CASTL Full Time Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant- Harrisonburg/Winchester VA

Description

The Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia seeks applicants for a full-time Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant to join our highly collaborative, diverse team. This position will work on the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) pilot in its third year (2023-2024). This work involves the refinement of an expanded birth-to-five mental health consultation model, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and Child Development Resources (CDR). Our ECMHC model aims to support Virginia teachers to promote young children’s social-emotional skills and prevent expulsion of children from early care and education settings.

Job Duties

Preferred Qualifications

Significant preference will be given to those candidates who meet some or all preferred qualifications. Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit a cover letter detailing how their experience and qualifications align with the following:

• Experience providing early childhood mental health consultation (or more broadly, consultation, coaching, or technical assistance.)
• Experience training and/or supporting (supervising, coaching) consultants or coaches.
• Licensure in a mental health field and/or a Master’s degree in psychology, counseling, social work, education or a related field.
• Experience with virtually consulting, coaching, or creating and facilitating online coursework, especially coaching or supervising teachers using video review and feedback.
• Experience supporting children’s social-emotional and self-regulation skills through use of frameworks like the Pyramid Model or curricula like Streamin3.
• Experience observing classrooms and/or children with standardized tools.
• Experience with Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) or Early Intervention.
• Experience working with families (e.g., home visiting, counseling, consultation).
• Experience serving birth-to-five teachers in various settings, including child care centers and Family Day homes, Head Start, Virginia Preschool Initiative, and ECSE.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Proficiency in use of technology: Microsoft Office applications (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel), Videoconferencing, teaching, or webinar tools (e.g., Zoom, Canvas), Virtual platforms or storage (e.g., Google Docs, Box, OneDrive), Virtual video-based coaching platforms (e.g., TORSH), Project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet)

Skills Required

Role and Responsibilities

Implementation and Coordination

• Develop a deep understanding of our consultation model, which includes in-person, hybrid, and virtual formats to support early childhood teachers’ use of equitable social-emotional practices and collaboration between teachers, leaders, and families.
• Provide high-fidelity one-on-one ECMHC consultation based on established protocols for teachers, as well as leaders and families.
• Gather and analyze data from child and classroom assessment tools (such as inCLASS, TPOT-S, VKRP: CBRS) and use data to set goals and assess progress with teachers.
• Use structures and systems to ensure consultation uptake, dosage, and fidelity (e.g., CASTL Coaching Fidelity tool, consultation logs and checklists).
• Participate in regular group and individual supervision meetings that involve reflecting on your own and others’ session recordings, action plans, and written feedback.
• Take primary responsibility for one or more of the following:
  • Training and supporting other consultants and coaches. (May include clinical supervision of other consultants.)
  • Developing materials and trainings for consultants and coaches.
  • Overseeing the administration of the ECMHC program, including recruitment of teachers and continuous improvement. Continuous improvement for ECMHC involves identifying challenges (related to service uptake, effectiveness, and/or efficiency), planning improvements, and monitoring implementation and outcomes.

• Conduct multiple simultaneous tasks, demonstrating excellent attention to details, problem-solving skills, and accountability for work quality, timeliness, and outcomes.
• Coordinate closely with the Advancing Effective Interactions & Instruction project team to support alignment in project implementation.

Communication and Dissemination 

• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with early childhood teachers, leaders, families, and teams at UVA-CASTL, VDOE, CDR and other Coaching Partners.
• Conduct outreach and recruitment of diverse classrooms, programs, and leaders.
• Collaborate closely with diverse teams in a deadline-driven environment.

Minimum Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree. Additional experience will be required in lieu of a degree.
• Experience: Two years of experience required with a Bachelor’s degree. Six years of experience required with a High School degree or equivalent.

Additional Info

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to provide services to ECE programs.

Compensation Information

This is a full-time position with an anticipated range of $63,000 – $68,000, commensurate with education and experience, includes UVA benefits.

Application Instructions

Please apply through Workday, and search for CASTL Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant.  Complete an application online with the following documents:

• CV or Resume
• Cover letter that includes your current location in/around Harrisonburg or Winchester or your willingness to relocate to those areas.

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. Multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching ‘Find Jobs.’

Applicants invited to interview will be asked to describe how they address diversity, equity, and inclusion in their work.

The position will remain open until filled. Education and Outreach Specialist is a non-exempt level, benefitted position. This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas. This restricted position is a 12-month appointment, and continuation is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

For additional information about the position, please contact Ann Lhospital at aes3n@virginia.edu. For questions about the application process, please contact Margaret Weeks.

In alignment with President Ryan’s UVA strategic plan, CASTL is committed to:

• Recruiting talented and diverse doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and staff;
• Recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce and providing an inclusive and supportive environment in which staff and faculty are recognized as integral to the success of our work; and
• Promoting a culture of integrity, mutual respect, excellence, collaboration, and innovation.

COVID Vaccination Requirement and Guidelines

Please visit the UVA COVID-19 Job Requirements and Guidelines webpage prior to applying for current information regarding vaccination requirements and guidelines for employment at UVA.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person’s perspectives and lived experiences.  We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.