2021 Summer Treatment Program (STP) Pre-K Counselor

The Center for Children and Families at Florida International University announces Summer Treatment Program Counselor 2 positions for 2021.

Applications will be accepted beginning October 2020.

To be considered for this position, please visit https://ccf.fiu.edu/opportunities/summer-treatment-program-opportunities-and-training/ and follow additional instructions for submitting applications.

The Center for Children and Families at Florida International University announces STP-PreK Counselor positions for 2021. Eligible children for STP-PreK are recruited from preschool programs in or around Miami-Dade County and are receiving, or eligible to receive, services through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for moderate-to-severe learning and/or behavioral needs. Services are provided at Paul Bell Middle School. The program provides treatment tailored to children's individual behavioral and learning difficulties.

The dates of employment for the Counselor position are Monday, June 7, 2021 through Friday, August 13, 2021. Counselor hours of employment are 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with four 30 minute breaks, Monday – Friday.

Counselors will be paid $10/hour, with overtime pay for any hours in excess of 40 per week. Total compensation will be approximately $4,000. In addition, Counselors may continue to work with the children until 8:00 PM one evening each week while parents participate in weekly parent training groups and will receive overtime pay of up to for these hours, up to $400 for the summer. Current students may also be able to arrange for academic course credit through their university departments.

Children and counselors are assigned to groups of four or five counselors and 10 to 15 children of similar age. Children participate in a variety of classroom-based and recreational activities. Staff members implement an extensive behavior modification treatment program including feedback and associated consequences for positive and negative behaviors, daily and weekly rewards for appropriate behavior, social praise and attention, appropriate commands, and time-out from positive reinforcement. Counselors also record, track, and enter daily records of children’s behavior and response to the treatment. Counselors will work under the supervision of experienced faculty and staff members.

Counselors in the STP-PreK deliver the treatment components within both classroom and recreational contexts. Counselors will assist in the following each day: (1) leading an academic center (i.e., English/Language Arts, Math, Science, Writing); (2) leading a sport (i.e., soccer, kickball, teeball); (3) delivery of treatment components during large group instruction periods; (4) assisting in the delivery of an evidence-based reading intervention; and (5) tracking the daily behavioral progress for assigned cases. Sports experience or teaching experience is not a requirement for the STP-PreK.

Prior to the start of employment, Counselors will be required to read the program manual and to be familiar with the behavior modification program and rules and procedures for daily activities, including the rules and fundamentals for the sports played in the program. Counselors will be required to memorize information such the operational definitions for the behavior modification system categories, activity rules, rules for classifying behaviors, and other related information. Counselors will need to spend a significant amount of time preparing prior to the start of employment.

During the first two weeks of employment, Counselors will participate in a variety of training activities. Training will consist of lectures, slide and video presentations, testing, and daily active role-plays during which staff members will act as counselors and children during activities such as games, drills, discussions, and time out.

The Center for Children and Families is directed by William E. Pelham, Jr., Ph.D., who is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at Florida International University. Paulo Graziano, Ph.D., and Katie Hart, Ph.D., are the Program Directors for the STP-PreK and FIU Summer Academy. The Summer Treatment Program, from which the STP-PreK was adapted, has been conducted since 1980 and was named as a Model Program for Service Delivery for Child and Family Mental Health by the Section on Clinical Child Psychology and Division of Child, Youth, and Family Services of the American Psychological Association. The STP has also been used in clinical trials conducted under the auspices of the National Institute of Mental Health and SAMHSA, and has been named a program of the year by CHADD, the national parent advocacy group for children with ADHD.

Experience in the STP-PreK may be helpful to prepare students for further study or employment in the fields of education, mental health, physical education, pediatrics, psychiatry, recreational therapy, behavior analysis, social work, counseling, and related areas. Staff members have uniformly reported the experience to be the most demanding but also the most rewarding clinical experience of their careers.

Desired qualifications for Counselors include: undergraduate-level study in Psychology, Education, Behavior Analysis, Social Work, or related field; and experience working with children or adolescents in settings such as summer camps, after-school programs, sports programs, daycare programs, and educational programs. Previous experience in teaching, refereeing, or coaching children in sports is also advantageous.

Participation in the STP-PreK requires staff members to ensure the safety, well-being and treatment of children and adolescents with mental health, learning, attention and behavior problems. Staff must be able to visually scan the environment, attend to and hear verbal exchanges between children, provide neutral, corrective feedback on children’s misbehavior (which can include aggression), provide a consistent, warm, positive climate for children, and actively engage in sports and physical activity. Applicants must be able to meet the above requirements of the position.

All finalists must clear a Criminal Background Check initiated by the Division of Human Resources at FIU before an offer of employment will be made. All finalists must be digitally fingerprinted and cleared by the FIU Division of Human Resource and the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

Applicants are required to complete an online application form and to submit 3 letters of recommendation and an official transcript. There is no cutoff date for applying. Applications received after all positions have been filled will be placed on a waiting list. Positions are competitive so interested individuals should apply as soon as possible.

For a detailed description of the program, and to apply for this position, please visit https://ccf.fiu.edu/summer-programs/summer-treatment-program-pre-k/index.html

Temporary

Desired qualifications for Counselors include: undergraduate-level study in Psychology, Education, Behavior Analysis, Social Work, or related field; and experience working with children or adolescents in settings such as summer camps, after-school programs, sports programs, daycare programs, and educational programs. Previous experience in teaching, refereeing, or coaching children in sports is also advantageous.

The dates of employment for the Counselor position are Monday, June 7, 2021 through Friday, August 13, 2021. Counselor hours of employment are 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with four 30 minute breaks, Monday – Friday.

Hourly rate: $10.00 , with overtime pay for any hours in excess of 40 per week. Total compensation will be approximately $4,000.

In addition, current students may be able to arrange for academic course credit through their university departments.

• Criminal Background Check
• Fingerprinting Check
• Clearance by The Department of Children & Families

As a temporary employee, you will not be eligible to participate in all employee benefit programs (e.g., paid leave, retirement, or tuition reimbursement).

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), a temporary employee who works on average 30 hours or more per week may be eligible to enroll in health care benefits. As a temporary employee, you are also eligible to enroll in supplemental plans (e.g. dental, vision,) which requires full payment on your part.

Upon completing an assignment, employees may apply for a position on FIU Careers.