Early Childhood Mental Health Clinician

Background: Children's Services of Roxbury (CSR) and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) are partnering to implement a new SAMHSA funded program focusing on early childhood mental health of infants and toddlers (birth to 48 months) who are involved with the state child welfare system. This grant is funded for 4 years (October 2019-September 2023) pending annual renewal from SAMHSA. It is the Family Independence, Resilience, Support, and Treatment System of Care (FIRST SOC). Three direct service grant staff will be employed by CSR and work closely with grant staff from BPHC to design and deliver services and systems change projects.

Description of Duties and Responsibilities: The FIRST SOC Clinician will work with the FIRST SOC Family Partner and Project Coordinator with technical assistance from the BPHC to engage, assess and support families in accessing the best community-based mental health services for young children (0-48 months) referred by the Department of Children and Families with or at risk for a Serious Emotional Disturbance. This will include the child, biological and foster caregivers and the primary DCF social worker, being mindful and authentically engaging all caregivers, such as partners, fathers, and others who may be central to the caregiving constellation. The Clinician will serve a critical role in bringing age-specific mental health support and services to underserved populations, primarily dyadic work, in community settings and families' homes.

• Collaborate to develop and implement comprehensive care plan for coordinated clinical and home-based services to children and families;

• Provide culturally-competent, developmentally appropriate services (including assessment and diagnosis) to families of children ages 0-48 months with or at risk of Serious Emotional Disturbance;

• Coordinate behavioral and social support services within children's homes and other community-based child and family serving settings;

• Support caregivers with meeting their own mental health needs when appropriate;

• Facilitate groups and events for children, caregivers, professionals, and/or families;

• Complete grant related training, outreach, and administrative/record keeping/reporting activities.

• The clinician should have equal interest in serving families and changing policy/practice. Participating in systems change and program development is a significant piece of the clinician's job, meaning time spent in activities other than direct service to children and families.

Supervision: The Clinician will work collaboratively on all cases and receive team based reflective supervision. Individual clinical supervision will occur weekly. Day to day administrative supervision will include coordination with leadership from CSR and BPHC.

Travel: Regular local, intermittent regional/state, and occasional out-of-state travel required

Qualifications/Skills/Knowledge Required

• Master's Degree or higher in social work, psychology or related field (LCSW/LMHC/LICSW preferred)

• Demonstrated ability to connect and partner with culturally diverse children, caregivers, professionals, and families; and form collateral contacts with diverse professionals

• Experience with and commitment to interdisciplinary care and an ability to work effectively with other professionals including family partners and therapeutic mentors

• Strong assessment skills in infant/toddler mental health, including assessment of parent-child relationship and natural supports

• Academic and professional training in child development and early childhood mental health, including trauma focused treatment interventions for ages 0-48 months.

• Strong capacity in: communication, technology, organization, and quality improvement

• Ability and willingness to schedule flexibly to meet the needs of families; Reliable transportation or ability to move efficiently by public transportation

• Highly preferred: Capacity to serve families in English and Spanish

Salary Range: $55,000-60,000

Hours: 40 per week, flexible scheduling