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.

Why choose us?

• You will be rewarded with benefits, including zero contribution health plan options, 401K plan, wellness programming, and generous paid time off.
• You will have the opportunity to represent a highly respected non-profit agency in Arizona.
• You will enjoy a supportive and collaborative work environment.

Job title: Mental Health Resource Consultant

We are seeking to fill an Early Childhood Mental Health Resource Consultant position in the AZ Steps program. This role will provide technical assistance on expulsion prevention as well as provide consultation in early childhood education (ECE) to build the capacity of those caring for young children in Department of Economic Security (DES) contracted childcare settings. You will work to address the social/behavioral/mental health needs of children in childcare with a focus on providing early intervention and prevention services in relation to expulsion prevention to improve emotional well-being, coping skills, general adaptive functioning, and social competence of children and teachers.

In this role you will:

• Uses a framework of promotion, prevention, and early intervention to promote social emotional development and resilience and prevention of behavioral difficulties for those at risk.
• Acts as a resource regarding early childhood development with an emphasis on emotional and behavioral health and the importance of the relationship between the participant and child.
• Completes plans to support participants, children, and staff.
• Provides classroom observations, consultation, and recommendations regarding the social-emotional environment to assist in identifying children in need of support with behavioral, emotional, or developmental concerns.
• Develops intervention strategies utilizing a team approach to assist staff in developing positive behavior support strategies to promote optimal social-emotional development.
• Collaborates with childcare providers, directors, managers, and other team members to build their knowledge and skills to support the needs of children and families.
• Partners and supports early care and education providers to support ongoing communication with parents regarding mental health, behavioral, or developmental concerns of their children.

What it takes:

• Masters degree, Social Work or related.

• License eligible Masters degree for AZ

• Bilingual English and Spanish preferred
• Experience working with young children in classroom or group settings.
• Valid Arizona Fingerprint Clearance Card OR must qualify for a valid Arizona Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card is required.
• Candidate must meet SWHD vaccination standards, including the COVID vaccine.

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 and benefits here.