Early Childhood Mental Health Program Manager

Location: Novato, CA

Department: CFS

About the role

Position: Early Childhood Mental Health Program Manager

Reports to: Director, Disabilities & Inclusion

Department: Children & Family Services

Pay Rate:  $85,000-$95,000

Position Type: Full Time, Exempt


The Early Childhood Mental Health Program Manager provides leadership, expertise, and coordination for mental health, social-emotional wellness, behavioral support, and inclusion practices across Community Action Marin's early childhood programs.

The Program Manager serves as a subject-matter expert in early childhood mental health and works collaboratively with program leadership, teaching teams, families, Family Well-Being staff, and community partners to assess needs, develop appropriate strategies, strengthen staff capacity, and coordinate access to mental and behavioral health resources.

This position exercises independent professional judgment in evaluating child, family, classroom, and program need and recommending appropriate interventions, referrals, resources, and programmatic strategies. The Program Manager supports the integration of trauma-informed, relationship-based, culturally responsive, and inclusive practices throughout CAM's early childhood programs.

Essential Duties
Early Childhood Mental Health Program Leadership

• Provide leadership and subject-matter expertise related to early childhood mental health, social-emotional development, behavioral health, trauma-informed practices, and inclusion.
• Develop, coordinate, and support implementation of early childhood mental health strategies and practices across program sites.
• Assess program and classroom needs and recommend appropriate mental health, social-emotional, behavioral, and inclusion strategies.
• Identify trends, service gaps, and emerging needs and make recommendations to program leadership regarding resources, practices, training, and program improvements.
• Partner with program leadership to develop and strengthen systems that support children's social-emotional wellness and reduce or prevent suspension and expulsion.
• Serve as an internal resource to leadership and staff regarding complex child behavioral, developmental, social-emotional, and mental health concerns.
• Exercise independent professional judgment in determining appropriate recommendations, interventions, referrals, and follow-up based on individual circumstances and professional standards.
• Participate in program planning, quality improvement, and continuous improvement initiatives related to early childhood mental health and inclusion.

Child and Classroom Mental Health Support

• Conduct classroom observations to assess children's social-emotional functioning, behaviors, relationships, environmental factors, and support needs.
• Evaluate behavioral and social-emotional concerns and collaborate with teaching teams to develop individualized support strategies.
• Recommend and guide implementation of developmentally appropriate, evidence-informed social-emotional and positive behavior support practices.
• Provide professional guidance to teachers and site leadership regarding trauma-informed, relationship-based, restorative, and inclusive classroom practices.
• Collaborate with staff and caregivers to identify factors contributing to a child's behavior and determine appropriate strategies and interventions.
• Monitor implementation and effectiveness of recommended strategies and adjust recommendations based on observed outcomes and changing needs.
• Coordinate additional assessment, intervention, or referral when a child's needs extend beyond available classroom or program supports.
• Support program leadership and teaching teams in identifying alternatives and appropriate resources when significant behavioral or mental health concerns affect a child's successful participation in the program.

Family Partnership and Support

• Partner with parents and caregivers to support children's social-emotional development, behavioral health, and overall mental wellness.
• Provide education, guidance, coaching, resources, and referrals related to child development, behavior, mental health, and social-emotional needs.
• Help families understand children's behaviors, relationships, developmental needs, and social-emotional functioning.
• Collaborate with families to develop practical strategies that can be implemented consistently across home and early learning environments.
• Connect families with appropriate CAM programs, behavioral health services, developmental resources, and community-based providers.
• Support families in navigating referrals and accessing appropriate services when additional assessment or intervention is recommended.
• Promote culturally responsive, strength-based, trauma-informed, and family-centered practices.
• Strengthen communication and collaborative relationships between families and teaching teams.

Staff Coaching, Training and Capacity Building

• Provide professional coaching, guidance, and reflective practice opportunities to teachers, site leadership, and other staff regarding children's social-emotional and mental health needs.
• Build staff capacity to recognize, understand, and appropriately respond to children's behavioral, developmental, and social-emotional needs.
• Provide guidance regarding classroom management, co-regulation, positive behavior support, trauma-informed care, inclusion, and restorative practices.
• Develop and facilitate professional development and training related to early childhood mental health, social-emotional development, trauma-informed care, positive behavior support, inclusion, and related topics.
• Support staff in strengthening communication and partnerships with parents and caregivers.
• Promote reflective practices and strategies that support staff wellness, self-regulation, and healthy classroom environments.
• Identify recurring staff development needs and recommend training, tools, resources, or programmatic improvements.

Cross-Agency Collaboration, Family Well-Being and CalAIM

• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with CAM's Family Well-Being team and other internal programs to support coordinated services for children and families.
• Participate in interdisciplinary case coordination and collaborative planning regarding children and families with identified mental health, behavioral health, developmental, or social-emotional needs.
• Facilitate connections among early childhood programs, Family Well-Being services, behavioral health providers, and other community partners.
• Coordinate referrals and follow-up to promote continuity of services and reduce barriers to accessing care.
• Collaborate with appropriate CAM leadership and staff to support alignment with CalAIM-related initiatives, services, referral pathways, and partnerships, as applicable.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen integration between early childhood services, family support, behavioral health, and other agency programs.
• Develop and maintain relationships with external mental health, behavioral health, developmental, and community service providers.
• Represent the early childhood mental health program in internal and external meetings, workgroups, and community partnerships as assigned.

