The application deadline is June 7, 2025 at 11:59 pm Pacific.
Best Starts for Kids is hiring an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Strategy Lead (Project/Program Manager III) to improve the social and emotional outcomes of young children 0-5 years old through approaches like reflective consultation and trainings.
Job Duties
To be considered minimally qualified, applicants must demonstrate a background that provides the knowledge, skills and ability to:
- Manage the ongoing implementation of the IECMH strategy within the Prenatal to 5 investment area of the Best Starts for Kids initiative through 2027.
- Host and support several IECMH workshops, both virtually and in person, that are scheduled to occur in 2025.
- Plan, staff, review, host, and evaluate workshops and other creative IECMH professional development opportunities in response to the needs and interests of community-based providers and local Infant Mental Health clinicians.
- Thoughtfully and collaboratively prepare the IECMH strategy workplan for the renewal of the Best Starts for Kids levy.
- Collaborate with other Best Starts Prenatal to 5 strategy leads to increase IECMH informed practices in their programs.
- Collaborate with systems coordination partners, Best Starts funded partners, and other relevant community, county, state, and national IECMH partners.
- Prepare, administer, manage and monitor Requests for Proposals or other procurements and the resulting contracts.
- Create an environment that fosters open communication, teamwork, commitment to quality service, and a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
- Plan, convene and staff various internal and/or external work groups or committees, as needed.
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- Demonstrated experience applying equity, racial and social justice (ERSJ) principles and practices in program development, community engagement, and systems change efforts. Brings a deep understanding of how place, race, and systemic inequities impact marginalized communities and uses this lens to inform decision-making, policy, and service delivery.
- At least five (5) years’ of experience/knowledge in:
- Infant and early childhood mental health, regulation, attachment, and trauma for children prenatally through age five and their caregivers.
- Navigating and coordinating across systems of care including early learning, primary care/basic needs, Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT), special education, infant and early childhood mental health, and child welfare. Skilled at building partnerships with agencies and leveraging available services and resources to holistically support young children and families.
- Supporting families’ home cultures and languages and centering racial and disability justice.
- Facilitating participatory meetings with diverse groups and designing group and individualized learning supports using adult learning approaches.
- As a participant in Reflective Consultation and as a practitioner of Reflective Practice.
- At least two (2) years’ experience with research, analysis, policy/program development, planning, and systems design/implementation with public involvement. Demonstrated ability to use both qualitative and quantitative data for evaluations and continuous improvement.
- At least two (2) years’ experience leading community-serving projects and/or programs.
- A combination of at least six (6) years of education and work experience within IECMH, implementing behavioral health care or social services, or equivalent combination of education and experience in Social Work, Mental Health or other Behavioral Health-related professional degree and/or behavioral health care partnership or work experience.
- Ability to apply an equity lens to identify intersecting issues, navigate conflicting perspectives, and build opportunities for collaboration across County departments and with external partners.
- Skill in navigating complex and politically sensitive environments, including responding to community and consumer concerns with professionalism and care.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively with attention to details, to work under deadlines and on several tasks simultaneously, and to organize and prioritize quickly in response to changing needs.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across diverse needs and perspectives- including families, service providers, partners, co-workers, and funders.
- Ability to synthesize and communicate complex information to support data-informed decision making. Skilled in preparing clear visuals, written documents, presentations, and spreadsheets.
- Ability to travel throughout King County and the region in a timely manner, including to locations that may not be served by public transportation.
Desired Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge & Skills
- Bilingual or multilingual verbal and written language skills are strongly preferred, especially in languages spoken by King County’s diverse communities.
- Demonstrated ability to recognize, name, and interrupt racism and anti-Blackness in policies, practices, and interpersonal dynamics. Actively works to advance racial equity and create inclusive, anti-racist environments.
- Familiarity with the DC:0–5™ Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood, and experience applying its framework to assess and support young children and their families is a plus.
- Relevant licensure or professional certification preferred, such as Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), or Infant Mental Health Endorsement (IMH-E). Candidates without licensure who bring strong relevant experience are still encouraged to apply.
Best Starts for Kids
Building on the deep knowledge, connections, and skills within King County communities, and backed by what science and research tells us about human development, the Best Starts for Kids King County initiative meets children and families with the right services at the right time. The first Best Starts for Kids levy, approved by King County voters in 2015, reached 490,000 of King County’s youngest children and their families and 40,000 youth and young adults, catalyzing strong starts in a child’s earliest years, and sustaining those gains through to adulthood. In August 2021, King County voters chose to renew the levy with over 62% approval for another six years. The plan for the second Best Starts for Kids levy will maintain current Best Starts for Kids investments in promotion, prevention, and early intervention, while deepening our investments to address critical needs in our community. View the Best Starts for Kids Implementation Plan: 2022 – 2027.
