EHS Bilingual Advocate I
5 days ago
Norristown
Job Description Are you passionate about supporting families and making a real impact in the lives of infants, toddlers, and expectant parents? Join us in creating positive change and empowering families for a brighter future! "THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION" Position Summary The EHS Bilingual Advocate I position provides early learning-focused and curriculum-based home visits to pregnant women and parents of infants and toddlers, to promote the families' ability to support their health improvement, social empowerment, and child's development towards school readiness. Services may include providing encouragement, guidance, direct services, identifying client needs and goals around health, education, child development, and social services, and supporting clients to access needed services. Essential Functions • Obtains and maintains all required credentials, certifications, and training deemed necessary to perform job duties, such as the Home Visiting CDA credential (if applicable), ServSafe Certification, and First Aid certification., • Attends orientation and ongoing training sessions on maternal and child health and welfare, early learning, child abuse, housing, nutrition, substance abuse, counseling, parenting, infant family support issues, and other training as assigned/recommended by their supervisor or other service area Coordinator., • Plans weekly visits that include activities to support learning and development to enhance the family's skills as their child's first teacher. Is prompt to reschedule any missed visits to provide a minimum of 4 visits each month and a minimum of 46 visits to each client throughout the program year for home-based children. Plans home visits and provides education on prenatal development and resources to pregnant women at least twice a month., • Utilizes a professional, culturally sensitive, and respectful approach when visiting/addressing clients and their families at all times, regardless of the type of communication., • Provides curriculum-based education sessions and resources (hand-outs) for pregnant women and families with infant and/or toddler-age children to ensure that their developmental, health, social, mental health, and educational needs are met., • Connects families to resources and social services networks in and around the Norristown area. As applicable, supports clients in planning for their own health and social service needs by assisting clients in identifying goals, making appointments, and/or facilitating transportation to offices of service providers., • Contacts participants before/after home visits, by email or telephone, and maintains complete and accurate records of all communication with clients on Child Plus. Maintains a collaborative relationship with identified clients, provides support as needed, and ensures confidentiality of client records., • Conducts client assessments to determine strengths and areas of need on a timely basis (according to EHS Performance Standards) and uses this information to set goals in collaboration with the family., • Works collaboratively with Coordinators to encourage, monitor, and ensure the timely scheduling and completion of health and/or education-related appointments, such as prenatal, postpartum, well-baby, well-child, early intervention, physical exams, dental exams, and immunizations., • Participates in the collection and distribution of supplements, diapers, formula, clothes, and donations for EHS clients., • Refers participants needing more intensive follow-up to appropriate resources within MCC and other community agencies. Learns about and makes contact with community resources that clients need., • Encourage parent participation in all EHS events such as parent meetings, trainings, policy council meetings, outreach events, parent orientations, volunteering opportunities, and socializations. Assists in organizing client meetings and other special events, including, but not limited to, those celebrating Mother's and Father's Day., • Attends, facilitates, and actively participates in Site Meetings and Socializations. Attends community meetings, health fairs, and represents MCC as requested by their Supervisor or Family and Community Engagement Coordinator., • Participates in outreach efforts to raise awareness and promote education of issues faced by EHS clientele, identify candidates and families for enrollment, and direct them to needed EHS, health, education, and social services. Conducts health promotion activities by providing client education, disseminating educational literature, and distributing disease prevention materials, including condoms., • Responds promptly to inter-agency communication using Child Plus and other computer systems, including email, Internet, and word processing., • Meets with supervisor regularly and monthly to discuss clients' progress., • Supports parents in promoting their child's optimal educational and health development., • Maintains a caseload of approximately 12 prenatal clients and/or families with infants and toddlers., • Visits home–based clients at least once a week for at least 90 minutes and provides at least four visits each month., • Visits prenatal families twice a month for no less than 60 minutes., • Facilitates socialization twice a month, or as assigned by the supervisor., • Adheres to the MCC's security guidelines and ensures the appropriate handling of sensitive information., • Attends relevant staff meetings to promote communication and execution of goals., • Assists with training new Advocates, interns, or students as requested., • Assumes other duties as assigned by their Supervisor or other service area Coordinator when necessary and appropriate., • Completes special projects specific to the function of the department or as needed for the department as directed by their supervisor or other service area Coordinator, such as, but not limited to: coverage for reception area, participation in kitchen, socialization room, and toys cleaning/sanitizing schedule, and active participation in work groups., • Contributes actively throughout the EHS program's ongoing assessment of services, policies, and procedures, initiative development, research opportunities, and federal reviews., • Understanding of MCC's mission, vision, core values, goals, and objectives, and ability to work independently with a high level of energy and contribute as part of a larger team., • Knowledge of the concepts and practices associated with community health issues, particularly with pregnant women, prenatal care, parenting, child development, and other services for mothers, young children, and their families., • Ability to build professional relationships with clients and their families., • Ability to work in Norriston (Plymouth Meeting, Bridgeport, Conshohocken, Trooper), travel in and around the Greater Philadelphia or Montgomery County region to conduct home visits and community outreach., • Knowledge of and sensitivity to issues facing the community served., • Knowledge of basic client management procedures for determining eligibility, assessing needs, identifying resources, making referrals, following up, and documenting client interactions., • Strong interpersonal skills as demonstrated by compassionate, courteous, cordial, cooperative, and professional interaction with diverse groups of co-workers, community partners, clients, and members of the community., • Ability to operate a computer and use a variety of standard software programs, including Microsoft Office, spreadsheets, and customized databases., • Effective and accurate documentation of case notes and client data according to established client management documentation procedures., • Obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential within six months of your transfer or hire date., • Obtain an AA/AAS or BA/BS degree in Public Health, Human Services, Social Work, Human Development, Family or Child Studies, Sociology, or Psychology, or an AA/AAS or BA/BS degree in a related field from an accredited college or university., • Six months of experience providing direct services in a community outreach setting preferred., • Experience with community health issues, • Knowledge and experience in child development, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early childhood education., • Experience working with maternal and child health issues preferred., • Experience with positive parent-child interactions or Early Head Start programs preferred., • Bilingual in Spanish required. Must read, write, speak, and comprehend in Spanish.