California Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Specialist

WestEd Career • San Francisco, CA

4d • Remote

About The Position

WestEd is seeking Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Network Consultants (Specialists) to work in communities providing direct in-person and virtual support to center-based administrators, teachers, staff, and home-based care providers. Specialists will be matched with assignments based on geographic location, expertise, program needs, and availability. The IECMHC Network team coordinates referrals and intake, and provides resources and support, including individual and group reflective practice. Specialists will adopt a Consultative Stance, using diversity-informed, reflective, and relationship-based approaches to collaborate with providers and leaders. The goal is to build their capacity to respond effectively to children's developmental, social, emotional, and behavioral health needs, consider all relationships influencing young children's well-being, engage in self-reflection, reframe children's behavior, understand the impact of trauma, develop trauma-responsive approaches, create inclusive and equitable policies, and promote staff/provider well-being. Consultant hours are intermittent and will vary based on program needs and availability. This position is remote with California travel.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work, psychology, mental health, counseling, early childhood special education, early childhood education or child development, and/or a closely related field.
• At least 3 years experience providing consultation, coaching, and/or technical assistance with child care and early education staff/providers.
• At least 2 years providing and receiving reflective practice.
• Experience working directly in a child care or early education setting with children birth through five years old and their families.
• Experience working with home-based providers, including family child care home providers and family, friend, and neighbor caregivers.
• Ability to provide relationship- and strength-based consultation using inquiry and reflective practices.
• Knowledge of social, emotional and relational health, and fostering the well-being of young children and the adults who care for them.
• Knowledge of trauma-responsive practices and policies in child care and early education settings.
• Knowledge of community resources for children ages birth to five and their families.
• Knowledge of inclusive practices and IDEA and ADA requirements.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Must perform all work physically located in California.
• Successful candidates must pass a criminal background check and education verification.

Nice To Haves

• Clinical licensure or license eligible preferred but not required.
• Endorsement in Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health and Reflective Practice Facilitation.
• Fluency in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi/Persian, Hindi, and Arabic.
• Candidates who work in the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Monterey, Sacramento, San Diego, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Tulare, Ventura, and Yolo.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct in-person and virtual support to center-based administrators, teachers, staff, and home-based care providers.
• Adopt the Consultative Stance in applying diversity-informed, reflective and relationship-based approaches.
• Collaborate with home-based providers, center-based staff, and program leaders to build their capacity to respond effectively to children’s developmental, social, emotional and behavioral health needs.
• Consider all relationships influencing young children’s relational health and well-being, adult-child relationships and those amongst the adults caring for children.
• Engage in self-reflection about personal values, perceptions, beliefs, culture, and connections between adult’s feelings and behavior and children’s feelings and behavior.
• Reframe children’s behavior to problem solve and practice new ways of responding to children’s needs.
• Gain knowledge and skills in understanding the impact of trauma on young children and develop a trauma-responsive lens.
• Develop inclusive and equitable policies and procedures that reflect a commitment to serving all children and families.
• Promote staff/provider health and well-being by attending to their feelings and experiences within the context of their relational work and interactions with young children and their families.
• Increase awareness and connection to community resources.

Benefits

• Individual and group reflective practice.
• WestEd conducts a criminal background check and education verification for all new hires.
• For more details about our benefits, go to: https://www.wested.org/work-at-wested/#benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level