Disability/Mental Health Manager

SCMCAA•Poplar Bluff, MO

12d

About The Position

The Mental Health/Special Needs Manager is responsible for the overall direction, administration, and coordination of the Mental Health and Special Needs component, including providing information and support to the Policy Council related to Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) 1302 Subpart D, F, G.

Requirements

Possess a BA or advanced degree in early childhood education or a related degree with experience teaching infant, toddler and/or pre-school age children.
Knowledge of adult learning theory, early childhood development theory and educational method and practices usually obtained through a four-year accredited college program.
Ability to apply early childhood development methods and practices in classroom activities as demonstrated through at least one year’s classroom teaching experience.
Ability to develop and implement early childhood development curriculum as required in the Head Start Program performance standards.
Knowledge of teaching supervisory methods and practices and ability to establish and implement a teacher career development program.
Ability to work effectively with other education professionals and institutions in the community.
Ability to conduct oneself in a manner projecting a positive image to staff, program, agency and community.
Obtain an initial medical exam and TB assessment within 30 days of employment. Complete a medical exam and TB assessment every five years following initial employment.
Pass background screen, child abuse/neglect screen, drug screen and be subject to random drug testing.

Responsibilities

Responsible for achieving or exceeding the overall goals of the areas in accordance with HSPPS.
Responsible for planning, implementing, and monitoring a curriculum designed to provide for the emotional and social and needs of the HS/EHS children.
Will monitor the referral process and track the number of IEP/IFSP’s within the agency. Will report data to appropriate stakeholders (Regional Office of Head Start, Board of Directors, Policy Council) and staff.
Coordinates with Mental Health consultant(s) and staff to schedule and accomplish Mental Health observations and site visits.
Reviews and forwards mental health consultant reports to appropriate site supervisors and component managers.
Facilitates and assists Program Director with updating contract as required for outside mental health services.
Understands, implements and encourages the use of Conscious Discipline strategies by staff, in coordination with other component managers, as the social/emotional program chosen to assist with mental health concerns and challenging behaviors.
Lead staff to accomplish Program chosen social/emotional screening (e-DECA).
Assist staff with mental health referral and rescreen processes when required.
Partner with Education Manager/Mentors/site staff to develop plans for children with behaviors.
Work in classrooms to ensure staff can manage behaviors in the classroom by modeling and providing strategies to work with the children.
Attend staffing with parents to discuss children’s behaviors and make needed recommendations and referrals.
Assist in the development of budgets for assigned component areas by communicating resource needs to the Program Director.
Responsible for establishing and maintaining effective working relationships among teaching staff and other component staff in order to integrate and coordinate classroom and program activities.
Assist in the interview of and make hiring recommendations for education staff.
Contribute to the evaluation of staff performance through sharing monitoring and other evaluative tools and observation reports with staff supervisors.
Work collaboratively with Professional Development Manager to ensure that pre- and in-service training is provided to all classroom personnel for assigned component areas.
Participate in pre- and in-service training by providing social/emotional training for teaching staff.
Responsible for implementing agency policies and HSPPS within the assigned Component areas.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships among Education team staff and local, state and federal education and child development professionals in order to meet the educational, developmental, disability, and transition needs of the children.
Ensure that required records are maintained and that required reports (Head Start and Agency) are submitted on a timely basis.
In partnership with Site Supervisors and other Component Managers, responsible for ensuring the maintenance of a physical environment conducive to the education and development of the children.
Encourage parent involvement in the development, implementation and evaluation of the Program’s child development curriculum.
Responsible for assisting with the design, implementation and participation in a Career Development program that provides for the development of individual plans of action for the upward mobility of classroom staff and an overall training plan for all employees, including pre- and in-services training.
Provide consistent, reflective supervision to the HS/EHS staff in the program.
Partner with the Professional Development Manager and Site Supervisors to arrange for staff and all Head Start Parents to receive orientation to child abuse/neglect.
Provides on-going training and guidance for HS/EHS staff and families on disability and transition-related issues, including fostering parental advocacy, identifying the rights and responsibilities of parents and children within the public-school system, and identifying disability and transition-related resources within the community.
Serves as a liaison between mental health/special needs providers and administrators and Head Start teachers and staff.
Ensure that staff coordinates with public schools on kindergarten screenings for all Head Start children and that staff participate in community fairs and local events to promote collaboration that includes families and promotes the program’s emphasis on family development.
Ensure that social emotional screening and testing is administered to all enrolled children, with additional screening and follow-up as required for special needs children.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with local, state and federal professionals and public and private agencies, in order to assure the availability of resources to meet the related needs of special needs children.
In partnership with parents, service providers and classroom staff, responsible for the development and periodic evaluation of individual plans for special needs children.
Ensure Classroom staff understand how to incorporate IEP and IFSP plans into individualization activities.
Responsible for coordination of training to parents and staff concerning children with disabilities and exceptional children, methods and procedures for dealing with their special needs.
Contact outside specialists to work individually with special needs children.
Responsible for maintaining a high degree of professionalism.
Work cooperatively with administrative staff and other agency personnel.
Leads and implements onboarding process for new hires within component area.
Contribute to staff evaluations through sharing monitoring tools and compliance reports with Site Supervisors.
Participate in the public sharing of communication supporting HS/EHS by relating the purpose and goals of the program to parents, staff and the general community and undertaking other public information activities as assigned.
Understands responsibility of being a mandated reporter for Child Abuse and Neglect. Will follow the approved program policy and procedure to immediately report suspected abuse or neglect of any child.
Maintains confidentiality as required by program Performance Standards and agency policy.
Perform additional duties as assigned by supervisor.