Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist

Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist

Futures First is seeking a compassionate and collaborative Mental Health Specialist to support early education programs serving children from birth through age six. This community-based position requires regular travel to provider locations throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area and counties within the service-delivery area.

The Mental Health Specialist promotes children's social-emotional development by providing consultation and coaching to early education staff. Services include observation, assessment, social-emotional and mental health screening, and training. Working with early childhood staff and families, the Specialist strengthens educators' ability to use everyday situations and conflicts to teach developmentally appropriate social skills, support children's mental health, and prevent, identify, and reduce the impact of trauma.

The hourly pay range for this position is $24.62 - 28.21. The final hourly rate will be determined based on the selected candidate's qualifications, alignment with the position requirements, and internal equity. In addition to pay, Futures First offers a comprehensive Total Rewards package.

• Medical Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
• Vision & Dental Insurance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with matching up to 2%
• Yearly 5% employer retirement contribution
• Personal Time Off (PTO)
• Rolling paid holidays—instead of a fixed holiday schedule, employees may observe holidays that reflect their personal, cultural, or religious beliefs
• Flexible Work Schedules (Hybrid Model)

Requirements

• Consult with partner teachers, support staff, and administrators to assess site needs and develop practices that promote the social-emotional development of enrolled children.
• Collaborate with partner-site staff and parents to implement supportive discipline strategies that promote early childhood social-emotional wellness and reduce challenging behavior.
• Conduct classroom and individual child observations to build the capacity of staff and families to respond effectively to challenging behavior.
• Provide child- and family-centered consultation addressing factors that affect a child's success in an early childhood setting.
• Partner with teachers, support staff, interdisciplinary teams, program management, and parents or guardians to develop and implement individualized behavior-support plans that address social-emotional development and mental health concerns.
• Provide referrals to community mental health providers when necessary and assist parents or guardians in accessing available resources.
• Maintain applicable documentation and complete all required paperwork accurately, promptly, and in accordance with Futures First policies and procedures.

Required Qualifications:

• Knowledge of infant and early childhood development.
• Excellent communication, teaching, and training skills.
• Ability to adapt to changing situations, unexpected events, and a variety of work environments.
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Respect and appreciation for each individual's unique background, perspective, and ideas.
• Ability to recognize cultural differences and adjust one's approach to collaborate successfully with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to travel throughout the assigned facility, Kansas City metropolitan area, and counties within the service-delivery area.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual fluency in written and spoken English and Spanish.
• Relevant experience working with communities of color, communities experiencing poverty, immigrants, and other communities subjected to oppression.
• Kansas Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (KAIMH) endorsement at Level II or higher, or demonstrated active pursuit of a Level II endorsement.

Education & Experience:

• Master's degree in Social Work or a related field required.
• LMSW or related licensure must be obtained within one year of hire.
• At least one year of professional experience providing services to infants, toddlers, preschool-age children, and their families required.

Why Join Futures First?

At Futures First, you will join a highly respected organization committed to strengthening children, families, and communities across the Kansas City metropolitan area. Our collaborative team values relationships, innovation, equity, and continuous improvement while providing opportunities to perform meaningful work with lasting community impact.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Futures First is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected status.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact Nicole Benoit at View email address on click.appcast.io to discuss your needs.