Description

Job Summary:

The Healthy Steps Specialists is responsible for promoting positive parenting and healthy development for babies and toddlers, with an emphasis on families living in low-income communities. This individual consults with a Physician Champion and is integrated into the primary care team.

Position Status

This is a full-time, exempt position.

Qualifications

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Manages the care of patients in collaboration with other health professionals and members of the Healthy Steps (HS) team in order to make decisions about treatment and attain health goals
• Provides consultations with families, with babies and young children regarding developmental and behavioral concerns such as sleep, discipline, picky eating, etc.
• Collaborates with the HS team to implement all core components of the program including universal child development and SDOH screening, making positive parenting and early learning guidance information readily available to all practice staff and adjusting workflows for optimal efficiency.
• Provides consultation to medical professionals and all practice staff re: early childhood development, infant mental health and trauma informed practice.
• Identify community resources, make appropriate referrals and tracks follow-up to help families make connections to key resources and maintain continuity of care
• Maintains extensive databases required to meet HS fidelity metrics including both internal and external referrals.
• Collaborates with HS team to complete annual site reporting to the National Office which may include analysis of both external database files and EMR reports.
• Documents all patient clinical activity and care coordination in electronic medical records.
• Maintains open communication with medical staff and members of the care team.
• Works closely with pediatric providers around care coordination, goal setting, counseling, coaching and education about key aspects of a child’s development.
• Collaborates with other community care providers in referral linkage
• May conduct home visits and may accompany families to key medical, specialty and community agency appointments as needed.
• May facilitate parents’/caregiver’s groups.
• Participates in reflective supervision groups.
• Participates when appropriate in community wide early childhood meetings.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the supervisor or manager

Competencies

• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to relate to persons of various economic levels and cultures
• Ability to multitask and triage/juggle multiple appointments and conflicting priorities.
• Maintain open door policy, potential frequent interruptions and warm hand-offs.
• Ability to speak and write fluently in English; Spanish desirable
• Ability to take initiative, willingness to learn and show confidence and assertiveness with providers and colleagues.
• Ability to work both in teams, independently and interdependently within a clinic setting utilizing various accepted therapeutic modalities, adherence to a strong code of personal and professional ethics
• Ability to collect and enter data for program management, evaluation and reporting purposes.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Being able to switch from being on the floor playing with young patients to communication with medical professionals regarding mental health interventions in a professional, coherent and efficient manner.
• Strong motivational interviewing skills.
• Knowledge of and access to community resources
• Proficiency in data entry, interpersonal, organizational and problem-solving skills
• Proficiency in working in an Electronic Medical Record (EMR), Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.
• Reflectiveness, insight and curiosity about oneself.
• Willingness to pursue continuing education opportunities

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree (preferred), or Bachelor’s degree (required) in psychology, social work, counseling, early childhood development education or related field.
• Preferred license Professional
• Experience and knowledge about 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
• Successful work history providing direct patient care in a social services or healthcare setting is a plus

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in conditions that include exposure to blood, bodily fluids and tissues, contagious diseases and/or other potentially hazardous materials
• Moderate physical exertion including frequent walking, standing, bending, reaching, sitting on floor and carrying moderately heavy loads (up to 25 lbs.)