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King County

Senior Mental Health Consultant (Senior Social Worker)

King County, Seattle, Washington, us, 98127

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The Child Care Health Program (enter CCHP Website) provides health consultation, guidance, and training to child care and early learning educators to elevate their skills in guiding, nurturing, and supporting the health, safety, behavior, socioemotional development, nutrition, and learning of all children in their care. The CCHP is an interdisciplinary team of Nurse, Mental Health, Nutrition, and EducatorConsultants who collaborate to offer in-person services and supports to those educators as well as create and disseminate resources for them, model best health practices, and advocate for the children and their families and educators to have equitable access to anti-racist opportunities for their well-being. The successful candidate for this position will have excellent communication, relationship, and trust-building skills; knowledge of young children’s behavior, development, and health and how adults can support them; the ability to work with diverse educators and families amid the complexities of the under-resourced early learning sector; and a clear passion for serving those living furthest from justice.

The CCHP’s interdisciplinary health consultation model is suited to employees who can work independently with clients in their own discipline yet intersect and support one another when children in the care of early learning educators have varied, complex needs across their health, behavior, nutrition, and access to resources for healthy development. This team is highly collaborative, supportive, and nurturing of its own staff to have the space to co-create together for those it serves with reflection, communication, empathy, and an eye toward equity and justice in every engagement. The CCHP, further, is deeply intentional about offering exceptional in-person child care health consultation services and resources that operate at both intervention and prevention levels for child health and behavior in early learning settings. The primary goal of this team’s work is to build relationships with educators and infuse them with reflection, guidance, and resources so the educators are equipped to strengthen child health and behavior in their programs. To that end, in addition to building trust, collaboration, and support with those it serves, team members strive together to make all CCHP consultations and resources simple; clear; accessible; actionable; and relevant to equity, language, culture, and place.

As a key member of the interdisciplinary CCHP, of Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC), this

Senior Social Worker , called a

“Mental Health Consultant” (MHC)

on the CCHP, will provide on-site consultation services to child care and early learning educators. Following the model of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC), the CCHP MHCs strive to build the capacity of educators, families, programs, and systems to prevent, identify, treat, and reduce the impact of behavioral, developmental, and mental health problems among young children. Consultation will focus on the behavioral, developmental, and socioemotional needs primarily of children from infancy through age 5. The MHC will provide child assessments and care plans as needed and appropriate to educators. In partnership with other mental health staff on the Child Care team, the MHC will be responsible for leading the mental health work of the unit, consulting with partners at the City of Seattle and the rest of the Child Care Health Team. In addition to consulting with early learning educators about the children in their care, the MHC also will meet and consult with parents/family members to provide information about managing behavioral, developmental, and mental health issues and offer referrals for behavioral and/or developmental services as needed. The position also collaborates with and supports colleagues on the team and is responsible for participation in Seattle & King County child care community groups and coalitions that address the developmental needs of children in early learning settings. Commitment To Equity and Social Justice Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures. The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts. We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities. To learn more, please visit

http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx Work Schedule This position has a regular schedule of

Monday through Friday, generally 8 AM to 5 PM , with some limited flexibility. It may require that you work occasional evenings and Saturday hours as well for trainings and meetings. This position is subject to the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is eligible for overtime pay. Work Location Chinook Building , 401 5th Avenue, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA, 98104, and other Public Health locations as needed. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. Some of the work associated with this position will be performed through teleworking ,

