Early Intervention and Inclusion Director

Program(s) Description
Felton Institute has been providing comprehensive early care and education services in San Francisco since 1971. Felton now has ECE programs in SF’s Mission, Bayview and Visitation Valley neighborhoods; and offers a school-readiness program for infants, toddlers and preschoolers (2 weeks to 6 years old). Felton’s ECE programs include nine (9) Infant / Toddler classrooms and ten (10) preschool classrooms, which serve approximately 350 children, full day/ year round. These multicultural, educational programs provide a nurturing, developmentally challenging, and inclusive environment for very young children of low/moderate income families. We are committed to inclusive, positive environments that build on children’s positive self esteem and self image.

Our ideal candidate is someone who enjoys teamwork & collaboration and working towards building strong partnerships with families, children and staff. He/ She will have exceptional leadership, interpersonal skills, supervisory experience and excellent administrative and communication skills that support the integration of services within Felton’s Early Care and Education Programs. The ideal candidate will have strong organizational skills and the ability to be solution focused, be a systems and strategic thinker and be very comfortable with growth and innovation.

Brief Job Description

· Manages, supervises and oversees implementation of all Early Intervention and Inclusion services: budget management; invoicing; evaluation; staff hiring, training and supervision; intern/student teacher management; program development, implementation, and oversight; collaborative/partnership development; community outreach/engagement and quarterly/annual contract status reporting.

· Leads efforts to support program design, development and improvement of Felton's Early Intervention and Inclusion programs that are sustainable and aligned with Felton's mission and agenda

· Provides oversight and leadership across all of Felton's Early Intervention and Inclusion programs and services, ranging from Early Intervention, Speech and Language Therapy, Preschool Intervention, Developmental Screening, center-wide Positive Behavior Support and other Inclusion Support services

· Oversees the ongoing operations and activities, implementation and monitors the delivery and quality of all Felton EI/Inclusion programs and services, in home-, community- and center-based settings

· Focuses on establishing and maintaining optimal functioning of Felton's multi-disciplinary Early Intervention and Inclusion team

· Invests and takes part in Felton's role as innovative pioneer in promoting best practices in field of Early Intervention, Early Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood Education, and Preschool Inclusion

· Educates and trains Felton staff in the awareness and adoption of best practices in the field of EI, ECSE and Inclusion

· Initiates and maintains community outreach and responsible for the continued growth of the program

Program Specific Responsibilities

· Program Oversight and Management:

o Responsible for program design, program logic, and essential components and deliverables needed to be adhered to across all of Felton's Early Intervention and Inclusion programs and services

o Monitors overall effectiveness of program processes, procedures and practices and ensures that program fidelity is being measured and attained

o Takes the lead in implementing and monitoring accurate/appropriate child screening practices and procedures across all Felton ECE programs using the ASQ Monitoring System and any other appropriate screening tools

o Acquires current information regarding state regulations, certifications, and procedures regarding provision of EI services

· Leadership, Teaming and Supervision:

o In partnership with the Administration Director, provides leadership and supervision to Felton's ECE programs’ leadership team

o Coaches, trains, and provides guidance to all EI/Inclusion staff to optimally support their learning to improve teaching practices and thereby, learning outcomes for all children enrolled in Felton's ECE and EI programs

· Promotion of Best Practices:

· Understands and engages in self-directed learning regarding best practices in the field of Early Intervention, Early Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood Education, and Preschool Inclusion

· Engages in ongoing program assessment in relation to implementation of best practices, and provides feedback and makes suggestions/changes as appropriate

· Staff Hiring, On-boarding, Training and Development:

o Hires staff based on appropriate education, experience and ability, and maintains quality of staff through best practices in recruitment, hiring, and training

o Strategically plans and leads trainings for all levels of staff, utilizing a variety of methods in delivering training content and information

o Builds capacity of staff and uses reflective supervision to support long-term growth and development of adult learners

· Teamwork and Collaboration:

o Utilizes a collaborative, strengths-based and supportive approach when working with diverse staff

o Maintains open and professional communication and promotes atmosphere of safety, trust and respect

o Work closely with various community partners, including funders and partnering agencies, to develop, coordinate, implement and supervise all EI services and activities

· Administrative Duties:

o Responsible for managing program budget

o Managing all paperwork related to staff performance and evaluation, billing, program design, evaluation, and trainings

o Prepares and ensures timely submission of program reports as requested

o Responsible for maintaining productivity numbers for all billable staff and effectively ensures that program meets expected revenue projections each month

o Responsible for ensuring compliance with all contractual requirements of funding agencies

o Assists in responding and compiling data to complete Requests for Proposals, new business development opportunities

o Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

· Master's Degree and at least 8 years experience in Early Intervention, Early Childhood Special Education, Child Development, Mental Health or related field

· Work experience: Minimum of 3 years in a Leadership/Director role overseeing Early Intervention or Early Childhood Special Education programs/services, PLUS a minimum of 5 years experience working with children with special needs from birth to five years, and their families, using assessment, teaching and other professional skills related to this position

· Must be knowledgeable about child development (typical and atypical), developmental delays and disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, early intervention services and supports, special education, inclusive practices, screening, assessment and individual program development for children and families

· Must be familiar with a range of Early Intervention service delivery models

· Certified Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) Therapist (highly preferred)

· Trained or certified in specific intervention approaches such as, ABA, PRT, PECS, DIR/Floortime, Routines-Based Intervention, Positive Behavior Support, Functional Behavior Assessments and Interventions, Hanen programs, etc (highly preferred)

· Must have thorough knowledge of title V, Title 22, Title XVII

· Experience in grant writing, grant management, and managing program budgets

· Must be able to demonstrate quality organization, written and verbal communication skills

· Ability to document program activity and submit appropriate statistics and program utilization to funding agents

· Strong analytical and problem solving skills. Superior verbal/ written skills and presentation skills. Good punctuation, spelling, grammar and attention to detail a must. Strong interpersonal skills essential

· Possess the leadership, people skills and versatility to effectively build relationships across a broad spectrum of personalities.

· Knowledge of and experience with using Reflective Supervision (highly preferred)

· Familiarity with Golden Gate Regional Center, SFUSD and other special services providers in area

· Commitment to social justice, empowerment of families and support for inclusion and diversity.

· Ability to work independently under broad supervision

· Must pass a Department of Justice fingerprint clearance and a Child Abuse Index clearance, Health Screening and TB Test as required by licensing

· Ability to lift 25 – 40 pounds as needed every day; this includes children and equipment

· Ability to bend, stoop, sit on floor, lower and raise self from floor during classroom activities, and to use both hands to grasp securely on a consistent basis. Can move quickly in order to respond to an emergency situation

· Knowledge of and sensitivity to the cultural background of the children and families being served

· Computer skills: Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook (required)

· Must be able to work a flexible schedule, which includes day, evening, weekend, as appropriate, to coordinate and provide services and activities for families during non-traditional hours.

· Bilingual English/Spanish (preferred)

Resumes sent without a proper cover letter and/or not meeting MINIMUM qualifications will not be considered

Company Description

Founded in 1889, Felton Institute (formerly Family Service Agency) is the oldest nonsectarian, nonprofit charitable social-services provider in the City and County of San Francisco. Our mission is to strengthen families by providing caring, effective, and innovative social services, with special emphasis on the needs of low-income families, children, the elderly, and individuals who are disabled, thus improving the quality of life for all San Franciscans.

Work location: San Francisco, CA