Director, Early Childhood Education Supportive Services

Director, Early Childhood Education Supportive Services

Job Description

Organizational Summary

Union Settlement is an East Harlem based nonprofit organization founded in 1895. For 128 years, Union Settlement has provided critical and innovative programming to children, youth, families, and older adults. As a pioneer of the settlement house movement, Union Settlement continues to meet the needs of the ever-changing East Harlem community through its core programs. Through these programs, New Yorkers gain opportunities, develop skills, and become empowered to pursue and achieve their dreams. 

Today, Union Settlement provides services through 33 program sites in approximately 28 locations. Union Settlement’s current programmatic portfolio includes 8 core program areas: Early Childhood Education, Youth Services (including after school programs), Family Services (including the Family Enrichment Center and the Family Childcare Network), the East Harlem Community Partnership, Adult Education, Mental Health Services, Older Adult Centers, and Economic Development.  Union Settlement serves more than 10,000 individuals and nearly 1,000 businesses every year. 

Strengthened by a dynamic, diverse, and collaborative workforce of more than 350 employees, Union Settlement also serves as a connector, convener, and advocate for East Harlem and its partners. To learn more about Union Settlement, visit www.unionsettlement.org

Position: Director, Early Childhood Education Supportive Services             

Department: Early Childhood Education

Reports to:  Executive Director, Early Childhood Education         

Hours: Full-time 

Salary: $90,000 - $100,000                                                                    

FLSA:  Exempt

Location: On-site

Position Reporting to this Role: Mental Health Counselor

 Position Summary:

In partnership with the Executive Director, Early Childhood Education, the Director, Early Childhood Education Supportive Services provides supportive Leadership to the Early Childhood Education program. They are responsible for the design, implementation, and supervision of services to families and children through a case management approach that seeks to support families in meeting their individualized goals. This position oversees the provision of health, mental health, parent engagement, and community engagement services in ensuring the family’s well-being and wellness. This position also works closely with teaching teams in making necessary modifications to the environment, providing multiple and varied formats for instruction, and individualizing accommodations and supports as necessary to support the full participation of children with special needs and disabilities. As an intricate part of our Leadership Team, this role sets the strategy, direction, and goals for the effective management of social, mental health, and special needs support with an eye toward efficiencies, quality, and process improvement. In addition, the Director, Early Childhood Education Supportive Services provides oversight of the Early Childhood Education Program in the absence of the Executive Director

Responsibilities:

Social Services

• Responsible for the oversight, supervision, and implementation of family, mental health, community engagement services.
• Develop and maintain systems for client, monitoring, and record keeping utilizing client database; Reviews case records for quality assurance.
• Responsible for overseeing, managing and supporting health and mental health services for children and families.
• Responsible for identifying any gaps in any support model and work with each team and applicable vendors in the region to effectively address and provide consistent care.
• Manage escalations and enforce policies and procedures for codes of conduct and daily operations.
• Work collaborative with other management staff in meeting programmatic goals.
• Responsible for overseeing, managing, and implementing community and family engagement services including all DOE Parent groups (including DAPC, etc.), the Policy Committee, the Health Service Advisory Committee, and other community engagement groups and partnerships.
• Collaborate with the management team in the supervision and oversight of day-to-day operations of the centers in the absence of the Early Childhood Education Director or instructional staff including Group Teacher.
• Participate in the annual program self-assessment, Grantee monitoring visits, and departmental audits.
• Obtain and maintain required training and licensures.

Special Needs and Developmental Disabilities

• Coach, train, and support teaching, and social service staff in the identification of children’s educational needs through ongoing formal and informal classroom observations, review of children’s developmental progress, implementation of individualized services, and ongoing consultations with program staff and families.
• Responsible for providing support to families to become advocates for services that meet their children’s needs.
• Coordinate the recruitment of children with disabilities into the program with other staff and community agencies.
• Oversee, supervise, and monitor the implementation of children’s Individualized Education Plan or Individualized Family Service Plan to ensure children’s educational goals are being met in compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards.
• Lead the implementation, oversight, and supervision of transition services for children with disabilities in collaboration with families and program staff.
• Supervise Mental Health Coordinator and work collaboratively with our Mental Health Services Department to provide customized and best services available per participant and family needs.
• Maintain proper documentation, data, and tracking systems to maintain compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards.
• Provide reflective supervision in partnership with Mental Health Coordinator and Mental Health Services Team.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in early childhood education and/or special education.
• Teaching license or certificate valid for services in early childhood or childhood grades pursuant to New York State Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) regulations.
• Demonstrated knowledge of all special education policies, regulations, and rules including those governing Head Start, Birth-to-Five, UPK and 3K systems.
• Must have at least 5-7 years of supervisory experience with families experiencing homelessness, families in domestic violence shelters, families receiving preventive services, or families being served through home visiting, parenting, or early childhood programs.
• Possess sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socio-economic characteristics.
• Must have experience implementing evidence-based family interventions including support groups and parenting groups.
• Be a highly collaborative, results-oriented, adaptable, problem-solving self-starter.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office suite, with a basic knowledge of client database systems; general facility with technology and using data to inform programmatic planning and practice.
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational ability and interpersonal skills.
• Overall flexibility and ability to work under pressure and meet required deadlines.

CO R E CO M P E T E N C IE S
 

• Leading Others: Creates a sense of urgency throughout the organization on the importance of achieving outcomes. Inspires, influences, and enables team members to reach their goals
• Facilitating Change: Approaches challenges with creativity and flexibility. Demonstrates analytical thinking. Guides change to meet Union Settlement’s goals.
• Managing Performance: Evaluates and revises goals semi-annually with the team. Provides consistent supervision and documents performance highlights and concerns
• Applying and Developing Expertise: Embraces and leads the team to achieve milestones. Seeks and supports professional development opportunities for team members. Manages finances and budgets effectively
• Communicating and Collaborating: Listens well and actively engages with others with honesty and integrity and holds team accountable to the same standard

Union Settlement’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commitment

Union Settlement is an equal opportunity employer. They do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.