Senior Therapist - Early Childhood Wellness

Part-Time Senior Therapist

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work.

If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Senior Therapist position.

This position qualifies for a $1,500 sign-on bonus. The Senior Therapist for the Early Childhood Wellness Program provides mental health prevention and early intervention services using an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) and coaching model to promote the healthy social and emotional development of children from birth to age five. The position supports children, families, caregivers, early childhood educators, and community partners through relationship-based consultation, caregiver coaching, clinical assessment, and capacity building.

Services are delivered across child-serving systems, including school-based, center-based, and home-based early childhood programs. The Senior Therapist uses developmental screening and clinical assessment data to support early identification of social-emotional, behavioral, and developmental concerns and to guide intervention planning. This position emphasizes prevention, collaboration, and strengthening the capacity of caregivers and early childhood professionals to support young children's well-being.

The Senior Therapist provides consultation through a multi-tiered approach that includes universal prevention, targeted coaching, and short-term clinical intervention. Responsibilities include conducting mental health observations, completing clinical assessments, developing child-centered support plans, and collaborating with families, educators, administrators, and multidisciplinary teams to promote consistent implementation of evidence-based practices. The position also supports the implementation of social-emotional curricula and trauma-informed practices within early childhood settings.

In addition, the Senior Therapist develops and facilitates parent workshops, caregiver education, and professional development for early childhood providers. As needed, the position provides consultation, assessment, and short-term intervention services for children receiving services through the Parent Infant Education (PIE) Program who present with social-emotional, behavioral, or relational concerns.

Services are provided in a variety of community-based settings, including early childhood education programs, homes, clinics, and other natural environments. The Senior Therapist collaborates with community agencies to coordinate services, connect families with resources, and support children with developmental delays, disabilities, behavioral health needs, trauma, or other complex challenges. The position serves a culturally and linguistically diverse population and utilizes culturally responsive, family-centered practices to promote equitable access to services.

Strong clinical judgment, effective communication, and collaborative leadership are essential to building partnerships across systems and improving outcomes for young children and their families. The Senior Therapist plays a key role in advancing the City's commitment to early childhood mental health, prevention, and family well-being.

• Strong knowledge of infant and early childhood typical and atypical development as well as effective intervention and prevention strategies for children aged birth to five and their parents
• Strong knowledge of caregiver-child attachment and effective therapeutic modalities
• Ability to engage early care and education providers, preschool staff, young children and their families and the ability to collaborate effectively with other agencies.
• Ability to assess behavioral and emotional problems to develop an effective support plan
• Training and consultation skills and experience in working with young children and their families and caregivers.
• Excellent ability to communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing, with other professionals and with the general public
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team, demonstrating flexibility and the ability to evaluate fluctuating levels of need.

• Provide Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) and coaching to support the healthy social-emotional development of children from birth to age five.
• Deliver prevention and early intervention services using a tiered consultation model that includes universal prevention, targeted coaching, and short-term clinical intervention.
• Conduct developmental and social-emotional clinical assessments, mental health and Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) observations, and…