Infant And Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
Arnell Scott started at Positive Education Program in 2023 as an early childhood mental health consultant. He works on the PEP Early Childhood Plus team as part of the Childcare Resource and Referral Collaborative. In his role, Scott works with adults who support young children in child care settings. He empowers teachers and other adults in the child’s life to nurture the child’s social emotional development. As he puts it, “I help children and their caregivers to have greater successes and outcomes in the future.”
Scott says one of the things he likes most about working at PEP is the sense of community and being part of a strong team. “I like the fact that everyone helps and has connections and resources to offer,” he says. “The staff at PEP have a wealth of information and a ton of ideas. People are just an email away, and whenever I need help, someone is available to help me.”
And it’s not just his team, that’s so supportive. He also likes the assistance he gets from his supervisor. “I have constant check-ins with my team and my director. This is refreshing to me because I’ve had previous roles where you wouldn’t get feedback from management until there was a problem.”
For Scott, one of the most rewarding aspects of his job is when he sees a teacher or daycare director have an “ah-ha!” moment because of what he’s taught them. “When an approach or method I have taught fits that educator’s needs, and you see the energy and the momentum continue, it feels meaningful. I’ll come back after teaching something and see the teacher say, ‘Oh! It works!’ and I know I’m making a difference.”
When he’s not at work, Scott enjoys watching Cleveland sports teams do well – or at least try to. He also volunteers in the Media Ministry at his church and enjoys developing materials like slides and flyers for his church. At home, he enjoys spending time with his wife playing video games.
His go-to sweet treat? Scott can’t resist monkey bread with a scoop of ice cream!