Job Description

JOB TITLE: Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant

REPORTS TO: Perinatal + Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation and Program Manager

DEPARTMENT: Perinatal + Early Childhood Mental Health Program

JOB TYPE: Full Time

OBJECTIVES: Reporting to the Perinatal + Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation and Program Manager, the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant serves to empower clients, caregivers, and early childhood service providers through strength-based, family-driven, and relationship-centered mental health consultation. This role provides early childhood mental health consultation and support to staff, families, and children across diverse settings, including but not limited to center-based early care and education programs, community health clinics, shelters, home-based programs, and New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS)-funded partner programs such as prevention and foster care programs. Through reflective practice, supervision, and guidance in early childhood mental health principles, the Consultant supports staff capacity-building, effective system navigation, collaborative goal setting, and individualized support planning. By fostering engagement, coordination, and access to culturally responsive resources, this position ensures children remain in safe, nurturing environments and advances Northside’s mission through high-quality service delivery, cross-system collaboration, community outreach, and strengthened family and program resilience.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS)-funded partner programs and other early childhood and perinatal-related partner staff throughout Manhattan to deliver Prevention Plus–Early Childhood Mental Health (P+ECMH) consultation services.
2. Observe ACS partner programs and ECE settings to support the implementation of positive behavior interventions and evidence-informed strategies that promote children’s social-emotional development and overall well-being.
3. Provide training and technical assistance to ACS partner programs and ECE staff on early childhood mental health and wellness, including the identification and impact of trauma, stressors, and developmental challenges in young children.
4. Facilitate group sessions, workshops, and/or individual consultations focused on engagement, planning, and coordination to support the growth and capacity of ACS partner programs, ECE staff, children, and families.
5. Consult collaboratively with ACS partner programs and ECE staff to assess needs and determine appropriate additional supports, including mental health services, referrals, and community-based resources for identified children and families.
6. Complete all required Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) documentation, assessments, and reports accurately and within mandated timeframes, in accordance with program and compliance standards.
7. Participate in regular supervision and engage in ongoing professional development, including perinatal and early childhood–specific trainings, to ensure reflective practice and high-quality service delivery.
8. Provide case management, crisis intervention, and short-term support as needed, in collaboration with internal teams and external partners, to ensure continuity of care and child and family safety.

SPECIFIC SKILLS:

• Ability to build trust, foster collaboration, and empower families to set and achieve goals.
• Strong understanding of child development and strategies to strengthen emotional well-being.
• Expertise in developing individualized support plans that lead to measurable outcomes.
• Skilled in guiding families through complex social services, healthcare, and educational systems.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse populations and respect cultural differences.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Excellent work ethic
• Commitment to working in a mission-driven organization.
• Demonstrated personal ethics and values.
• Cross-team collaboration and cooperation.
• Team player who works well with a diverse group of people.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree and licensure/license-eligible status as an MSW, LMSW, LCSW, MHC, LMHC, MFT, LMFT, or LCAT, with a strong understanding of early childhood development (birth to five) and experience working with young children.
• Demonstrated interest in and willingness to learn evidence-based strategies that support mental health and social-emotional development in young children.
• Experience working with perinatal and early childhood populations (preferred but not required).
• Proficiency in a second language (e.g., Spanish or French) preferred but not required.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout Manhattan to program sites.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities.
• Ability to work independently while remaining self-motivated, proactive, and accountable.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Salary commensurate with experience. Northside offers a competitive salary and benefits package.

Salary range: $73,048 - $86,985

About Northside

Northside Center for Child Development serves more than 5,500 children and families across New York City each year through high-quality, outcome-driven behavioral health, early childhood education, and enrichment services. With over $34 million in annual funding, Northside provides the comprehensive support children and families need to overcome adversity, build resilience, and pursue their dreams.

Founded in 1946 in Harlem, Northside has been a cornerstone of the community for eight decades, leading the way in integrating education and mental health to support children’s development. Several of Northside’s innovative programs were the first of their kind in Harlem, setting standards of care that continue to influence social service agencies throughout the United States today.

Northside’s founders, Drs. Kenneth B. and Mamie Phipps Clark, were renowned, pioneering psychologists whose groundbreaking research was instrumental in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education landmark Supreme Court decision that declared school segregation unconstitutional. Their belief in the worth, dignity, and potential of every child continues to guide Northside’s mission and inspire its work today. Northside is driven by its vision and principle, “Each Child…First Chance.”

For more information on Northside Center for Child Development, please visit www.northsidecenter.org.