Assistant Director of Health, Mental Health & Development, & Nutrition

AVANCE Houston•Houston, TX

About The Position

This role provides leadership and oversight for health, mental health, development, nutrition, and disabilities services for enrolled children. It involves ensuring timely completion of screenings, assessments, referrals, and follow-up services. The position also oversees systems for tracking children's health status, mental health and social-emotional supports, nutrition requirements (including CACFP), and services for children with disabilities (including IFSP/IEP coordination). Additionally, it ensures safe and healthy learning environments, supervises staff, and leads data analysis for continuous quality improvement. Collaboration with families, community providers, and program leadership is crucial, as is maintaining partnerships and ensuring family-centered, culturally responsive services. The role also involves overseeing data systems like GoEngage for accurate documentation and reporting, utilizing data for decision-making and compliance, and participating in strategic planning, grant development, and program initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in public health, Nursing, Nutrition, Social Work, Psychology, Child Development, Special Education, Health Administration, or a closely related field.
Minimum of four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in health, mental health, nutrition, disabilities, early childhood, or related services.
Experience working with young children and families, in an EC or community-based or human services setting.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in public health, Health Administration, Social Work, Nutrition, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Psychology, or a related field.
Five (5) years of supervisory or management experience overseeing multidisciplinary teams.
Experience in HS, EHS, or similar federally funded programs.
Experience with program monitoring, compliance, and data-driven decision-making.
Experience supporting services for children with disabilities including coordination with community providers, ECI, and LEAs.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership and oversight to ensure timely completion of health, developmental, mental health, nutrition, and disabilities screenings, assessments, referrals, and follow-up services for enrolled children.
Ensure systems are in place to monitor and track children's ongoing health status, including medical, dental, developmental, mental health, nutrition, and disability-related services.
Oversee implementation of mental health and social-emotional supports, including consultation services, staff wellness initiatives, and behavior intervention strategies.
Ensure compliance with nutrition requirements, including CACFP guidelines, meal service requirements, and individualized dietary accommodations.
Oversee services for children with suspected or diagnosed disabilities, including referral processes, IFSP/IEP coordination, inclusion practices, and collaboration with local education agencies and Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) programs.
Ensure safe and healthy learning environments through oversight of health practices, medication administration procedures, environmental safety monitoring, and emergency preparedness requirements.
Provide supervision, coaching, and performance management to Health Associates and Health, Mental Health and Development, and Nutrition staff to ensure effective service delivery, compliance, and continuous quality improvement.
Lead ongoing monitoring, data analysis, risk assessment activities, and participation in program self-assessment to ensure compliance and continuous improvement.
Partner with families to support children's health, development, mental health, nutrition, and disability-related needs, ensuring timely communication and follow-up.
Ensure services are delivered in a family-centered, culturally and linguistically responsive manner that reflects the strengths, needs, preferences, and goals of children and families.
Coordinate with community providers, including medical, dental, mental health, nutrition, Early Childhood Intervention (ECI), and special education programs to ensure continuity of care and services.
Facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration across program service areas to ensure integrated service delivery and coordinated support for children and families.
Collaborate with program leadership, management teams, and content area specialists to support the implementation, coordination, and continuous improvement of comprehensive services across all Head Start and Early Head Start program areas.
Lead and maintain the Health and Mental Health Services Advisory Committee (HMHSAC), ensuring active participation from families, community partners, healthcare professionals, mental health professionals, and other stakeholders.
Maintain partnerships with community agencies and support family access to ongoing care, resources, and services.
Oversee GoEngage and other program data systems to ensure accurate documentation, monitoring, tracking, and reporting of health, mental health, developmental, nutrition, and disabilities services.
Ensure data is used to monitor compliance, inform decision-making, identify trends, and drive continuous quality improvement.
Utilize program data, child outcomes, family outcomes, and monitoring results to support program goals, school readiness outcomes, and continuous quality improvement efforts.
Analyze program data, monitoring results, child and family outcomes, and compliance trends to identify areas for improvement and develop corrective and continuous quality improvement strategies.
Prepare and review reports, program updates, monitoring summaries, and data presentations for leadership, governance bodies, and regulatory agencies as required.
Participate in program planning, grant development, self-assessment, community assessment, and strategic initiatives to support organizational and program goals.
Partner with agency leadership to develop, implement, and evaluate program initiatives, policies, procedures, and strategies that support organizational goals, regulatory compliance, and high-quality service delivery.
Support program operations, strategic planning, and administrative functions as needed.
Represent the program at local, state, and national meetings, conferences, and professional development activities.
Perform other duties as assigned.