Career Center

Kidango, a private, not-for-profit child development agency, is a Northern California Bay Area leader in early education and support services for children and families. Providing quality care and education in 9 Bay Area cities to over 2,500 children daily makes us one of the largest child development agencies serving Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara Counties.

We are currently searching for a full-time employee to be our new Senior Director of Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation. The Senior Director serves a critical function in overseeing program operations, administrative responsibilities, program development, program research and evaluation, recruitment and hiring, as well as team building and team culture. The Senior Director is also responsible for supporting, guiding and supervising the Clinical Director, Clinical Supervisors and their teams of licensed and other eligible mental health consultants who provide consultation services and clinical support within Kidango’s early care and education centers across three Bay Area counties.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the ECMHC department.
• Supervise all aspects of implementation and service delivery of consultation services to staff, children and families.
• Take ownership of programs and projects from conception to execution: business case, scope, cost, resources, schedule, action cycles, risks, issues, decisions, interdependencies and milestones.
• Supervise and manage performance of Clinical Director ensuring the quality of work meets clinical, program, organizational, productivity, confidentiality, mandated reporting and HIPPA standards.
• In collaboration with VP and Clinical Director, define and evolve the clinical direction and consultation model utilized, identify correlating components for effective and sustainable implementation, and support a continuous improvement process.
• Lead the formation of the department’s team culture along with defining the standards of quality and excellence in performance and service delivery.
• Provide individual supervision that is marked by an atmosphere of reflection, collaboration, and accountability.
• Provide regular administrative supervision that includes discussion and feedback about referrals, case consultation, documentation, timeliness, deadlines, professionalism, and other performance expectations.
• Establish and maintain strong collaborative relationships with staff across departments particularly with center staff served by the consultation team.
• Provide oversight of consultation center assignments including staffing, communication, and other consultative supports.
• Manage referral process for child-specific consultation and support consultants with a caseload management.
• Support referral process for community-based therapeutic and other services, as needed.
• Develop and facilitate training on a range of early childhood mental health topics for the consultation team and other internal agency staff.
• Maintain center assignment and provide direct consultation services with staff, children, and families, as needed.
• Support and/or intervene with mental health or behavioral crisis as arising, including with situations related to mandated reporting and any suspected child abuse adhering to laws and regulations.
• Implement data collection procedure and provide data reporting as requested. Support the development and implementation of program evaluation and outcome measurement procedures.
• Attend supervision and other meetings as required for the program.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:

• Clinical licensure as a MFT, LCSW or psychologist in California for at least 5 years required.
• Master’s degree or higher in psychology, social work or related behavioral science field required.
• At least 2 years in a middle-management position overseeing a clinical department or program providing strategic direction required.
• At least 5 years of clinical supervisory and/or program management experience using a reflective practice approach required – preferably within an early childhood mental health program.
• Experienced with hiring and training qualified staff including giving constructive feedback, managing performance, and completing performance appraisals.
• At least 3 years of direct clinical service providing early childhood mental health assessment, diagnosis and treatment to children and families ages birth to 5 required.
• Endorsement as an infant/family early childhood mental health specialists/reflective practice facilitators or reflective mentors highly preferred although not required.
• Documented education or training in infant mental health, early childhood mental health and early childhood development including evidence-based, trauma-informed models (i.e. Child Parent Psychotherapy).
• Familiarity with a school-based mental health consultation in early care and education settings such as Early Head Start, Head Start, and state-preschool programs.
• Practice from a bio-psycho-social clinical approach, inclusive of ecological, attachment, trauma, neuroscience, and developmental theories rooted in infant mental health philosophy and principles.
• Bilingual a plus (Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Farsi, Tagalog)

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:

• Demonstrate understanding of early childhood mental health consultation as building the mental health capacities of teachers, staff, families and others who care for young children and utilize the principles of the consultative stance in the oversight and implementation of the program.
• Demonstrate the value of self-reflection and practice the examining one’s own values, beliefs, assumptions, biases, and experiences and how to influence what brings to the consultative work, relationships and interactions. Ability to assist others in self-reflection and perspective-taking.
• Ability to develop trusting and collaborative relationships with supervisees to support their professional growth and program quality.
• Show flexibility and comfort working in natural settings including homes and early care/education classroom settings. Occasionally, work evenings and/or weekends.
• Ability to support the mental health of infants, young children and the adults who care for them.
• Understand and embrace multidisciplinary approaches for working with young children, families and other caregivers and staff.
• Understand typical and atypical growth and development of young children. Understand cultural variations in development, teaching practices, childrearing practices and caregiver expectations.
• Respect diversity and embrace working with multicultural communities.
• Understand the influence of power, inequity, and oppression as related to adult and child behavior and relationships.
• Communicate respectfully and maintain effective relationships with all staff, partnering agencies and other stakeholders.
• Ability to provide leadership, accept responsibility, set goals, work independently and in cooperation with others.
• Professional, self-motivated and self-directed.
• Effective and strong communicator. Ability to communicate clearly in English both verbally and in writing. Ability to write concise, informative written information in a timely manner as needed within the position.
• Ability to exercise good judgment clinically, legally, and ethically and willing to consult with a supervisor as needed. Ability to make decisions and multi-task.
• Possess basic knowledge related to public regulations and guidelines governing the operations of behavioral health programs.
• Position requires travel to various locations within Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

COMPANY WIDE JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Must provide proof of vaccination for Covid-19
• Must pass a health screening and TB test
• Must provide proof of Tdap and MMR vaccinations (or receive vaccinations during health screening)
• Must pass background fingerprint clearance
• Valid Driver License
• Must be 18 years or older

EMPLOYEE PERKS:

• Medical - Sutter Health Plus, Kaiser
• Dental - MetLife
• Vision - VSP
• Life Insurance - $50,000
• 401(k) - 3% match
• Flexible Spending Account - Health Care, Dependent Care, Transit/Parking
• 9 paid sick days
• 12 paid holidays
• 15 paid vacation days
• 4 weeks paid parental leave
• EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
• Mental Health Benefits
• PEAK (Program for Educational Advancement at Kidango) - Tuition reimbursement program
• Kidango enrollment discount - 50% off enrolling your child at any Kidango center
• 24 Hour Fitness discount - 30% off all monthly membership dues