and will report to the office location and to meetings there as needed. Travel to other work locations may be necessary. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. To support employees during this time, King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team. Engage in on-site, individual observations and assessments, and give educators remedial behavior management strategies and behavioral health care plans, as well as promote socioemotional and behavioral health methods for children in early learning settings. Establish and maintain supportive, guiding relationships with community child care centers, Family Child Care homes, and other community partners for children primarily from birth to age 5. Maintain knowledge of community services and resources to address the behavioral, developmental, and socioemotional needs of children primarily from birth to age 5 and make necessary referrals for services. Provide technical assistance to educators and families and more intensive follow-up and referrals for those children you have identified with need for deeper behavioral and developmental assessment and/or treatment. Design and implement educator education, training, and professional development related to child growth, development, and socioemotional needs and to healthy early learning and family dynamics and environments for children birth to age 5. Train and support early learning educators to identify at-risk children by using standardized developmental screening tools (e.g., ASQ), including those for socioemotional/behavioral health. Participate in community groups and coalitions that address the behavioral, developmental, and socioemotional needs of children in early learning settings. Participate in local initiatives focused on improving child care health and early learning strategies in Seattle and King County. As a member of the CCHP Mental Health Consultant group, collaboratively manage difficult cases and provide training and technical assistance around your areas of expertise. With your CCHP colleagues, provide interdisciplinary reflection, consultation, training, and advocacy for how to manage complex cases, attend to cultural and systemic dynamics, and facilitate the integration of care for child health and behavioral concerns. Give trainings to educators and community partners as requested to facilitate understanding of and assistance with child behavioral health and development as well as to prevent behavioral health risks in children. Professionally document interventions and supports to record completed work. Engage with the CCHP in continuous quality improvement and evaluation processes to elevate its work with those it serves. Ideal Candidate:

Master’s degree in Social Work or Counseling or in a related field from an accredited university. Ability to successfully obtain agency affiliated counselor status within probationary period. Demonstrated experience working with young children, including clinical evaluation and assessment of behavioral, developmental, and mental health concerns. Knowledge of professional social work/counseling principles, methodologies, and ethics. Knowledge of and skill in the use of the therapeutic relationship to foster client engagement and self-determination. Knowledge of human psychosocial development within the context of the family, community, and culture. Knowledge of brief therapy theories and techniques and understanding of the therapeutic process. Knowledge of techniques for facilitating client motivation to manage behavior problems. Knowledge of health, social, and systemic issues, as well as of equity and social justice, that impact client and community well-being. Knowledge of systems theory and principles of equity and social justice. Skills in crisis intervention, client advocacy, and case management. Demonstrated ability to successfully apply appropriate and best practice models of care based on diverse client presentations. Demonstrated ability to provide individual and group work therapy and practice. Demonstrated ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, to collaborate and foster strong interpersonal relationships in a multidisciplinary team and with outside partners and organizations. Demonstrated ability to maintain a high level of organization to meet a high-volume workload and documentation demands. Working knowledge of standard Microsoft software applications such as Word, Outlook, Teams, and Excel to facilitate your work. Ability to travel in a timely manner within King County to engage in work at locations that may have limited access to public transportation. Desired Candidate:

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) or Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) preferred. At least three years of post-graduate professional experience providing independent behavioral health counseling service for children and families in a healthcare or educational setting. Previous experience with Parent-Child Psychotherapy; Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT); Attachment; Regulation; Competency (ARC); play and family therapy; and/or other trauma-informed therapeutic modalities. Bilingual or multilingual candidates highly desired. Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers. Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference?

Come join the team

dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our

"True North" , we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation. To Apply If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement. Who May Apply This position is open to all minimally qualified people. This includes anyone who has experience providing behavioral health-related services and supports to children and the adults who care for them and who is internal to or external to Public Health. Application Process If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement. The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy: NeoGov Job Application

(The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process) Supplemental Questions

(The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process) Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted. Necessary Special Requirements The selection process may include evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, and testing. You must completely fill out the application with your relevant education and work experience. The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of Basic Life Support (BLS) / CPR ( if applicable). Licensure maintained annually with CCHP fiscal support. Continuing education for licensure is required, with some CCHP fiscal support. Safe driving training required regularly through King County. The selected candidate must be able to pass a thorough background investigation,but findings may not necessarily disqualify an applicant for employment.(and Pre-employment Physical, if applicable). For more information on our selection process, please refer to

www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/jobs/hiring . For tips on interviewing, please visit

https://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/audience/employees/learning-and-development/Interview_Tips.ashx?la=en . Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law. Public Health relies on office automation (Microsoft Office) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work. Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations. Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions. When Public Health responds to an emergency, and in accordance with relevant CBA language and/or KC policy and procedures, we may assign duties outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time, including nights and weekends, with possible deployment to locations other than the department. If you need a disability accommodation in the application or testing process, please call the contact number listed on the job announcement. Union Membership ProTec 17 Contact For more information about the application process please contact Alexis Owens at

Alowens@kingcounty.gov

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