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Lutheran Services Florida

Preschool Behavior Support Specialist (39628)

Lutheran Services Florida, West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, 33412

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Preschool Behavior Support Specialist (39628)

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Lutheran Services Florida

Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) envisions a world where children are safe, families are strong, and communities are vibrant.

LSF is looking for a talented

Behavior Support Specialist

who wants to make an impact in the lives of others.

Schedule:

Monday through Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm!

Purpose & Impact The purpose of the

Behavior Support Specialist

is to perform professional work in behavior management of preschool children, training and coaching for staff and parents, case management including referral for psycho‑educational and mental health services. The role is responsible for developing, modeling interventions and monitoring the child’s progress while linking parents/families to mental health and/or psycho‑educational services. Successful experience working with preschool‑age children with behavioral concerns is required. The work involves linking parents/families to community services, providing support, making referrals and following up on referrals, designing and implementing classroom behavior support plans, providing mental health and behavioral management education to parents and staff, and planning and consulting with contracted mental health professionals. This work is performed under the supervision of the Licensed Mental Health Counselor and is reviewed through conferences, reports and program effectiveness evaluations. Participation in the HS/EHS Quality Assurance efforts is expected.

Essential Functions

Provides parents support to access necessary resources and conducts in‑home follow‑up, monitoring and training to assure consistency between parents and teachers as needed; teaches effective parenting skills.

Participates in the multi‑disciplinary case management team meetings, staff conferences, health services advisory meetings, and other appropriate meetings as necessary.

Performs case management services through referrals to mental health service providers, psycho‑educational services and other community agencies and resources.

Assists the teacher with understanding and implementing the Behavior Support Plan.

Conducts appropriate individual observations and assessments of enrolled children as necessary.

Conducts classroom level observations at least twice a year (Fall and Spring); analyzes observation data to monitor improvement in social‑emotional learning and behavior management, and plans effective responses to improve child and family outcomes.

Provides coaching support to teachers in implementing the Trust‑Based Relational Intervention Model (TBRI) with fidelity.

Performs crisis intervention activities when necessary.

Reviews and supports Behavior Support Plans written by the Mental Health Counselor or contracted Mental Health Provider.

Assists the Licensed Mental Health Counselor with behavior management training and on‑site technical assistance to the centers.

Assists with processing internal referrals to the Licensed Mental Health Counselor and/or contracted Mental Health Provider.

Assists with monitoring services facilitated by the Mental Health Counselor and/or contracted Mental Health Provider.

Attends all workshops and meetings as deemed necessary by the immediate supervisor and the Executive Director.

Attends all required staff and parent meetings and activities.

Maintains strict confidentiality with respect to children, families and staff in accordance with established policies and procedures.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications Health and Safety:

LSF is committed to providing a safe work environment. Employees are expected to follow safety warnings, use personal protective equipment when required, report unsafe conditions, report suspected child abuse and neglect, provide active supervision of assigned children, and follow procedures for pulling out children for behavior intervention services or therapy.

Physical Requirements:

Must be able to lift at least 45 lbs. Reasonable accommodation may be made for otherwise qualified persons with disabilities.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in educational psychology, mental health counseling, special education, social work, or related human services degree; Master’s degree preferred.

Experience:

Minimum of one year in mental health services for children; experience working with preschool‑age children with behavioral disabilities; experience implementing Behavior Support Plans for preschool children; equivalent combination of related training and experience. Bilingual preferred (English/Spanish or other local languages).

Certifications:

Must complete Trust‑Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner and Play Therapy certification training within two years of hire; cost of training covered by the agency. Must hold First Aid and CPR certification within six months of assignment. Successful completion of Level II background screening, local criminal record check, and drug screening is required prior to hiring.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of behavior management techniques for the classroom.

Knowledge of child developmental stages and mental health and psycho‑educational services.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse parents, staff, community residents, mental health providers and agencies.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Understanding of low‑income families, cultural differences and group dynamics.

Exceptional organization skills, attention to detail, and ability to meet designated deadlines.

Why Work for LSF? LSF offers 60 programs across the state of Florida serving a wide range of populations in need. Staff members become part of the LSF community while transforming the lives of those in need. Our staff find growth opportunities as they explore areas of interest the organization.

Benefits

Medical, Dental and Vision

Telehealth (24/7 online access to doctors)

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Employer‑paid life insurance (1× salary)

13 paid holidays + 1 floating holiday

Generous PTO policy (starting at 16 working days a year)

403(b) retirement plan with 3% discretionary employer match OR 3% student loan repayment reimbursement

LSF is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Lutheran Services Florida is mandated to perform background screenings for employment in accordance with the Florida Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse as outlined in Section 435.12, Florida Statutes. All job vacancy postings must include a clear and conspicuous link to the AHCA Clearinghouse website and its requirements.

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