Job Description

Deadline to apply:

November 9, 2025

POSITION SUMMARY:

This position supports the work of the Y, a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Behavior Specialist oversees the implementation of trauma responsive, social, emotional, and mental and behavior health education services. The Specialist works closely with the BASE Childcare Director and provides guidance, tracks pertinent data, and offers supports on mental and behavioral health services in alignment with the Childcare Department standards including a broad range of other activities and programs to support student success and school age readiness, which are typical in a school and/or community child care setting. The Specialist also provides site support through site observations, writing Behavioral Intervention Plans, offering feedback on appropriate interactions and skills, and providing developmentally appropriate resources and training for children, YMCA staff, and parents.

BENEFITS:

We offer an extensive benefits package for our full-time employees which includes:

Free Household Membership Medical Dental & Vision Life insurance Short and Long Term Disability Retirement benefits will vest at 12% after 2 years of employment Discount on childcare and other Y programs Paid Time Off Bereavement leave

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

The Behavior Specialist works in collaboration with the BASE Childcare Director, BASE Community Coordinators and Social/Emotional Wellbeing Director to implement and evaluate the mental health support services we provide. This position establishes/maintains linkages with parents, staff, community professionals, schools, and agencies, assuring compliance with multiple regulatory standards throughout. Support/enable parents to become advocates for their children and assist families to access needed services and/or to advocate for unavailable services. The Behavior Specialist must have the ability to effectively provide professional development for the BASE staff in the areas of early childhood education, development, and best practices.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Set, communicate, and implement high standards for mental health services program-wide and serve as a leader and an expert in mental health across the program; develop and recommend policies and procedures; oversee the implementation of approved procedures. Conduct observations and provide coaching, mentoring, and technical assistance on effective staff-child interactions, effective social-emotional practices, child observations, curriculum fidelity, individualization, and responsive learning environments to help instructional staff promote healthy social-emotional development in children and meet the needs of children with disabilities. Direct a comprehensive social/emotional mental health services delivery system that supports children with mental health needs or educational support plans. Collaborate closely with Education Manager, Childcare Director and Community Coordinators to assure compliance with the Before and After Care Department Standards for mental health and disabilities services where they overlap with education and health service areas. Oversee the referral process for the provision of mental health services for children and families in the program. Provide orientation, training and technical assistance, oversight, and monitoring of staff to implement mental health services for children and their parents. Works with the Social/Emotional Wellbeing Director to develop, implement, and monitor observation documentation and recordkeeping systems; analyze and process information to generate meaningful records and reports of activities. Plan, coordinate, and evaluate the social emotional screening of every child entering the BASE program. Observe individual children as requested by staff and provide suggestions for behavior management and educational programming. Support other staff, parents, and consultants for identification, referrals, parent permission, and confidentiality of records, evaluation and individual program planning for children with special needs. Attend parent conferences, IEP/IFSP meetings when requested or as necessary. Coach classroom staff on appropriate strategies, in coordination with Education Manager. Stay abreast of the BASE Program Performance Standards, Maryland State Department of Education Office of Child Care, and other applicable regulations and regularly updates program procedures to ensure program compliance. Work to implement a system which offers parents opportunities for enhancing their skills as educator of their children through the use of home learning activities and planning educational activities they can participate in with their children. Works with Social/Emotional Wellbeing Director to create process to submit verbal and written reports on program activities and status as needed. Plan and implements pre-service and on-going in-service/professional development training plans for staff. Provide guidance and oversight to teaching staff through monitoring and in designing developmentally appropriate classroom environments. Follow state and federal regulations pertaining to child abuse and neglect, reporting; maintains strict confidentiality of all information, and coordinates with family and community partnership staff as appropriate. Assist in implementing intervention strategies within the classroom with the intent for teachers and other staff to be able to carry out strategies independently. Model and exercise supervisory authority to support other employees in the execution of work duties in a manner consistent with YMCA standards for compliance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, including YMCA policies and procedures reflecting best practices. In addition, supervisors are expected to model exemplary standards of ethical behavior and exercise careful stewardship of program funds, and support those they supervise in adhering to those standards.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:

Must be at least 19 years of age. Must hold a high school diploma or GED, or completed college coursework for credit. Must have the following approved training and experience: + 6 Semester hours or 90 clock hours of approved training, 45 hours of which must be in Child Development and 45 in Curriculum.
+ 400 hours of experience in a school age environment, OR 1 year caring for school age children in a registered family child care.
+ 9 clock hours of approved training in communicating with staff, parents, and the public, or equivalent.
+ 3 clock hours of training in ADA compliance
* Must have exceptional work ethic and strength of character.