Alabama DMH / Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant

Link to PDF Announcement

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

JOB TITLE: Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
OPEN DATE: 8/11/2023
CLOSE DATE: Until Filled
JOB LOCATION: Infant and Early Childhood Special Programs OIECSP Region I Office, Huntsville, Alabama
NUMBER: 23-49
JOB CODE: A6100

SALARY
• Range 74 ($43,788.00 – $73,209.60 Annually).
• Salary will be commensurate with experience. Limitations apply to current State employees.

BENEFITS
• 12 paid holidays.
• 1 personal leave day accrued each January.
• 13 sick leave days.
• 13 annual leave days accrued in the first year of employment.
• Longevity bonus annually after 5 years of employment.
• Very low-cost health and dental insurance through the Alabama State Employee Insurance Board.
• Defined retirement benefit (not impacted by economic downturns) and a pre-retirement death benefit through the Retirement Systems of Alabama.
▪ After 1 year, the minimum amount of the pre-retirement death benefit paid to your designated beneficiary is at least equal to your current or previous fiscal year annual salary.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• Master’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, or related field.
• 24 months or more experience in a mental health setting providing prevention services or mental health therapy to children and their families OR
as a mental health clinician specializing in psychotherapeutic work with young children and their families. Completion of an IECMH graduate certificate program may substitute for 12 months of the required experience.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
• Licensed mental health professional in the state of Alabama (LICSW, LPC, ALC, LMFT).
• Must have a valid driver’s license to operate a vehicle in the State of Alabama.

KIND OF WORK
• Provides prevention-based mental health support to adults that care for or treat young children ages birth to 5 in early intervention, preschool, other early childhood settings, pediatric healthcare settings, and family court/ADHR settings.
• Provides consultation to early care providers, pre-k staff, early intervention staff, pediatric medical/clinical staff and/or substance use treatment staff to address specific individual behavioralor mental health concerns and/or for more holistic mental health education.
• Observes children in their natural environments or settings, such as early care classrooms or other settings, to assess developmental functioning, relationships with caregivers and other children, and“goodness of fit” within the child-caregiver relationships.
• Provides professional development to staff on topics such as trauma-informed care, brain development, adverse childhood experiences, epigenetics, developmentally appropriate best practice for prenatal to 5 years old, and mental health issues in pregnancy and postpartum.
• Facilitates groups with families and professionals.
• Provides psychoeducation and support to families and caregivers.
• Supports and assists families in accessing mental health resources within their communities and withthe referral process.
• Participates in the Infant or Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement (IMH-E® or ECMH-E®)process through First 5 Alabama (within the first two years of employment).

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
• Knowledge of the developmental needs of children birth to 5 years old.
• Knowledge of the DSM 5.
• Knowledge of the Diagnostic Classifications of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (DC 0-5).
• Knowledge of infant and preschool mental health theory and interventions.
• Knowledge of substance use disorders, maternal depression, and treatment options for both.
• Knowledge of family systems theory and interventions.
• Knowledge of group dynamics and intervention with adults.
• Knowledge and understanding of trauma-informed care principles and practices.
• Knowledge of crisis intervention techniques.
• Skilled in child/family and environmental observations.
• Skilled in delivering interventions that promote social and emotional wellness specific to children birth to 5 years old, their families, and other caregivers such as teachers and early intervention professionals.
• Effective training and group facilitation skills that reflect principles of adult learning, leadership, and reflective practice.
• Ability to assess young children’s social and emotional functioning.
• Ability to create strong relationships with adults and children with an understanding of, and respect for, culture and diversity.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental personnel, service providers, and other state and partner agency personnel.
• Demonstrates good to excellent computer skills with applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and others.
• Ability to formulate and express ideas clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to maintain accurate and timely records, provide professional documentation and engage in substantive data collection in accordance with programs or settings requirements.
• Ability to travel within assigned region weekly and out-of-state as required for training.

METHOD OF SELECTION
• Applicants will be rated based on an evaluation of their job-related training, abilities, experience, and education, and should provide adequate work history identifying experiences related to the duties and minimum qualifications as mentioned above.
• All relevant information is subject to verification.
• Drug screening and security clearances will be conducted on prospective applicants being given serious consideration for employment whose job requires direct contact with patients.

Click Here to Apply Now: https://laserfiche.alabama.gov/Forms/ADMH-Job-Application

Only work experience detailed on the application will be considered. Applications should be submitted by the deadline to be considered. Announcements open until filled will remain open until a sufficient applicant pool is obtained. Applications should be submitted as soon as possible to ensure the application will be considered for the position. Copies of License/Certifications should be uploaded with your application. A copy of the academic transcript is required. Appointment of successful candidate will be conditional based on receipt of the official transcript provided by the school, college, or university.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER