Healthy Steps Specialist

Crossing Healthcare•Decatur, IL

5d•$20 - $27•Onsite

About The Position

The Healthy Steps Specialist promotes positive parenting and healthy development for babies and toddlers, with an emphasis on families living in low-income communities. The specialist consults with pediatric providers and is integrated into the primary care team. This is a full-time, exempt position at Crossing Healthcare in Decatur, Illinois, reporting to the Chief Medical Officer.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, counseling, early childhood development education, or a related field.
Experience and knowledge concerning early childhood growth and development, parent-child relationships, child health, infant mental health, and family systems.
Experience evaluating the growth and development of infants and children under three years of age.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and relate to people across economic levels and cultures.
Ability to multitask and manage appointments and conflicting priorities, including frequent interruptions and warm hand-offs.
Fluent spoken and written English.
Ability to take initiative, learn, and communicate with confidence and assertiveness with providers and colleagues.
Ability to work in teams and independently within a clinic setting, using accepted therapeutic modalities and adhering to strong personal and professional ethics.
Ability to collect and enter data for program management, evaluation, and reporting.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Strong motivational interviewing skills and knowledge of and access to community resources.
Proficiency in data entry and interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency with electronic medical records, Excel, Word, Outlook, and related tools.
Reflectiveness, insight, and curiosity about oneself.
Willingness to pursue continuing education opportunities.
Ability to work around blood, bodily fluids and tissues, contagious diseases, and other potentially hazardous materials.
Ability to perform moderate physical exertion, including frequent walking, standing, bending, reaching, sitting on the floor, and carrying loads up to 25 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in psychology, social work, counseling, early childhood development education, or a related field.
Spanish language skills.
Successful work history providing direct patient care in a social services or healthcare setting.

Responsibilities

Manage patient care in collaboration with health professionals and the Healthy Steps team to support treatment decisions and health goals.
Consult with families about developmental and behavioral concerns involving babies and young children, including sleep, discipline, and picky eating.
Collaborate with the Healthy Steps team to implement program core components, including universal child development and social determinants of health screenings.
Manage the Healthy Steps Warm Line and make positive parenting and early learning guidance available to families and practice staff.
Adjust workflows to support program efficiency.
Consult with medical professionals and practice staff about early childhood development, infant mental health, and trauma-informed practice.
Identify community resources, make appropriate referrals, and track follow-up to help families connect with resources and maintain continuity of care.
Maintain internal and external referral databases required to meet Healthy Steps fidelity metrics.
Collaborate with the Healthy Steps team on annual site reporting to the National Office, including analysis of external database files and EMR reports as needed.
Document patient clinical activity and care coordination in electronic medical records.
Maintain open communication with medical staff and care team members.
Work with pediatric providers on care coordination, goal setting, counseling, coaching, and education about child development.
Collaborate with Crossing departments, including Women’s Health, Behavioral Health, and Adult Medicine, on internal referrals and their management.
Participate in community-wide early childhood meetings when appropriate.
Perform other duties as assigned.