HEALTHY STEPS SPECIALIST

Summary

The Children’s Home Society of North Carolina’s HealthySteps Specialist will provide education and support to parents and caregivers of children 0-3 within a pediatric setting to facilitate children’s healthy growth and development.

Primary Job Functions

• Duties

• Conduct in-office visits with parents, caregivers and their young children, either jointly with the physician, pediatric nurse, or alone

• Work closely with pediatric providers around care coordination, goal setting, coaching, and education about key aspects of child development

• Provide anticipatory guidance to parents and other primary care givers around common concerns such as early learning, fussiness, sleep, feeding, discipline, toilet training, etc.

• Coordinate the following: developmental and behavioral screenings for children, identifying protective and risk factors with families, and maternal depression screenings

• Track progress made in ongoing checkups that examine both child development and family factors

• Work closely with the pediatric team and Family Connects home-visitors as a resource for developmental and parenting concerns

• Collaborate with the HealthySteps Coordinator

• Participate in regularly scheduled reflective supervision

• Participate when appropriate in community-wide early childhood meetings

• Participate in case consultation discussions with other HealthySteps Specialists and Family Connects home-visitors working on the initiative

• Facilitate parent and caregiver education groups as needed

• Provide referrals and track follow-up, as appropriate, to help families make connections to key resources within the community

• Upon acceptance of position, CHS employee may be required to undergo additional health and background screenings required by the pediatric office they serve. These screenings could include, but are not limited to, additional drug and health screenings [i.e. TB test, Hepatitis B vaccinations, etc.], review of vaccination records. While on site, the CHS employee will be expected to follow all pediatric practice requirements - standards of conduct, dress code, etc.

• Contribute to a positive, engaging work environment.

  • Display sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics
  • Demonstrate the CHS Mission, Vision, and Values in the performance of all job duties.
  • Participate actively in departmental meetings, training, and education, as well as the quality process.
  • Comply with CHS’s code of conduct, policies, procedures, and other obligations.
  • Perform other duties related to department goals and projects as needed.

Education, Licenses & Certifications:

• Master’s degree required in Child Development, Psychology, Social Work or related human services field.
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred
• Preference given to licensed and currently registered to practice in North Carolina

Experience:

• Experience and knowledge about early child growth and development, parent-child relationships, child health, and family systems
• Experience assessing the growth and development of infants and children under three years of age

Competencies

Skills and Proficiency in:

• Demonstrated expertise in child development issues

• Demonstrated commitment to working with underserved populations in a community setting.

• Must be empathetic, supportive, and patient

• Strong motivational interviewing skills

• Ability to work with people of many cultures

• Ability to take initiative and willingness to learn

• Ability to work well both in teams and independently

• Ability to collect and enter data for program management, evaluation, and reporting purposes

• Interest in the use of technology to improve care quality is a plus

• Ability to work and travel within Guilford County

• Strong and effective communication skills, both written and verbal

• Strong time management, organization, and attention to detail

• Strong computer skills (Microsoft Applications as well as electronic data systems, time sheets, expense reports, use of virtual platforms for meetings)

Ability to:

• • Ability to work independently from a home office and maintain adherence to deadlines.
  • Must be physically able to use standard office equipment such as computers, telephones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines
  • Availability for occasional evening and weekend hours
  • Maintain a valid North Carolina driver’s license, adequate auto insurance, and have access to an operating vehicle to attend to CHS business

Schedule Expectations

This position is a salary exempt job that will require some weekends, and evenings work. Along with working our standard scheduled week. The ability to work flexible hours is required to meet business needs. If working remotely, will be required to be available by telephone and email during specified hours as required. Frequent travel required to conduct business-related activities.

Physical Effort and Work Environment

Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals with disabilities.

0%-

24%

25%-

49%

50%-

74%

75%-

100%

Sitting: Will remain in a seated position.

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Fingering/Grasping: Will perform repetitive tasks to include keyboarding, handwriting and equipment operation.

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Standing/Walking: Will move about from one area of the workplace to another.

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Climbing/Stooping/Reaching: Will bend, twist, squat, stoop, kneel, crouch and reach at or above shoulder level.

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Lifting: Will lift and carry objects up to 25 lbs.

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Pulling/Pushing: Will transport loads of up to 40 lbs.

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Work Environment: Will work in office/care facility/ home environment; with possible exposure to communicable diseases and/or uncontrolled situations.

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