Mental Health Consultant - Smart Support (Navajo Nation)

A positive future for every child

Southwest Human Development is Arizona’s largest nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development. The first five years of life are the most critical in a child’s development. At Southwest Human Development, our services improve lives and help families by supporting young children and their caregivers during this important time.

Your skills, experience, and passion are needed at one of the nation’s largest nonprofits dedicated to early childhood development. Join our team and experience a long-term career which brings joy and satisfaction in knowing you make a difference.  We offer over 40 programs and services to more than 140,000 children.

We are seeking to hire a part-time, experienced mental health professional to service the northwestern area of the Navajo Nation (e.g., Tuba City, Page, Kayenta) in an expanded role as an early childhood mental health consultant to provide consultation services within early care and education settings.  Smart Support is a nationally recognized program comprised of mental health professionals who work within early care and education settings including center-based and home-based childcare centers, school district preschools and home visiting programs throughout our state. We partner with early childhood educators to enhance their understanding of and capacity to meet the mental health needs of young children living in urban, rural, and tribal communities. 

Why choose us?

• Achieve a work/life balance with a part-time manageable caseload
• Receive weekly reflective supervision to support you in this new role
• Participate in a comprehensive onboarding program with a variety of professional development activities including, monthly professional book clubs, trauma and attachment training.
• Be involved in the ongoing advancement of equity, diversity, and inclusion practices in the work of consultation
• Enjoy supportive and collaborative mental health work in an environment that supports the mental health of our staff 

In this role you will

• Engage in relationship-based work that supports healthy caregiver-child attachment relationships and encourage responsive, nurturing learning environments
• Demonstrate sensitivity to linguistic, cultural, social, economic, individual and role differences among persons and families served
• Help providers understand the effects of stress and trauma on families and consider all levels of influence to support young children and their caregivers
• Assist providers with identification of behavioral or emotional needs of young children, through classroom observation and provide community resources as needed to the families they serve
• Collaborate with childcare staff, directors, and families to generate suggestions and trauma informed strategies to promote optimal mental health in all children
• Provide training on overall social and emotional wellness with specific topics related to child development, emotional regulation, communication, self-care, and other related topics
• Join us in a state-wide effort to reduce preschool expulsion  

If you don't think you can meet every qualification below, we still encourage you to apply. We value both current experience and future potential!

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work, Counseling, Psychology or related.
• Degree must be eligible for licensure through the AZ Board of Behavioral Health
• Knowledge and utilization of attachment theory, trauma informed approach and adult mental health principles is preferred
• Working with children ages birth to five and their families
• Post master's clinical experience
• Valid Arizona Fingerprint Clearance Card OR must qualify for a valid Arizona Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card
• FPC DPS Verification Required 
• Possess an insured & reliable vehicle and a valid AZ driver’s license.
• DES Criminal Affidavit Required
• AZ DHS Criminal History Affidavit Required

SWHD takes the health and safety of our employees and the communities we serve very seriously. We strongly believe vaccination is a critical safety measure to protect each of us and the communities we serve. COVID vaccinations have proven to be highly effective at protecting people from getting COVID-19 or from getting severely ill from it.

Learn more!

Our core values embody Southwest Human Development’s commitment to services that uplift the lives of children, families and other care providers, and the communities in which they live. These values are intended to guide the professional development, ethical conduct, and skilled practice of all our staff, whatever their specific role within the agency. All staff are valued as making essential contributions to strengthening the foundation that Arizona’s children need for a great start in life. Learn more about our values here.