**[POSITION SUMMARY [Sitka AmeriCorps members serve the community of Sitka using a healing centered engagement and culturally responsive program model. The goal is to form developmental relationships through academic support, mentoring, providing mental health and life skills, and enrichment activities. These relationships build youth resiliency which results in better long-term outcomes. The AmeriCorps members are embedded within the schools in a way that is unique and provides a nurturing role model for at risk youth that affects their lives in a meaningful way. [The key to being a successful AmeriCorps member is communicating with staff to best assist them and ensure that you are supported as an individual. Flexibility and communication as well as good rain gear are all you really need to be happy and helpful. [AmeriCorps Member(s) at Sitka Counseling support(s) the Family Center program by providing direct service to children, coordinating community outreach efforts, and by developing or expanding program resources and capacity. This unique position will expand capacity for the Family Center program by coordinating efforts with clients, staff, families, and community partners related to the new therapeutic childcare/preschool program and/or a potential Childcare Resource Office for the community of Sitka. [While the AmeriCorps Member is initially developing skills and understanding of the Therapeutic Behavioral Health Services (TBHS) Family Center program (and building rapport with clients), focus will also be given to capacity-building work in the establishment of the agencys new therapeutic childcare program, such as planning, networking, facilitating benchmark studies, creating educational and therapeutic resources, and more. Once there is an established understanding of TBHS services (often skill-building activities) and confidence in how to facilitate therapeutic groups and individual sessions, this will inform the members development of lesson plans and other resources for staff to use with a variety of preschool-aged client diagnoses and group sizes. This is an excellent opportunity for the AmeriCorps volunteer with an educational background and/or professional interest in the mental/behavioral health field. [50% -- To develop an understanding of TBHS activities and the agency/program, this team member assists in the daily operations of the Family Center program by interacting directly with clients and actively supporting their therapeutic progress. To this extent, the AmeriCorps member will fulfill some roles shared with those of the Direct Service Provider (DSP) position, which facilitates behavioral health support services delivered at the Family Center for children ages preschool to middle school (focus on preschool ages). As part of a provider team, AmeriCorps Member(s) will work alongside DSP staff members to provide full programmatic support, to include building therapeutic rapport with children and families, planning and facilitating activities, observing, and addressing behavior, communicating with Clinicians, transporting children, and documenting services provided. This experience will inform the AmeriCorps-specific project half of the job: [50% -- The AmeriCorps Member will support the agency with unique responsibilities to facilitate community outreach and to develop therapeutic resources for use with preschool-aged children and families within the new Therapeutic Childcare Center (TCC) program and/or Sitka Childcare Resource Office. Working with the Program Manager, initial tasks will include assistance in recruitment of staff, trainings, setup of physical space(s) and materials, lesson plan development and collecting information about childcare schedules, structures, and practices that would be relevant to the TCC, meetings with community partners, information-gathering and consultation with community stakeholders and project partners, and research. The Childcare Resource Center (pending grant unding for FY24) will be focused on recruiting, supporting, developing, and retaining providers who work directly with children within the fields of early childhood education, childcare, and early childhood mental health across the community, as well as supporting individuals and organizations in establishing licensed childcare programs by helping them to access statewide resources. Included in this project is the establishment of employee benefit/incentive programs, scholarships, professional support, and the establishment of an Occupational Endorsement Certificate through the University of Alaska to create educational pathways and advancement opportunities to providers in order to address staffing challenges (and thereby student/client capacities and access) experienced by most of these local organizations.

[DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES ]{century="" gothic",sans-serif"=""}]{century="" gothic",sans-serif"=""}]{century="" gothic",sans-serif"=""}]{century="" gothic",sans-serif"=""}]{century="" gothic",sans-serif"=""}]{century="" gothic",sans-serif"=""}]{century="" gothic",sans-serif"=""}]{century="" gothic",sans-serif"=""}**

Assists in the initial organization, planning, benchmark studies, information-gathering, and setup of the new Therapeutic Childcare Center program and/or the Sitka Childcare Resource Office.

Communicates with internal and external stakeholders and community partners on the project, participating in meetings and trainings as a representative of the agency.

Designs and creates educational and therapeutic resources, lesson plans, and visual aids.

Contributes to a monthly program newsletter for families and stakeholders.

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