Early Childhood Behavior Support Coach

For Water Street Mission (WSM) to fulfill its mission and purpose, it is critical for all staff to participate in the development and maintenance of a healthy Christian Community. By living out our faith with one another and creating a space where our guests are invited to experience that community with us, we participate in lives being restored. Even as some positions have minimal direct contact with guests, each staff member has an essential role in forming and maintaining Christian community. The love of Christ, evidenced in our Water Street community, is the real impetus for change with our guests.

Job Summary:  To partner with staff, students and families emphasizing prevention, coaching, collaboration, and restoration while helping to create a nurturing learning environment where every child can thrive.  

FLSA:  Full-time, 10-month, Non-Exempt

All Water Street Mission staff must be:

• · Willing to sign the Water Street Ministries' Statement of Faith
• · A current and active member and/or regular attendee of a local church.
• · Able to fully support the Water Street Mission's core values and ministry philosophy.
• · Share the Good News of Jesus Christ in words and actions with people we serve, communicating hope and dignity.
• · Walk alongside fellow WSM staff in Christian community as we journey toward maturity.
• · Encourage restoration in the lives of guests, recognizing we are each restored by God to become restorers.
• Work in full coordination with other WSM staff, at all times, to identify, report and respond appropriately to any potential threats to the safety and wellbeing of guests.
• Embody, encourage and communicate a team and ministry culture which fully reflects WSM's purpose, mission and values.

Essential Functions:

Culture and Values

Role Specific Responsibilities

• Implements proactive behavior support strategies, develop individualized plans for students when needed, and equip staff and families with tools that foster student success in a manner that demonstrate dignity, ensuring that how we serve is a true reflection of our mission and values.
• Promote the social, emotional, behavioral, and developmental growth of students across all Wonder Academy classrooms by observing student strengths and needs, teaching social-emotional skills such as self-regulation, empathy, problem-solving, and positive peer interactions, and fostering an environment where all children can thrive.
• Support students experiencing behavioral, emotional, or developmental challenges through individualized guidance, age-appropriate conflict resolution, restorative practices, and collaborative strategies that encourage successful participation and inclusion in the classroom community.
• Partner with teachers to strengthen classroom culture and student success by implementing positive behavior support practices, modeling developmentally appropriate responses to challenging behaviors, and helping create engaging, inclusive learning environments that promote belonging and positive behavior.
• Provide coaching, consultation, and ongoing support to classroom staff to build confidence and consistency in behavior management, social-emotional development practices, and school-wide expectations for student behavior across all classrooms.
• Collaborate with administration and teachers to develop, implement, and maintain a school-wide behavior support framework, ensuring consistent, proactive approaches to supporting student success across all classrooms.
• Develop, monitor, and refine individualized behavior support plans for students as needed, maintaining clear documentation and communication while using ongoing observations and data to recommend effective interventions and adjustments.
• Build strong partnerships with families by serving as a trusted resource for child behavior and social-emotional development, communicating observations, sharing insights, and collaborating to support each child's growth and success.
• Equip parents and caregivers with practical strategies and connections to additional supports by providing guidance for use at home and assisting with referrals to community resources, educational services, and other appropriate supports when needed.
• Collaborate with teachers, administrators, families, and outside professionals to support student success, participating in team meetings, planning discussions, and professional development opportunities that strengthen student support efforts.
• Contribute to a culture of teamwork, continuous improvement, and shared responsibility for student outcomes, while carrying out additional duties and projects as assigned by the Director.
• Other duties as assigned by Director

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood/Special Education or equivalent experience with specialized certification in Early Childhood Development (CDA), Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Behavior Support (PBIS, TBRI), or related field.

Experience: Experience working with young children in educational, behavioral, social-emotional settings. Experience supporting children who have experienced poverty, trauma, or unstable home environments preferred. Experience coaching adults, supporting classrooms, or implementing behavior support strategies preferred.

Language and Communication Skills: Strong communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.

Ability to balance personal initiative with collaborative teamwork, to maintain professionalism and confidentiality, and strong organizational skills.

Reports To: Wonder Academy Director

Key Internal Relationships: Wonder Academy, Next Gen Min, and People & Culture Teams

Christian Life:

Water Street Mission is a privately funded 501(c) 3 Non-Profit, evangelical Christian ministry. Our designated purpose is religious and we are a Christ-centered ministry that is dedicated to sharing the Gospel and helping the homeless and impoverished. We consider every position to be essential in the fulfillment of our ministry and purpose statement. As such, each employee must have a relationship with Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. All employees must:

Be able and willing to share the Gospel and participate in the ministry activities of Water Street Mission.

Subscribe to the Water Street Mission Statement of Faith and Qualifications of Employment upon hire and continuously while employed.

Adhere to the Water Street Mission Employee Handbook.