Disabilities and Mental Health Coordinator

Description

We are hiring in Beach Park IL.

Start Early is an energized, future-focused organization devoted to providing quality early learning and care across the country.

Our desire to close the opportunity gap and build early learning experiences for our youngest learners guides everything we do. As a leader in early learning and care, we scale our deep expertise across program, policy and research through partnerships across the country.

We are recruiting individuals who want to join us in this mission and share a commitment to our core values of appreciation & respect, empowerment, diversity, excellence, learning and communication.

Become part of our rewarding, mission-driven culture! We want our employees to feel empowered, motivated, energized, and passionate about the work they do!

The Disabilities and Mental Health Coordinator is responsible for participating in the planning, development, and implementation of the Mental Health/wellness Promotion & Disabilities plans and policies developed in accordance with the Head Start Performance Standards. The Disabilities and Mental Health Coordinator provides coaching and training to teaching teams and families, supporting staff as they serve children and families with learning needs.

This coordinator also holds primary responsibility for developing and implementing recruitment plans specific to children with disabilities, and building community partnerships with agencies who support children with disabilities as well as enhancing overall child and family wellness; attending meetings and compiling reports related to Disabilities and Mental Health activities and outcomes; and supporting families and staff through the processes of screening children, participating in evaluations, and securing needed services.

Further, this person supports the coordination of the ELA’s Mental Health Consultants and all Wellness Promotion activities.

Reporting to the Site Administrator the Disabilities and Mental Health Coordinator is responsible for performing the following duties :

• Reviews developmental screenings by the teaching staff and Education Coordinators and referrals from the teachers and Education Coordinators for further assessment.
• Coordinates the child studies for mental health consultants: arranges observation and assessment dates, notifies teachers and parents, and ensures that all release forms are on file. Organizes the information for referrals for individual educational plans (IEPs) and IEP staffing with Lake County Public Schools, as well as IFSPs and IFSP Child & Family Team Meetings with the CFCs.
• Assists Education Coordinators in developing the Student Learning Plans and Positive Guidance plans, and assists in the implementation of plans in the classroom and refers children to local public school or CFS for services, and advocates as cases need assistance in negotiating the services at the public school or with the CFC
• Attends the staffings with the parents, advocates for and interprets the results of the IEP into work plans for the classroom teachers and parents with the Education Coordinators, provides the in-class follow-up for all IEPs from the Lake County Public Schools and work plans from the Mental Health Consultant.
• Maintains a tracking system for all program options; assessments, IEPS and up-dates,ypes of disability or special needs, and other data as needed for the PIR and other reporting.
• Assures that all files, documents and records reflect the program standards of the various entities to which the program is responsible; ensures that the documentation is complete, accurate and up to date, and that all files are secure.
• Conducts internal referral staffings at all program sites and complies with and submits statistics and other reports as directed.
• Develops and schedules the classroom observations by the Mental Health Consultant for each site. Receives and reviews the classroom observations and recommendations, and disseminates them to the classrooms and, with the Lead Teachers, ensures that the recommendations are implemented .Monitors the use of time and documentation of the Mental Health Consultant.
• In conjunction with the Education…