On-Call Attachment Parenting Program Lead Trainer

About Strong Minds Strong Kids, Psychology Canada:  

Strong Minds Strong Kids, Psychology Canada (SMSKPC) is a national registered charity dedicated to nurturing resilience in kids with the use of psychological science so they can manage, learn, and grow from the many challenges in life. Through both adult and direct-to-child programming, we help infants, children, and youth build a strong foundation for mental health before challenges arise. With leadership from our volunteer Board of Trustees composed of the best in clinical psychology, academia, marketing and communications, and business, we have built Canada’s most networked mental health and resilience-based organization offering primary prevention programs for 50 years! 

Mission  

We nurture resilience in children and youth. 

Our commitment to inclusion and diversity: 

SMSKPC is committed to creating a diverse environment within staff, Board, committees, and volunteers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age. We pride ourselves in ensuring that every child in Canada can thrive, and respect and recognize the developmental and cultural needs of Canadian children and youth and how that plays a role in their mental well-being.  Our goal of promoting diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion helps serve our mission and support the many children in various communities across Canada. 

Make the Connection Program:
Make the Connection (MTC) is an evidence-based program designed to help parents and caregivers establish a secure attachment with their infants from birth to three years old. For over 20 years, MTC has positively impacted thousands of families, boosting parental confidence and promoting healthy parenting attitudes. Grounded in psychological science, the program fosters secure attachment and supports optimal brain development during these crucial early years.
 

Overview of Role: 

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced individual to join our team as an on-call Attachment Parenting Program Lead Trainer. In this role, you will play a vital role in delivering our Attachment Program, Make the Connection, to early childhood professionals, including Early Childhood Educators (ECEs), infant mental health workers, social workers, public health nurses, and other related professionals. You will be responsible for facilitating training sessions equipping early years professionals with the knowledge and skills to implement and deliver the MTC program with families they work with, onboarding new trainers, ensuring that all training materials reflect the latest research in early childhood development and attachment theory, and supporting the continuous development and effective implementation of the program.

Key Responsibilities:

• Facilitate Training: Deliver and facilitate the Make the Connection Program Facilitator Training, providing engaging and informative sessions on attachment theory and parenting programs to early years professionals, through both Zoom (virtual) and in-person (where applicable) formats.
• Trainer Onboarding & Support: Onboard new trainers ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and tools to deliver effective training. Provide ongoing support to trainers as needed.
• Program Implementation & Development: Assist in evaluating and adapting the Make the Connection training, making informed recommendations based on evaluations, emerging research, and participant feedback.
• Research & Trends Monitoring: Stay current on trends, research, and best practices in early child development and attachment to ensure training content is relevant and up-to-date.
• Support Program Growth: Propose informed changes to training materials, lead refresher sessions for trainers, and contribute to ongoing program and training enhancements.
• Collaboration: Work closely with the Training & Impact Coordinator to schedule training sessions, ensuring accurate and timely planning, coordination, and delivery.
• Non-Training Responsibilities: Dedicate up to 100 hours annually for non-training related duties, including staying updated on current research, reviewing program surveys, editing training materials, recruiting new trainers. and supporting partnership building to enhance program reach.
• On-Call Flexibility: Be available on an on-call basis as per the needs of the organization, ensuring flexibility in training schedules and support.

Qualifications:

• Experience: Previous experience in delivering training and/or professional development in early childhood education, infant mental health, social work, or a related field. 
• Knowledge: Strong understanding of attachment theory, early child development, and parenting programs. Ability to effectively communicate these concepts to diverse groups of professionals. Previous knowledge of Make the Connection program an asset. 
• Skills: Proficient in virtual training platforms (e.g., Zoom), with the ability to engage and independently manage participants in virtual and in-person settings. Strong presentation and facilitation skills.
• Research-Oriented: Ability to stay current with the latest research and trends in early childhood development and attachment, and integrate this knowledge into training (where applicable).
• Flexibility: Ability to manage an on-call schedule and adapt to the changing needs of the organization and partners.  
• Team Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with other team members, particularly the Training & Impact Coordinator, and collaborate with trainers to ensure smooth program delivery.

Technical Requirements: 

• Ability to work remotely with regular virtual check-ins; 
• Access to personal computer with camera, high-speed internet bandwidth 1.5 MBPS
• Proficiency in remote meeting applications (example: Zoom), and other software (ex. Google Workspace, Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva) 

Education: 

• University degree in Education, Social Work, Psychology, Nursing, Child & Youth Studies (or other) or specialized diploma in a related field. 

Additional Information:

• This position is on-call, with the number of hours varying based on the needs of the organization.
• Must be legally able to work in Canada. We welcome candidates from anywhere in Canada. 
• The role will involve both virtual and in-person training (depending on location of the selected candidate).
• Fluent in French is considered an asset.

Rate of Pay:

SMSKPC will accommodate the availability of the on-call trainer when scheduling training sessions. The on-call rate of pay is as follows:  

• $75/hour for everything other than training sessions which we pay the following:
  • $175 = 1 hour training
  • $260 = 1.5 hour training/workshop
  • $425 = 2.5 hour training
  •  $500 = 3 hour training
    

How to Apply: Application Deadline January 31, 2025.Please send your resume and cover letter to Bre Calma, Coordinator of Training and Impact at bre.calma@strongmindsstrongkids.org with the subject “Attachement Programming Lead Trainer – [Your Name].

No late or incomplete applications (missing a resume or cover letter) will be accepted. We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.