Parent Educator

Position Title: Parents As Teachers Parent Educator

Reports To: Parents as Teachers Coordinator

Broad Function: Provide Parents As Teachers curriculum to Essex County Families in their homes

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Professionalism

• Values and participates in the Team as a proactive member.
• Respects others’ professional opinions and tolerates a range of feelings.
• Able to give and receive constructive criticism.
• Willing to take on extra work when needed (i.e. when there is a vacancy).
• Performs required tasks according to the program philosophy, policies and procedures.
• Is courteous, approachable, and cooperative towards co- workers, clients, support staff, and others and conducts self in a mature, competent, confident, and respectful manner.
• Understands and adheres to confidentiality rights of clients, co-workers and agency, consistent with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), and protects personal health information in written, verbal and electronic forms.
• Practices self-care, has a sense of humor, and possesses a healthy work/ life balance important to providing great customer service.
• Ensures the safety & comfort of others by communicating the presence of hazards, injuries, equipment problems or any need for help and knows the emergency evacuation and all other safety policies (universal precautions, etc.).
• In times of crisis is willing to help others, and communicates urgent information quickly to supervisor / Team.
• Maintains good attendance (i.e. Maintains FT or PT schedule as contracted, and attendance does not impair or negatively affect the team.)
• Is punctual for client appointments, meetings, etc.
• Meets program productivity requirements.
• Uses good judgment, practices ethical decision-making, and explores all options in problem
  
  

SUPERVISION:

• Attends supervision consistently and comes prepared.
• Documents supervision.
• Able to receive feedback and to learn from it.
• Has insight about self (i.e. strengths and weaknesses) and utilizes that knowledge toward growth and change.
  
  

PARENT EDUCATOR RESPONSIBILTIES:

• The parent educator (PE) is responsible for maintaining a regular and long-term relationship with their families, with a Level of Service of 18 families at any given time.
• Activity will occur within the family’s home; each visit utilizing the PAT curriculum, with a focus on the 3 main components of a visit.
• Visits should last for one hour.
• The interventions should be family-centered and strength-based.
• Establish a trusting relationship and strong rapport with Families
• Assist in strengthening the parent-child relationship.
• Assist parents in improving their skills to optimize the home environment and parenting practices that promote the optimal development of children.
• Assist in increasing the family support system and increase the family’s ability to problem solve and assume the role of advocating for themselves and their children.
• Responsible for assisting the family in establishing goals and a plan for the accomplishment of those goals, utilizing the PAT Goal Plan.
• Will utilize the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) and ASQ-Social Emotional (ASQ-SE) to assess the normal growth and development of the target child.
• Identify, make and facilitate any referals to community services, agencies, or systems as indicated.
• Responsible for acquiring all necessary documentation from families as well as inputting documentation into PATsys and relevant information into charts.
• Meet all deadlines for paperwork as well as make sure screenings and all required assessments and components of PAT curriculum and PAT documentation are done within the required timeframes.
• Utilize NJIIS with login to gather relevant immunization information
• Build caseload by reaching out to CNJ referrals.
• Complete required documentation in PATsys for referral outreach and status of pending enrollments.
• Perform outreach in the community (Table at Health Fairs, Visit OBGYN offices, Libraries, Churches etc.) to discuss the PAT program and Home Visiting services to educate and recruit families.
• Facilitate and assist in Group Connections events.
• Experience in working with culturally diverse communities/families and the ability to be culturally sensitive and appropriate
• Demonstrates good writing and organizational skills
  
  

Specifications

Education/Certification: Bachelors degree in Early Childhood or a related field

Experience: Previous experience with demonstrated success in community outreach and marketing. Proven ability to work effectively on a team as well as strong Cultural Competence skills. Experience delivering evidence-based curricula, strong clerical, organizational, and computer skills. A respectful, professional demeanor and proven ability to work with diverse populations. Maturity and experience in working with children (0-5 years of age) and their families for at least two years. Knowledge of normal child growth/development and parent-child relationships. Ability to relate to families from a strength-based model; ability to approach families from a family-centered service model. Demonstrates motivation and ability to learn and practice basic supportive skills. Knowledgeable about community resources. Ability to establish and maintain personal/programmatic boundaries, while providing supportive services. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to relate to individuals who may not share basic commonality, including value system and behavior norms. Believes in and is comfortable with advocating for nurturing, nonviolent discipline of children. Must be fluent in English, Spanish bilingual ability strongly preferred.

Knowledge: Knowledge of inputting data into computer systems. Ability to work with children ages 0 to 3 and their parents or caregivers.

Skills and Abilities: Report program coordinator. Assist in marketing and recruiting families for PAT. Comfortable working in the home with families and within the community. Comfortable with public speaking and advertising program. Assist program coordinator in performing tasks needed to implement program. Some nights will be required, based on family need. Possess ability to be non-judgmental, empathetic, patient and tactful.

Pay Rate: $25.00/hr

Vacation & Benefits

• Vacation: As a full-time employee working generally 35 hours per week, you will be eligible to participate in the Family Connections group benefit plans. Benefits include medical, dental, life insurance, long term disability, retirement plans, and additional supplementary benefits. Yes, you can elect to not enroll into these benefits. You will also be eligible to accrue vacation, personal, and sick days in addition to 12 paid holidays, and summer wellness Fridays.
• Benefits also include professional development assistance, referral program, internal/external trainings, Capella University partnership, 403b retirement plan with employer matching (3% max) (you can enroll in your 403b without a waiting period) , employer-paid life insurance, employer paid Long-term Disability (LTD) insurance, employer paid Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, etc.
  
  

Work Environment/Physical Demands: The individual must possess the ability to perform work that requires frequent standing, bending, reaching, squatting, kneeling, moving, and lifting of up to or in excess of 50 pounds.

• The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job or that an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.
  
  

Family Connections is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to excellence. Employment offers are made on the basis of qualifications and without regard to race, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, age veteran status, or sexual orientation or other protected classes under the State and Federal law.