Program Compliance, Documentation and Quality Improvement

• Ensure early childhood mental health practices are aligned with applicable Office of Head Start Performance Standards, CSPP requirements, Community Care Licensing requirements, agency policies, and professional standards.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of observations, recommendations, interventions, referrals, follow-up activities, and other required program information.
• Develop or recommend tools, processes, and practices that strengthen consistency and quality of mental health and social-emotional support across program sites.
• Monitor program practices and identify opportunities for improvement related to behavior guidance, inclusion, child mental health, and social-emotional wellness.
• Support collection and review of program data to identify trends, outcomes, service needs, and opportunities for improvement.
• Prepare reports, summaries, and recommendations for program leadership as requested.
• Maintain confidentiality of child, family, and employee information in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, agency policy, and professional ethical standards.
• Follow mandated reporting requirements and CAM child safety procedures.

Maintain required professional licenses and credentials throughout employment.

Qualifications

Education:

· Master's degree or higher in Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Counseling, Psychology, Behavioral Health, Child Development, or a closely related field from an accredited institution.

· Must hold and maintain an active California professional license as an LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, Clinical Psychologist, or other applicable California-licensed mental health professional; or hold an applicable Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential in School Psychology or School Counseling.

· Must maintain all licenses, certifications, registrations, and continuing education requirements applicable to the position.

Experience:

· Minimum of two years of progressively responsible professional experience working with young children and families in early childhood mental health, behavioral health, social work, early childhood education, inclusion, or a related setting.

· Demonstrated experience assessing and addressing children's social-emotional, behavioral, developmental, and mental health needs.

· Experience developing and recommending individualized strategies, interventions, and referrals.

· Experience providing professional coaching, consultation, reflective practice, training, or professional development to adults.

· Experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, families, program leadership, and community providers.

· Experience with Head Start, Early Head Start, CSPP, or other publicly funded early childhood programs strongly preferred.

· Experience coordinating mental health, behavioral health, developmental, or community-based services preferred.

· Experience with CalAIM or other integrated behavioral health/care coordination systems preferred.

Skills and Abilities:

• Advanced knowledge of infants, toddlers, and preschool social-emotional development and early childhood mental health.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care, positive behavior intervention and support, restorative practices, inclusion, and family-centered approaches.
• Ability to apply professional expertise and exercise independent judgment when evaluating complex child, family, classroom, and program needs.
• Ability to translate clinical and mental health knowledge into practical strategies appropriate for early childhood environments.
• Strong assessment, observation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to develop professional recommendations based on observation, professional standards, evidence-informed practices, and individual circumstances.
• Demonstrated ability to coach, train, and support adults in developing new skills and practices.
• Strong case coordination, documentation, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities, program sites, cases, projects, and deadlines.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with children, families, staff, leadership, and community partners.
• Ability to work independently under general direction while collaborating effectively as part of multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong understanding of confidentiality, professional boundaries, mandated reporting, and ethical standards.
• Bilingual English/Spanish required.
• A strong commitment to social justice, equity and the agency’s mission to provide high-quality programs to serve low-income individuals and families.
• Deep understanding – and ability to articulate – the role equity, inclusion, and diversity plays in our work.

Software:

· Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

· Experience utilizing child data systems, case management or documentation platforms, electronic records systems, and virtual meeting platforms.

· Ability to learn and effectively utilize agency-specific technology and data systems.

Confidential and Sensitive Information: Ability to maintain the highest level of confidentiality.


Employees in this role may be required to perform the following physical activities, with or without reasonable accommodation:

Bend: Flexion of the upper trunk forward while standing and knees extended, or knees flexed when sitting

Lift: Exertion of physical strength to move objects 10-25lbs from one level to another

Carry: Hold or rest weighted objects 10-25lbs directly on hands, arms, shoulders, or back while moving from one location to another

Climb: Ascend/descend with gradual or continuous progress, using both hands and feet

Push: Exertion of force on or against an object (weight/size) to move it from one location to another

Feel: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin

Travel: Travel to sites using a personal vehicle may be required based on job duties

About the Company

About Community Action Marin

COMMUNITY ACTION MARIN’S MISSION: We make it possible for people in Marin to achieve well-being by providing the vital services they need. Together, we break down the barriers that get in the way of fair and lasting change in service to better outcomes for all. 

We hold a shared vision for equity: Those who live, work, and visit Marin, including all racial and ethnic groups, experience fair and just inclusion. We act together to rectify historic patterns of racial, class, and gender marginalization, ensuring that all see themselves reflected in decision making and that all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential.