Health & Abilities Specialist-Early Head Start

SAL Community Services•Moline, IL

33d•Onsite

About The Position

Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships, part of SAL Community Services, is the Quad Cities areas leading provider of early childhood care and education. We provide a safe, secure and supportive environment centered on how playing can charge the mind of the children we care for. The Early Head Start Health & Abilities Specialist is responsible for coordinating and monitoring children’s health, oral health, nutrition, mental health, and individual abilities services for the Early Head Start program. The position advocates for children’s health and development by promoting optimal health habits, interpreting health records and data, coordinating individualized supports, and ensuring appropriate preventive and primary health care for children and families in accordance with Head Start Performance Standards and local, state, and federal regulations. The Health and Abilities Specialist works in conjunction with other program content areas, consultants, families, and community partners to ensure a holistic approach, including coordination of mental health and disability services, confidentiality practices, transition planning, and compliance requirements. The position also collaborates with the early childhood and education team to ensure the implementation of safety practices and inclusive services in compliance with Head Start Performance Standards, Caring for Our Children, Public Law 94-142, HIPAA, PII requirements, and applicable local, state, and federal regulations. All Early Head Start employees will serve as an advocate for Early Head Start families and partner with parents and families as they become lifelong educators by observing, guiding, promoting and participating in the everyday learning of their children at home, school and in their communities. We are passionate about building and sustaining high quality working and learning environments for all children, families, staff, and our communities. We believe every member on our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in related health field, social services, or early childhood education
Two plus years of related experience with child and family health, to include prevention concepts.
Must obtain required background clearances.

Nice To Haves

Experience in Head Start or Early Head Start programs.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Director and content area managers on the development of health, environmental health and safety, nutrition and emergency policies and procedures ensuring compliance with local and state regulations, with appropriate input and engagement from consultants, staff, Policy Council, board and the Health Services Advisory Committee.
Provide health education to parents of children enrolled in the program by participating in parent meetings, home visits, or other methods determined effective.
Coordinate contracts and services with the Mental Health Consultant and Dietitian to support health, nutrition, mental health, and disability service delivery.
Provide assistance to parents to enable them to learn how to obtain any prescribed medications, aids, or equipment for medical and dental conditions.
Develop relationships with community partners who provide health and nutrition services to the families served by the Early Hea Start Child Care Partnership program in order to maximize resources, inter-agency collaborations, and avoid duplication of services.
Promote environmental health and safety within child care centers, contracted Home Child Care Network family child care homes, socialization events, and within the children's homes.
Monitor the implementation of safety policies and procedures.
Perform on-site visits as needed.
Plan and schedule visits to child care centers, family child care homes, and socializations in coordination with family visitors, and home visits to the child’s home as needed to observe children who have been referred for health concerns.
Participate in multidisciplinary teams upon request to help determine medical follow-up, assist in inclusion of children with health issues and to support parents in their role.
Schedule and chair multidisciplinary team meetings to coordinate services, review child needs, support inclusion, and ensure appropriate follow-up for children with disabilities, mental health concerns, or other identified needs.
Plan and implement procedures for transitioning children with disabilities out of the program, including coordination with families, receiving programs, school districts, and community partners as appropriate.
Review, evaluate, and interpret health/nutrition/oral health records following standards, rights and privacy, legal, and confidentiality requirements.
Monitor for completion of health/nutrition/oral health requirements and to ensure children have received health/nutrition/oral health services.
Ensure that each child is up to date on age-appropriate preventative and primary health care.
If applicable, meet with or conduct a phone interview with families regarding health findings, and assist families in understanding medical information and the need to complete prescribed treatment plans.
Assist families in obtaining needed medical care by making referrals to appropriate community health care providers.
Use pertinent health records and parent communication to develop and implement individualized health plans (IHPs).
Track children with health care needs and those that require medication administration at the Early Head Start CCP sites.
Monitors height/weight measurements and ensures plans are developed for children whose growth is of concern or not within normal range.
Provide training and education to staff, children, and/or families.
Attend monthly case conference meetings to discuss treatment plans for children with identified health plans.
Coordinate Health Services Advisory Committee, minimum of two meetings per year.