Positive Parenting Parent Educator

Description

JOB SUMMARY

Positive Parenting (PP) is a free home visitation program that serves a variety of families with children 0-5 years old in Tulsa County. Parent Educators utilize the Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum to promote positive parenting; encourage and improve child health and development; and prevent and/or reduce child abuse and neglect. Parent Educators assess family strengths and needs and provide referrals to other community resources and services as needed. They work to enhance family functioning by building trusting relationships; teaching problem-solving skills; improving the family’s support system; and promoting positive parent-child interaction and relationships. The philosophy of the Positive Parenting program is to meet families where they are in order to build strong communities, thriving families and children who are healthy, safe and ready to learn. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist parents in learning about child development, positive parenting practices and parent-child interaction activities through home visitation services and facilitating group connection activities, utilizing the Parents as Teachers curriculum. 
• PP Parent Educators engage and build relationships with client families, in the client’s home, from a trauma-informed, strength-based perspective by initiating and maintaining regular contact (visiting each family twice a month for approximately one hour/visit) and providing support, screening/assessment and referral assistance for families. Families who participate in the program may choose to be engaged in services until their child turns five years old.
• Effectively manages assigned caseload of 18-20 families (each seen 2x/month) and complete required documentation (ex. intake forms, service plans, session notes, assessments, referral contacts, etc.) within the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), agency, and Council of Accreditation (COA) standard of 48 hours;
• Assist with representing PCCT and recruiting for the program through community outreach at identified community organizations and events (ex. Emergency Infant Services) at least once a month.
• Establish a Family Goal Plan, with families ongoing input and feedback, that has established goals/objectives related to individual needs of the identified infant/child(ren), parent(s) and family with a set target date for completion; together with the family, implement the case plan as a guide for service provision and update when due. 
• Completes, documents, updates, tracks/monitors all required screenings, assessments, goal-planning, and PAT education sessions accurately and within the time frames specified. The Parent Educator will administer additional protocols and screenings as identified by the Program Manager, the PAT curricula and outcome evaluators.
• Provide accurate, timely, well-organized documentation and electronic chart management of all services and resources offered, provided, referred to and closed out/discharged from; as well as documentation of progress/ barriers on family goals and progress notes, as well as other program-required documentation. 
• Ability to recognize the need for additional professional intervention &/or other community services and connect with appropriate referrals, follow-up to ensure that referrals were successful, and provide timely documentation of these interactions. 
• Successful Parent Educators must have excellent interpersonal communication skills, be dependable, organized, good initiative, strong time management and strong problem-solving skills; display ability to work independently and know when to reach out for additional guidance and support; demonstrate the agency’s values of hope, compassion, respect, adaptability, and have a non-judgmental, learning / growth-oriented mindset.
• Participates in required agency and PAT trainings within established timeframes. PAT staff training requirements include three weeks of PAT Foundational training before providing independent home visits to families; attending 25 required trainings through the Oklahoma State Department of Health; Second year as a PAT- 9 required trainings; Meet PAT standard of at least 20 clock hours of professional development annually.
• Other duties as assigned by the Positive Parenting Program Manager and/or as outlined by National Parents as Teachers model.

Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• High School Diploma/GED or Child Development Associate (CDA)
• Good knowledge of community resources and experience working with prenatal/pregnant and parenting caregivers, infants, children, and their families.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills. Ability to adapt communication style to suit different audiences from a non-judgmental stance. Effective facilitation and teaching skills. Ability to engage in and facilitate direct, healthy, effective, crucial conversations with clients, caregivers and co-workers.
• Very strong organizational, documentation, data entry and time management skills.
• Excellent active listening and interpersonal skills as well as a willingness to engage in reflective conversations and perspective taking with a growth and development mindset. 
• Must have a good driving record, maintain a valid state driver’s license, current car insurance, and reliable transportation for full-time business use in making home visits, attending meetings (occasionally in OKC area) and community outreach. *Mileage reimbursement is provided for work-related, approved travel. 
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds to carry work related items including but not limited to: locking backpack/bag for work equipment, parent-child activity materials, forms/assessments & basic safety/health items to one’s car and to homes/apartments that may be upstairs or harder to reach.
• Ability to sit on floor for extended period to perform activities as needed while on home visits. Homes may on occasion have challenges the family is working on such as: lack of cleanliness, uncomfortable odors, concerns with bugs, lack of furniture, etc. 
• Ability to work with all culturally diverse populations, caregivers with potential histories of trauma such as child abuse/neglect, interpersonal violence, mental health, substance abuse; and services may be in geographical areas that may be considered higher risk locations. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

•  Bachelor’s Degree: Social Work, Human Relations, Education, Psychology, or related field.
• Two years work experience with at risk families & prior home-visitation experience
• Oklahoma Association of Infant Mental Health (OKAIMH) Endorsement 

SCHEDULE:

The typical work schedule for full-time Positive Parenting Parent Educators is an exempt status, 40 hour work week, Monday – Friday, between the hours of 8:30-5pm. Must be available to adjust / extend services at least one night a week to 6:00pm as appropriate to meet client needs