Job Description

A vacancy exists for a Head Start Mental Health Specialist within the CCIU's Division of Student Services. This position will be providing supporting Head Start programming across Chester County, and will be located at the Gordon Early Literacy Center in Coatesville, PA.

Are you motivated to create brighter futures for students, families, and the entire community? If so, we want you on Team CCIU! At the CCIU, we pride ourselves on the creativity, dedication, and collaborative spirit that our employees bring to their work every day, and we know that achieving success together takes a team approach!

We strive to hire exceptional, motivated, and passionate individuals that help us achieve our vision of acting as educational leaders who contribute to a better Chester County and beyond.

If you are looking for an exciting, challenging opportunity to grow your career, don't wait � apply today to make Team CCIU even stronger tomorrow!

Summary:

The Head Start Mental Health Specialist partners with program leadership, staff, families, and community agencies to promote the social-emotional well-being of children birth to five. This role emphasizes a consultative, prevention-focused model that builds the capacity of staff and families to support children's development, addresses challenging behaviors through evidence-based strategies, and strengthens connections between home, school, and community services. The MHS does not provide direct therapy as a primary function but instead works collaboratively to embed mental health supports into everyday practices, consistent with Head Start Program Performance Standards.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

• Providing classroom consultation and coaching to support positive learning environments, social-emotional development, trauma-informed practices, and individualized behavior support.
• Collaborating with families by sharing strategies, resources, and guidance to support children's development and strengthen caregiver confidence.
• Supporting implementation of program-wide social-emotional frameworks, such as the Pyramid Model and PBIS, while delivering professional development on behavior guidance, trauma-informed care, and staff wellness.
• Working collaboratively with education, disability, health, family services, and community mental health partners to coordinate services and facilitate referrals.
• Assisting staff during challenging behaviors and crisis situations by developing proactive behavior support plans, coaching effective responses, and promoting suspension and expulsion prevention practices.
• Promoting staff well-being through reflective consultation, burnout prevention, resilience-building, and integration of staff wellness into program practices.
• Maintaining required documentation, supporting compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards, and contributing to program planning and continuous quality improvement.

Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a related field required
• Licensed or license-eligible mental health professional preferred
• Experience working with young children (birth�5) and families strongly preferred
• Experience in consultation, coaching, or early childhood settings strongly preferred
• Extensive knowledge of: Early childhood mental health, Trauma-informed care, Behavior support strategies and/or Pyramid Model

Professional or Other Required Clearances

• Valid Driver's License required
• Current police, child abuse, FBI fingerprint, and NSOR clearances within 1 year required

Schedule:

260 day position, 7.5 hours per day, 5 days per week

Salary Range:

Project, Level 13, $59,948 - $74,934/yr.

*Placement on scale commensurate to years of experience in similar positions*

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Equal Opportunity Employer

Chester County Intermediate Unit is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Chester County Intermediate Unit ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of race, creed, gender, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or disability. Chester County Intermediate Unit has a policy of active recruitment of qualified minority teachers and non-certified employees. Any individual needing assistance in making an application for any opening should contact the Department of Human Resources at 484-237-5085.