CONTRACT Young Child Mental Health Specialist

Warren Village•Denver, CO

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

Warren Village is seeking a part-time Young Child Mental Health Specialist contractor to support families and staff at their Alameda Early Learning Center. This role involves classroom consultations, observations, direct work with teachers, individual meetings with families (including after hours), and other educational support. The position is anticipated to be 20 hours per week, with some late hours required at least one night per week, and is funded through grants, guaranteed through March 31, 2027, with potential for renewal. This is an independent contractor position, not an employee role, and the contractor is responsible for their own taxes and is not eligible for employee benefits.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology or PhD, PsyD.
Minimum of two years of experience working with children ages birth to 5 in a Mental health capacity and with their adult caregivers.
Ability to create strong relationships with adults and children with an understanding of, and respect for, culture and diversity.
Knowledge of early development, infant/preschool mental health theory and infant/preschool mental health interventions and trauma informed care.
Work experience in group-settings for children.
Experience with assessment of young children's social and emotional functioning.
Experience with and/or knowledge of group dynamics and intervention with adults.
Knowledge and understanding of trauma-informed care principles/practices.

Nice To Haves

Current License in Colorado as an LCSW, LPC or LMFT heavily preferred.
Bilingual English/Spanish highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide consultation to Early Learning Center staff regarding individual children, including guidance on challenging behaviors.
Meet with staff and parents to assess and understand individual child needs and develop developmentally and culturally appropriate interventions.
Maintain a caseload of 3-5 clients, holding weekly therapy sessions with children and their caregiver(s).
Observe children in their childcare setting to assess functioning and relationships with caregivers and other children.
Meet with families to complete assessments, provide developmental guidance and referrals, and link them to clinical services.
Actively assist families in the referral process.
Observe and meet with classroom staff to address classroom-level concerns impacting quality of care (e.g., daily routines, transitions, social-emotional literacy, SEL curriculum usage, staff/child relationships).
Meet regularly with the director to address programmatic concerns affecting the quality of care for children.
Provide psycho-education and support to families/caregivers.
Provide trainings to center staff and parents on social/emotional topics.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation in adherence with program expectations and accountability requirements.
Participate in team meetings, in-services, and supervision as needed.