Early Childhood Mental Health and Wellness Consultant in New York, New York at DREAM Charter School

The Early Childhood Mental Health and Wellness (MHW) Consultant will offer virtual and on-site mental health and wellbeing consultations on program specific matters that support a young child’s mental health. The MHW Consultant provides consultation services that build the capacity of adults in a young child’s life to strengthen and support the mental health and social and emotional development of children.

• Utilize data to determine and maintain a caseload of Mental Health and Wellness supports and services that promote a program-wide culture of mental health, prevent mental health challenges from developing, and identify and support children with mental health and social and emotional concerns;

• Work with leadership to determine goals for consultation, create plans for achieving these goals, and provide the necessary resources to support the program’s development;

• Facilitate multidisciplinary coordination and collaboration between mental health and other relevant program services, including education, disability, family engagement, and health services;

• Build community partnerships to facilitate access to additional mental health resources and services, as needed, including through the Health and Mental Health Services Advisory Committee;

• Participate in cross-functional team collaborations in response to specific needs of the program;

• Support the program with implementing practices that limit suspension and prohibit expulsion;

• Participate in meetings, events, and trainings as needed.

• Provide individual, in-person consultations for adults on strategies that build nurturing and responsive relationships and create positive learning environments that promote the mental health and social and emotional development of all children, on at least a monthly basis, with virtual sessions as needed;

• Support families and staff with understanding and appropriately responding to prevalent child mental health concerns;

• Support families and staff with accessing mental health interventions or supports;

• Support the well-being of children and families involved in any significant child health, mental health, or safety incidents;

• Ensure that all children receive adequate screening and appropriate follow up and that families receive referrals about how to access services for potential social, emotional, behavioral, or other mental health concerns.

• Manage time effectively to optimize consultation hours;

• Additional duties related to the area of mental health and wellness, as requested.

• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, or a similar field, required;

• New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), required;

• 3+ years experience in supporting individuals in mental and behavioral health, required;

• 2+ years experience in consulting, advising, or coaching adults and programs, required;

• Experience in Early Childhood Mental Health, required;

• Bilingual (Spanish/English), highly preferred;

• Demonstrated expertise in mental health consultation, screening tools, classroom observations, and trauma informed care;

• Knowledgeable about Early Childhood Education health and wellness policies;

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to facilitate effective communications among partners and teams to ensure goals are achieved;

• Ability to interact effectively with people from diverse backgrounds;

• Demonstrated computer literacy skills;

• Experience working remotely in a collaborative, fast-paced environment with cross-functional teams;

• A strong belief in the mission and values of DREAM, including the desire to make a difference in the lives of our students, families, and community.

• A physical exam, fingerprinting, and a federal background check are required for this position.

• Most working hours will be remote, with some on-site services (at each of our three locations in East Harlem and the South Bronx) as needed.

• Roughly 16-20 hours per month.

• $65-75/hour