Parenting Specialist - House of Mercy FT

Trinity Health•MMCIA - MercyOne House of Mercy Central IA, IA

12d

About The Position

The Parenting Specialist provides assigned clients with parenting and child-development consultation, behavioral health intervention services, skill-development support, and counseling assistance. The specialist maintains House of Mercy’s parenting curriculum so that it is current and based on research and best practices, and oversees and facilitates parenting education and skill-development programming for employees and clients. The role coordinates family activities for assigned clients to ensure they are relevant and consistent with parenting treatment goals, models and mentors positive parenting techniques, and assists families transitioning into House of Mercy. The position may include both outreach/in-home parenting caseload and residential caseload. It may involve working with clients in their homes as House of Mercy prepares to collaborate with the State of Iowa on a Family-Based Recovery Program. The typical schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on days, with occasional late-afternoon or early-evening sessions or classes to meet client needs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, Child and Family Services, or a counseling-related field.
One year of previous counseling experience.
Complete management of aggressive behavior training within six months of hire.
Obtain infant, child, and adult CPR certification through the American Heart Association within three months of hire.
Obtain infant, child, and adult First Aid certification through the American Heart Association within three months of hire.
Complete Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting training within the first 30 days of employment.

Responsibilities

Establish rapport and develop therapeutic relationships with assigned clients.
Provide individual and group counseling related to parenting.
Complete comprehensive histories and assessments of clients’ past parenting beliefs and practices.
Review and revise House of Mercy’s parenting program to ensure it is research- and best-practice-based and relevant to the women served.
Provide parenting education through individual encounters, classroom and group activities, and staff consultation or training.
Develop parenting-related goals and objectives for client treatment plans.
Coordinate transition planning for children admitted to House of Mercy and/or reuniting with their mothers there.
Provide therapeutic interventions, empathic support, and problem-solving assistance to clients experiencing parenting-related crises.
Update the treatment team on assigned clients’ parenting performance, recommend parenting skill-development interventions, and provide authorized or ordered behavioral health interventions documented in treatment plans.
Document relevant parenting information promptly and qualitatively in accordance with regulatory and organizational guidelines.
Plan, coordinate, and provide classroom instruction for House of Mercy staff on positive parenting skills, techniques, philosophy, principles, and goals.
Provide clients with resource and referral information and coordinate follow-through.
Assist residents with day-to-day routines that enrich parenting; observe, coach, and support parents through hands-on learning.
Identify or develop and administer standardized tools to assess changes in clients’ parenting beliefs and knowledge of skills.
Provide statistical and other research information as requested.
Complete data entry and quarterly reports for the Iowa Department of Public Health as requested.
Participate in statewide initiatives advocating for children and families seeking services and collaborate with providers of similar services.
Assist families with their transition into House of Mercy.