Senior Engagement Specialist

The ECMH, 0-5 Program is an infant and early childhood mental health program focusing on the relationships between young children and their adult caregivers. Diversity-informed services are provided to a multicultural population of children, families and professionals throughout Queens. Clinical services include assessment and dyadic intervention offered throughout our community-based clinics. The program also provides consultation to multidisciplinary professionals serving expectant parents and children from birth through age five in early childhood education, primary care, and inpatient unit within a hospital setting.

The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Specialist Consultant is a significant strategic role within women and primary services. The Consultant will be responsible for implementing Perinatal and Infant Mental Health services across the local health sector.

The PIMH Consultant will provide relevant perinatal infant consultation, training and support to the women and children’s services in relation to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health. The emphasis will be on early intervention, prevention of mental health difficulties, and the promotion of positive relationships between parents and their infants.

A broad range of parental mental health difficulties negatively impacting the parent-child relationship are addressed. In many instances families are supported in navigating multiple systems including child welfare, early care and education, early intervention, primary care, substance abuse treatment, and behavioral health services. The aim of all services is to support child development by enhancing the quality of caregiving relationships.

We also offer:

• Generous Paid Time Off
• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
• 401k Pension and Employer Contribution
• Flexible Spending and Commuter Benefits Accounts
• Employer paid short-term & long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance
• Employee Assistance Program

Responsibilities:

• Provide indirect services and lead family-based care in the perinatal period where the parents have or are at risk of developing mental health difficulties and where these are likely to impact on their infant’s emotional development.
• Undertake comprehensive assessments of families who are referred for additional support including assessing the needs of partners/fathers.
• Initiate and lead Perinatal and Infant Mental Health projects, trainings and workshops.
• Provide evidence-based consultation, support and training to colleagues to develop their skills in critical thinking, reflective practice and knowledge about Perinatal and Infant Mental Health and the importance of whole family engagement.
• Work collaboratively with partner agencies to ensure appropriate mental health risk assessments are developed and implemented in accordance with the latest national guidelines.
• Provide a visible, accessible presence, acting as a professional role model by providing support within multidisciplinary and healthcare teams.
• Act as an advocate for parents and their infants with perinatal mental health difficulties to ensure they receive active and effective care. This will be done in collaboration with a family peer advocate, perinatal services and other partner agencies.
• Taking the Lead role whenever possible in the “warm handoff” process to help families attain rapid connection and emotional support if social-emotional issues are identified and the family is interested in pursuing assistance.
• Supporting the family in identifying pressing needs/challenges negatively impacting the health of the mother/child/family, including social determinants of health, such as food, transportation, etc.
• Planning and implementing peer support and community resource connections for children and their families.
• Acting as a resource regarding family strengthening with emphasis on social­ emotional health, and the importance of relationship between the child and parent.
• Providing a range of family support services to mother, infants, children and their families, tailored to promote their strengths and address their needs, such as: developing action plans to help access needed resources, coordination of resources, coaching to help families build capacity to meet their health needs and raise healthy children, home/school/community-based delivery as appropriate.
• Promoting effectiveness and continuity of care through frequent and routine coordination with the mother/child’s physician and the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Family Peer Advocate regarding all families receiving services.
• Developing/implementing the family support and strengthening component of the family’s plan of care.
• Fully adhering to the CCNY and partner Hospital’s protocols and procedures, such as referrals, appointments, communications, utilization of medical records, sharing of information, liability safeguards, ethics, etc.
• Prepare reports, correspondence, referral and other materials for community agencies, schools, and others as needed.
• Ensure evidence based clinical assessments are made in a timely and appropriate manner when either or both parents are suffering from mental health difficulties, or are at risk of developing them. This includes assessing potential difficulties within the parent-infant relationship.
• Ensure all family members or staff receive appropriate information about mental health illness in a sensitive way.
• Ensure that all local health policies and procedural guidelines relating to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health are evidence based, appropriate and that they are adhered to.
• Support and assure the implementation of guidelines by statutory and professional bodies as they relate to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.
• Support and participate in the collection of information on the quality and effectiveness of the service in relation to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health locally.
• Participate in staff and team meetings, strategic groups and provide guidance on the policies and practices that impact on Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.
• Maintain and develop professional knowledge and skill through active participation in trainings, including P-CPP, CPP, IPT, Circle of Security, Parenting Journey, Positive Parenting Program trainings, pre-accreditation, and accreditation processes, along with other trainings as appropriate.
• Willingness to become an IMH Endorsed Professional within two years of hire.
• Participating in data collection efforts, consistent with the approved Evaluation Plan.
• Maintaining data on appointment utilization and billing/collections to help promote sustainability of the position over time.
  Other duties as required.
  
  

QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge Demonstrated understanding of infant and early childhood mental health.
• Demonstrated understanding of differences in mental health services and concepts across cultures.
• Understanding of Reflective Consultation and ability to use a reflective stance when collaborating with teams.
• Demonstrated knowledge of child mental health services system.
• Demonstrated experience with clinical documentation.
• Experience formulating and writing assessments and support plans, preferably for young children.
• Experience with evidence--‐based practices and curricula.
• NYS LMHC, LMSW, or LCAT
• Become an Infant Mental Health Endorsed by NYS
• Maintain CPT/First Aid certification