Parent Educator

West Tennessee Healthcare•Jackson, MS

About The Position

Under the direction of the Program Supervisor, the Parent Educator strengthens parent-child relationships by helping parents improve parenting skills and meet their children’s dependency needs. The role helps optimize the home environment to support the physical and mental well-being of children at risk of abuse or neglect and their families. The Parent Educator builds trusting relationships with families, develops family case plans with goals and activities, assesses family dynamics, and provides appropriate interventions. The position connects families with medical, social service, and community resources, documents family observations and interventions, and collaborates with other organizations—with consent—to provide comprehensive services. The employee is subject to call back and overtime as required by the hospital.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalency.
Complete all Parents as Teachers training components during the orientation period.
Valid Tennessee driver's license.
Ability to demonstrate maturity and experience working successfully with infants, young children, and their parents.
Ability to speak, read, and write English.
Ability to demonstrate knowledge of local resources.
Knowledge of infant and child development.

Nice To Haves

Two years of experience working with or providing services to children and their families.
Completion of all AIMHI-TN components during the orientation period.

Responsibilities

Initiate and maintain regular contact with families to establish trusting relationships.
Develop family case plans with goals, objectives, and activities in collaboration with the family and supervisor.
Observe family dynamics and dysfunction and implement appropriate interventions.
Follow Parents as Teachers policies and procedures.
Apply knowledge of parent-child interactions, child development, and child abuse and neglect when working with families.
Empower families to make and attend medical appointments and meetings with social service agencies.
Provide transportation to medical or social service appointments when needed.
Act as a liaison between families and community resources, make appropriate referrals, and potentially conduct community outreach.
Meet monthly with the supervisor to discuss caseload, concerns, home visits, and screening numbers.
Document relevant family observations, activities, and worker interventions in family files.
Attend and participate in staff meetings, case conferences, in-service training, and other required or directed meetings.
Collaborate, with consent, with organizations and agencies to provide comprehensive services to families.
Plan appropriate service interventions for families needing additional support.
Work cooperatively with coworkers and maintain mature interpersonal relationships.
Perform related responsibilities as required or directed.