention Initiative staff, children, and families. The MHS will provide a broad range of services; including early childhood mental health consultation in classrooms and through home visits, training and coaching staff, screening, assessment and referral services, promotion and marketing of group services, and providing parent trainings. The MHS will also collect data, maintain records, and support compliance in all facets of Head Start Performance Standards and DFSS regulations.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Conducts general classroom observations to provide consultation, coaching and child development information related to social emotional development and mental health.
2. Provides guidance to staff on selecting, implementing, and interpreting social emotional screening and assessment tools and findings.
3. Provides models for socially and emotionally appropriate activities and effective ways to work with and support young children.
4. Provides written and oral observations and strengths-based feedback to classrooms.
5. Meets with staff to review classroom observations to develop and implement plans as needed.
6. Supports, coordinates, and provides staff trainings related to social emotional and mental health issues at least once per quarter, or as needed.
7. Coordinates and facilitates all mental health parent trainings.
8. Conducts observations and assessments of individual children as assigned or referred for consultation.
9. Meets with families to consult on child and family needs and create or follow-up on plans to support those needs.
10. Conducts individual child screenings, assessments, and referrals.
11. Provides parent crisis intervention counseling services.
12. Conducts home visits to support the mental health needs of families and children to provide guidance, model developmentally appropriate activities for children and effective ways to work with and support young children.
13. Participates in regular meetings with program managers and Associate Director of Mental Health Services and Community Initiatives.
14. Contributes to all mandatory reporting requirements.
15. Performs other duties assigned.

Supervision and Training of Support staff

1. Assists in supervision of mental health interns in compliance with the standards of county, state and federal regulatory agencies.
2. Assists in training program personnel in treatment protocols, methods of engagement, assessment, and referral, intervention strategies, and screenings to ensure quality mental health service delivery.

Clinical Service Delivery

1. 1. Carries a case load, rendering direct services to clients.
   2. Leads wellness support and education groups for families within the program.

1. 1. Plans, coordinates, and implements treatment services and other clinical activities for identified clients, while being cognizant of cultural, ethnic, and environmental differences, to achieve highly effective, efficient and culturally competent service delivery to children and families.
   2. Provides therapy for families as needed by our programs.
   3. Engages in crisis intervention with clients/family members, including the development and implementation of safety plans.
   4. Performs record keeping functions and other administrative duties as required by the agency.
   5. Is available “on-call” for crisis intervention consultation for all programs at Gads Hill Center.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Master’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, or related field required.
2. Must also be LCSW, LCPC or LMFT, licensed in Illinois, plus have four years of clinical experience. Or on track towards licensure.
3. Clinical supervisory experience, prior experience in leadership or management capacity a plus.
4. Experience working in Head Start and Early Head Start a plus.
5. Experience and ability to work with high risk children required.
6. Must be fluent in English and Spanish.
7. Must have valid Illinois driver’s license, car, and auto insurance.

Knowledge of:

1. Mental health, human services, and provider systems.
2. Early Child development/needs/behavior.
3. Individual, group and family therapy methods.
4. Child and/or adult psychopathology and the DSM-IV/DSM-5.
5. Motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy.
6. Culturally competent approaches to mental health service delivery.

Demonstrated skills:

1. Strong organizational, time management, and documentation skills.
2. Ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team to organize tasks, problem solve, and make sound decisions while handling multiple priorities.
3. Excellent verbal and written communication skills demonstrated by the ability to communicate effectively and foster good relationships with parents, children, clinic staff and providers, and community referral representatives.
4. Ability to translate the latest evidence-based models into practical counseling and therapy skills.
5. Excellent supervisory skills including team building and coaching skills; the ability to lead, encourage and train staff; and the ability to organize, facilitate, and lead clinical staff meetings.
6. Demonstrated awareness of, sensitivity to, and competence in dealing with cultural and socioeconomic diversity of client population.

Salary: $45,000 – $50,000 Annually

Schedule: Full Time

Status: Salary

Location: 1919 W Cullerton St

APPLICATION DIRECTIONS:

To apply, please visit our careers page at www.gadshillcenter.org/careers

Qualifications