Child Development Specialist (Monday–Friday 10:30am-7:00pm)

THE VILLAGE FOR FAMILIES & CHILDREN; Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 23,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Paid time off

Retirement savings match

Tuition assistance

Job summary

The Village is seeking a Child Development Specialist to join the Eagle House team in Hartford, CT. This role supports treatment and education of children with emotional and behavioral needs, coordinating daily routines and therapeutic activities.

Responsibilities include supervising youth, facilitating groups, documenting care, and collaborating with families and professionals to promote positive outcomes. Evening hours are accommodated within a Monday–Friday schedule.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred; associate or high school diploma considered.
• Valid driver’s license and PSL/V Endorsement within 2 months of hire.
• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) certification within 2 months of hire.
• First Aid and CPR certification within 2 months of hire.
• DCF Medication Certification within 6 months of hire.
• Three years in human service field or experience with special needs children.
• Must be able to supervise groups and intervene physically if required.

Responsibilities

• Maintain safety of children using supervision and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention.
• Maintain a safe, clean milieu and act as a healthy role model.
• Demonstrate problem-solving techniques and guide growth.
• Record and document critical information promptly.
• Communicate with parents/guardians, coworkers, and external professionals professionally.
• Oversee day-to-day routines and facilitate therapeutic groups.
• Obtain and maintain required certifications.

Skills

Team collaboration

Communication skills

Crisis intervention

Stress management

Cultural competence

MS Word/Excel proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Associate Degree

High School Diploma

Tools

Word processing

Spreadsheets

Windows XP

Job description

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Child Development Specialist (Monday–Friday 10:30am-7:00pm)

The Village was one of the first agencies in the country to providehomes for neglected children. Today, we continue to achieve ourmission “to build a community of strong, healthy families who protectand nurture children” by providing a full range of behavioral health,early childhood and youth development, substance use treatment andsupport services for children, adults and families in the GreaterHartford, Connecticut region.

Named a Connecticut Top Workplace for six consecutive years withnational distinction for workplace culture and diversity, equity andinclusion practices, you can be sure you’re joining an organizationthat’s just as committed to your success as we are to those we serve.

Starting hourly rate $20.50 including an additional $1.50 forhours worked between 3pm-7am

Eagle House is a 24-bed psychiatric residential treatment facility(PRTF) that serves as a step down, or diversion, from inpatienthospitalization for children ages 6-12 who present with severeemotional and behavioral difficulties due to significant traumahistory. Eagle House helps prepare them for transition tocommunity-based treatment, and/or a family or foster care setting,through providing intensive clinical support services like ongoingpsychiatry and nursing evaluations, individual, group, and familytherapy sessions, case management, and special education services.Youth are typically in the program for around 4 months. We use atrauma-informed model of care to build relationships with youth inorder to stabilize them and help them improve overall functioning.Through building supportive and therapeutic relationships with theyouth, members of the multi-disciplinary team help guide them throughcrisis when they arise by reinforcing the use of healthy coping skillsto build emotional regulation, so they will be more prepared to managestressors and interact positively with peers and adults when theytransition back into a community setting. The Child DevelopmentSpecialists are key members of the multi-disciplinary team that aid inthe treatment and education of children with significant traumahistory, resulting in severe emotional, behavioral, and learningdifficulties. The Child Development Specialists contribute to theprogress towards each client’s treatment goals by providingtherapeutic behavior management techniques and teaching them healthycoping skills. They are responsible for overseeing the youth’sday-to-day routines (hygiene, meals, etc.) and facilitating/engagingin therapeutic recreational group activities with the youth. The ChildDevelopment Specialists provide direct care and constant supervisionto the children in the program at all times to maintain a safe andstructured environment, not only for physical safety but also foremotional safety. The Child Development Specialists build therapeuticrelationships with the youth to meet their physical and emotionalneeds, and to enhance their prosocial skills, emotional regulationskills, and behavioral functioning.

JOB SUMMARY

The Child Development Specialist participates as a key member ofa multi-disciplinary treatment team in the treatment and/oreducation of children with significant emotional, behavioral, andlearning disabilities. This staff ensures that the children’sphysical and emotional needs are met daily and supports thechildren’s academic learning by focusing on the enhancement oftheir social, recreational, and behavioral functioning.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintain the safety of children in all situations usingsupervision and the implementation of various therapeutictechniques, including Therapeutic Crisis Intervention.
• Maintain a safe, clean and dignified milieu environment.
• Serve as a healthy role model.
• Demonstrate techniques that enhance problem solving abilitiesand enable growth and maturity.
• Understand and relay relevant information.
• Record and document critical information in a timely matter.
• Communicate with parents/guardians in a professional andtimely matter.
• Communicate with coworkers in a professional and timely matter.
• Communicate with external professionals (e.g. Teachers, DCFWorkers) in a professional and timely manner.
• Manage and assist in the modification of child behavior.
• Maintain appropriate certifications (see LicensureRequirements below).
• Provide safe transportation to and from program activities.
• Conduct oneself in a professional, courteous manner in alljob-related interactions.
• Interact with children in a positive, nurturing, therapeutic manner.
• Facilitate or co-facilitate therapeutic groups.
• Participate in program meetings, agency meetings, supervisionand training events as deemed appropriate by supervisor.
• Conduct any other related work to ensure that the physical andemotional needs of the children are met and that the programcontinues to operate effectively.
• May be required to work in other programs as needed.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Experience and Skills

• Educational Requirements: Bachelor’s Degreestrongly preferred; Associates Degree or High School diploma considered.
• Licensure/Certification Requirements: Validdriver’s license and the capacity to attain or maintain a PublicService License, Medication Administration Certification,Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Certification, American Red CrossFirst Aid and CPR Certification, Defensive Driving Certification,Safe Food Handling Certification.
• Experience Level: Three years in human servicefield or experience working with special needs children.
• Specific Skills, Knowledge and AbilityRequirements: Knowledge of basic child development, issuesrelated to the effects of abuse and neglect.
• Must be able to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Must be culturally competent to serve a diverse population.
• Must have the ability to manage stress and to respond toemergency situations safely and calmly.
• Proficient with word processing and spreadsheet applications.Possess solid general computer skills, including ability to work ina Windows XP environment. Familiarity with specific applicationsused by the Village a plus.
• Physically able to perform the essential functions of theposition, with or without reasonable accommodations, i.e. must beable to supervise groups of children and perform physicalintervention if required; must be able to move freely from place toplace without restriction.
• CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
• All Regular Child Development Specialists in the Residential andExtended Day Treatment programs are required to obtain and maintainthe following certifications:
• All Child Development Specialists in the Residential and Schoolprograms are required to obtain and maintain the following certifications:

Certification Timeframe

Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) Within 2 months of hire

First Aid / CPR Within 2 months of hire

Public Service License (PSL)/V Endorsement Within2 months of hire

DCF Medication Certification Within 6 months of hire

Our benefits package supports your whole life with comprehensivehealth coverage, generous paid time off, and employer matchedretirement savings. We also invest in your growth through tuitionassistance (Loan Forgiveness Program – NHSC, tuition reimbursementand Student Loan Repayment). https://thevillage.org/careers/our-benefits/

Staff of the Month (gift card rewards), Perfect AttendanceAwards, Staff appreciation events (agency wide and programspecific) throughout the year with food and prizes, Appreciationshoutouts in emails and weekly newsletter.