Home Visitor | Nurturing Families | Full Time

Job Title: Home Visitor

Department: Nurturing Families

Hours: 40

Shift: 1st

Weekends: Occasional

JOB SUMMARY:

The Home Visitor is responsible for initiating and maintaining regular (at least weekly) and long-term (up to 5 years) contact/support with families. This activity will occur primarily within the family's home and be intensive (each visit should last for up to at least 1 hour). Interactions should be family-centered and strength-based as directed at establishing a trusting relationship; assisting in strengthening the parent-child relationship; assisting parents in improving their skills to optimize the home environment; improving the family support system; increasing the family's ability to problem solve and assume the role of advocate for themselves and their children; aid family in making and attending health care appointments as well as other agency visits in the community. Additionally, the Home Visitor acts as a liaison between the community and the Nurturing Connections Program.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Assist and support overburdened first-time parents in nurturing their children in order to prevent child abuse/neglect and maintain a safe and caring home environment.

Maintain a caseload of 15 families who are seen weekly.

Teach prenatal and new parents child development and parenting skills and promote positive parent/child interaction.

Instruct parents in areas such as their child's medical/health needs, feeding and clothing, discipline and toilet training through role modeling and curriculum appropriate to their literacy and language skills.

Work with families in their homes to help them access community resources

Complete all paperwork and data entry required by the program and by the agency in a timely way.

Report all incidents of child abuse and neglect.

Develop Action Plans for each family assigned; Complete Screenings (Ages & Stages Questionnaires) on each baby.

Participate in weekly and group supervision; attend monthly agency staff meetings.

Skills and Abilities:

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to relate to individuals who may not share basic commonality, including value systems and behavior norms.

• Demonstrates creativity and knowledgeable about community resources.

• Ability to establish and maintain personal/programmatic boundaries, while providing supportive services.

• Belief in and be comfortable with advocating for nurturing, non-violent discipline of children.

• Ability to relate to families from a strength-bases basis.

• Demonstrate motivation and the ability to learn and practice basic supportive skills.

• Ability to act independently with maturity and self-awareness in a non-judgmental and nurturing manner.

• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions, assess priorities, record information accurately.

• Ability to maintain Day Kimball Healthcare standards on confidentiality.

• Demonstrate good writing and organizational skills.

• Demonstrates flexibility in time schedule to accommodate needs of the department.

• Ability to drive an automobile year-round in varying weather conditions.

Qualifications:

• Minimum High School Diploma with 2 years relevant job experiences; an associated degree or from an accredited school, in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Education, Human Development, Nursing or related field preferred.

• Ability to speak and understand conversational English required.

• Ability to speak and understand Spanish preferred.

• Experience in working with culturally diverse communities/families and the ability to be culturally sensitive and appropriate preferred.

• Parents as Teachers Certification preferred.