Early Childhood Social Worker

Title:            Early Childhood Social Worker (Full-Time, Non-Exempt)

Location:      WHEDco Early Childhood Discover Center (ECDC)/Head Start           

Reports to:  Center Director

About Us:

The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) is a community development organization founded on the radically simple idea that all people deserve to live in healthy, vibrant communities. We build award-winning, sustainable, affordable homes – but our work is not over when our buildings are complete. WHEDco believes that to be successful, affordable housing must be anchored in strong communities of which residents can be proud. WHEDco’s mission is to create and bridge access in the South Bronx access to resources that support thriving neighborhoods – from high-quality early education and after-school programs, to healthy food, cultural programming, and economic opportunity. See www.whedco.org for more information.

Job Summary:

WHEDco Head Start program seeks a Social Worker to work in an administrative and clinical capacity with three-and four-year-old children and their families. The Center serves 103 pre-school students from over 20 different countries. WHEDco’s full-day program offers a nurturing environment that allows children to develop confidence, think creatively, analyze information, and communicate effectively. Each year 100% of the students graduate prepared for kindergarten, ensuring that they begin their school careers ready to succeed.

The Social Worker will have their LMSW or LCSW and will develop and implement mental health-related services in close collaboration with our Coordinator of Special Services to support the education programming in the Center. The Social Worker will provide short-term individual and family counseling, and advocacy, psychoeducation and referral services; collaborate with teachers to implement appropriate goal-setting and effective practice and intervention skills; and provide professional development trainings for Center staff. Services will mainly take place at the Center, and occasionally in family homes as part of regulatory home visits. The position is full-time, and typical working hours at the Center include weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Responsibilities:

• Under the direct supervision of the Center Director and with clinical supervision from the Director of Family Support Services, provide a range of mental health services to students and their families.
• Assist in reviewing the Brigance Developmental Screenings with staff and decide on steps to address assessed needs.
• Collaborate with parents/guardians and staff to create service plans for children based on the results from screenings, classroom observations, children's health records, and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).
• Liaise between classroom staff, administrative staff, parents/guardians, and external providers to ensure continuity of care and non-duplication of services.
• Support classroom and Center staff by observing, modeling recommended strategies, and providing resource materials to help children with developmental or social/emotional challenges.
• Provide internal and external referrals as needed and maintain connections within a network of multi-disciplinary human service organizations, including child development centers and psychiatric evaluation and treatment facilities.
• Assist families in scheduling referral and follow-up appointments and advocate for needed services.
• Develop and facilitate parent workshops on self-care, child development and other related topics.
• Create and facilitate staff professional development on topics such as children with special needs and best practices for managing difficult emotions and behaviors in the classroom.
• Document and track children/family services and progress using WHEDco’s databases; prepare reports for supervisors and WHEDco as needed.
• Work with WHEDco’s Research Department to periodically review data and evaluation needs.
• Attend regularly scheduled supervisory and other staff meetings and participate in in-house and external staff development and training activities.

Qualifications:

• LMSW or LCSW required.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish required with proven ability to read, write, and speak both languages.
• Minimum of 1 to 2 years of experience in providing mental health services to young children and families.
• Strong knowledge of clinical services, case management, childhood development-related mental health services, and advocacy in a multi-disciplinary setting.
• In-depth understanding of childhood development and childhood trauma-related mental health services.
• Familiarity with Play Therapy and other relevant clinical modalities.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a diverse team.
• Able to proactively multi-task and adapt to changing and competing needs.
• Completion of medical examinations as well as other required pre-employment screenings.
• Previous work experience in low-income communities preferred.

Excellent benefits and competitive salary $76,453 based on education and experience. After 60 days of employment, Center Staff working 15 hours or more per week are represented by Local 95, DC 37, AFSCME, and are covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

To apply, please send your cover letter and resume to svasconcelos@whedco.org with “Social Worker” in the subject line.

WHEDco affords all qualified applicants equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, creed (religion), color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, age, disability, predisposing genetic characteristic, marital status or domestic violence victim status, or any other category protected by law. WHEDco follows the requirements of the New York Human Rights Law with regard to non-discrimination on the basis of prior criminal conviction and prior arrest.

WHEDco is an E-Verify employer. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information entered by an employer from an employee’s Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm employment eligibility.