Description

HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services (HSVS) empowers youth and families to overcome the challenges of homelessness, family crises, addiction, mental illness and poverty. Founded in 1869 as St. Vincent’s Services in Downtown Brooklyn, we began as a home for “poor and friendless boys.” In 2014, HSVS was formed through an affiliation with Heart Share Human Services of New York. Through the affiliation, HSVS developed into a multi-program nonprofit agency with four divisions: Foster Care & Preventive Programs, Integrated Health Services, Housing & Residential Services and Youth & Community Programs. Across our agency, staff members serve our clients with compassion, respect and in collaboration with our outside partners. Our commitment to supporting vulnerable young people and their families in their quest to thrive and reach their fullest potential, ties together our rich array of services. HSVS understands that to best support our clients, our staff must have also be provided with the resources they need to do their jobs, while ensuring self-care. As a result, we prioritize staff well-being, and provide opportunities for reflection, team building, and professional development. While we have a fast-paced work environment, we also strive to approach our staff as whole people to support their long-time commitment to the work.

HeartShare is looking for a Child Development Specialist to join our Housing & Residential Program

Child Development Specialist Position Summary:

The Child Development Specialist(CDS) will act as an additional resource and support to the client and the case managers. This person will report to the Social Services Supervisor and work collaboratively with the case managers to assess the child for physical, motor, and cognitive development, on a regular basis, to provide education to the child and their parent(s), to conduct recommend appropriate interventions when necessary. This person will work closely with the case manager and as part of the client’s treatment team to ensure that the client and their child(ren) have the support and resources that they need. The child development specialist will be trained as a Parenting Journey Facilitator and will work with the social services supervisor to implement the evidence-based model. The child development specialist will maintain relationships with high quality child development referral partners and ensure that clients and their children are referred when needed. The child development specialist must be passionate and knowledgeable about the principles of positive youth development and excited about the use of data to inform our work, as well as the adoption of evidence-based practices.

Duties and Responsibilities. The Child Development Specialist will:

• Facilitate the Parenting Journey, a 12 weeks session curriculum in developing parenting skills with parents who are first time and or have children already

• Conduct assessments of the child(ren) of clients – including of their cognitive, motor, physical, mental, and intellectual development. Assessments will be conducted for children of all ages, but most children be 0-3 years old, for on going DOE 3K, Pre K and K screening from Early intervention scaling

• Work with the COACH, and client to inform the child development and parenting goals in their service support plans,

• Meet monthly with all 30 clients alongside the case manager to review child development and parenting goals, and the development parenting skills during home case address visits and or In Person in main office

• Maintain relationships with high quality referral partners to provide intervention when necessary, and make referrals, including to Early Intervention.

• Developing and managing educational program for parents and their child(ren), providing referrals to WIC/BPN/Breast feeding, building Community Collaboration with Her Village for family donations

• Documenting activities, tracking progress and formulating therapy plans, including exercises and activities for parents to administer; inputting data; into Next Gen

• Interacting with parents individually or in group settings.

• Consulting with Specialists on the client’s treatment team.

The Child Development Specialist will report to the Program Supervisor.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in social work, child development, mental health counseling, or related fields.

• Commitment to taking a compassionate, nonjudgmental, and strengths-based approach to working with young people that is steeped in the principles of positive youth development.

• Two (2 ) years of experience working in child development and/or educational services.

• Interest or experience in adopting evidence-based practices, and willingness to use data to inform work.

• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred.

• Previous experience as a client in supportive housing or other system involvement is preferred.

Benefits:

• Rewarding Work in a team environment;
• Paid vacation, sick, personal days and holidays;
• 403(B) retirement plan with employer contribution;
• Health, dental, vision and life insurance;
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP);
• Flexible spending account (Dependent Care, Medical, Parking, and Transit);
• Employee Appreciation Programs and Events;
• Tuition Assistance Program;
• Professional Development opportunities;
• Verizon Wireless Discount;
• BJs Membership discount;
• Discounts on Broadway tickets, movie tickets, theme parks, sporting events, gift certificates & more.