Home Visitor (EHS)

Under the direction of the Education Specialist, the Home Visitor will recruit families and provide home based services to pregnant women and families with children up to three years of age to provide health, development, and parenting information; and will serve as the Lead Home Visitor provide technical assistance and training to support Parent Educators serving Early Head Start prenatal and home based families.  

• Requires an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education, Social Services or closely related field.
• Requires 2 years of experience within an early intervention or early childhood home-visiting program.
• Ability to provide a continuum of care to pregnant women and children ages birth to 3 ½ years.
• CPR and First Aid Training.
• Good oral and written communication skills, including good reading skills.
• Good organizational skills.  Task oriented.
• Ability to adhere to schedules and specific time tables.
• Ability to have a positive relationship with children, staff and others from diverse backgrounds, including children with special needs.
• Demonstrates potential leadership abilities.
• Demonstrates emotional maturity and sensitivity to the needs and interests of the community.
• Record keeping skills to maintain legible, accurate, up-to-date files so that information on children and families is readily researched and retrieved.
• Ability to work as a team player and interact/assist all employees as necessary.
• Possess the ability to forge a mutually respectful partnership with persons served and their families, conviction about the capacity of people to grow and change, the ability to set limits and maintain the helping role of the employee and the ability to intervene appropriately to meet the needs of the persons served and their families.
• Ability to safely travel to and from the center and parent residences.

Supervisory Responsibilities

There are no supervisory requirements for this position.

Essential Job Functions

1. Perform according to the Head Start performance standards and comply with the policies and procedures set forth by Early Head Start, NAEYC, CWLA, Tennessee Day Care Licensing and Porter-Leath.
2. Recruit families for participation in the home based and/or prenatal program, to maintain a caseload of at least eight clients, (5) prenatal & (3) home based participants.  Assist with identifying and recruiting other potential clients to support other Home Visitors.  
3. Conduct (at least) weekly 90 minute home visits (or as needed depending on individual situations) to participating families and their children, in their homes, to provide health, development and parenting information providing comprehensive home-based services.
4. Conduct monthly, 90-minute visits with all prenatal clients or as needed depending on individual circumstances.  
5. Arrange for the postpartum 2 week visits after the infant's birth to ensure the well-being of both the mother and the child.  Visit must be arranged in conjunction with the designated Health staff.  
6. Arrange for 2 group socializations each month to include clients from American Way and/or other Early Head Start locations.  
7. Provide technical assistance and training to Early Head Start Home Visitors to ensure continuity amongst sites and the services provided.  
8. Arrange regular monthly meetings and/or seminars amongst Early Head Start Home Visitors to remain abreast of current trends, challenges, policy updates, etc.  
9. Assist with monitoring of Early Head Start prenatal and home based records and Child Plus documentation.  
10. Provide designated staff with information regarding home visits, screening and results, community services and referrals, resources and family needs.
11. Coordinate 45/90 day screenings to include home based clients and/or prenatal clients, ensuring that prenatal client keeps regular doctors visits.  
12. Provide leadership in the provision of services within the community.  Conduct community referrals for participants/clients.
13. Conduct developmental screenings and assessments on children and assist children and parent with attainment of individualized goals.  
14. Provide activities to support School Readiness goals and Parent, Family, Community and Engagement Framework outcomes.  
15. Participate in orientation and pre-service/in-service training and other staff development activities.
16. Execute the Parents as Teachers curriculum with the program participants/clients during home visits and in family groups activities.
17. Ensure effective transitions from program options to include transition from prenatal to home based and from home based to center based.  
18. Keep Site Manager abreast of child/family progress and family issues and concerns as they arise.
19. Participate in the planning and execution of group parent meetings/socializations, encourage parents to participate in parent group meetings, EHS activities and other community service projects.
20. Timely completion and submission of required reports, schedules, and other documentation as required.
21. Track family health needs and access to preventive care.  Serve as a liaison with program partners.
22. Attend parent meetings, staff meetings and all program activities.
23. Maintain accurate and up-to-date client files and input required information into database systems.
24. Contribute to team effort by performing other duties as assigned.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel.  The employee is regularly required to stand and walk while making home visits in the community.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and color vision.  Work in a non-smoking environment.

Special Conditions

Maintain a valid driver’s license with a good driving record with appropriate level of insurance.  Have safe, reliable transportation with the ability to travel from the EHS center to home visits on a regular basis.

NOTE: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification.  They are not intended to be constructed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.