SUMMARY:

Provides mental health services to children and parents by ensuring that the Head Start/Early Head Start Performance Standards are met.

ORGANIZATIONLA VALUES: All employees of Community Link are expected to advocate and demonstrate the values of the organization. These values include: Respect – Honoring the value, autonomy and contributions of everyone; Commitment – Excellence through passion; Making a Difference – Enhancing the lives of others.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Comply with confidentiality policy of the Agency by protecting the dignity of children and families served by not divulging information about children, families other employees of the agency to anyone other than the persons who are authorized to receive such information.
• Actively participate in carrying out the mission of the agency by participating in training and staff meetings.
• Provides home visits to each family with a child or prenatal enrolled in the Home Based option. Home visits will occur with each enrolled family quarterly. When visits cannot occur, visits will be made up at a later date and time as agreed by the involved parent/guardian.
• Ensure that each family has access to comprehensive services by collaborating and consulting with internal First Step staff and external community providers to implement practices that support high quality services to families.
• Completes initial and ongoing developmental, behavioral, & sensory screening for all children in caseload and addresses concern when necessary.
• Administers the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screening to all expectant mothers enrolled in the program.
• Provides consultation to families with questions and/or concerns on an as needed basis.
• Demonstrates timely and accurate recordkeeping of child or prenatal progress, interactions, with parents/family, and professional services provided. Share results of individual child school readiness goals with parents on a quarterly basis and report responses back to the EHS Coordinator and EHS Director.
• Assists families to arrange alternate mental health consultation/services when the need is beyond the scope of services provided by Community Link.
• Attends informative briefings to discuss newly enrolled families with the Administrative Team.
• Provides transportation, either with own vehicle or program vehicle, to families when necessary and approved.
• Attends socializations, as necessary, to observe social-emotional development of enrolled children.
• Reviews Family Partnership Agreements every six months.
• Acts as an advocate for families and a liaison between families/community organizations/independent providers and Community Link to ensure the continued availability of quality, comprehensive community services.
• Assists Community Link in promoting a positive image in the community. Performs all duties according to agency and program policies and procedures and performs other related duties as required or assigned.
• Attends classes and/or workshops and engage in activities that further professional growth and development. Maintain library of teaching aids, materials and developmental equipment, and inform supervisor with need to replenish inventory.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. MUST be up to date with COVID-19 Vaccinations as per Office of Head Start Requirements.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

Must be credentialed as one of the following: LSW (Licensed Social Worker), LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), or LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor).

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read, write, and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of consumers or employees of organization. Ability to communicate while motivating people.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret graphs.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• must be licensed as a LSW, LCSW, LPC Or LCPC
• Employee must have a valid driver's license OR must have daily, reliable access to transportation in order to provide home based services to families
• Proof of vehicle insurance with a minimum of 100,000/300,000 liability coverage.

OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES:

Must be knowledgeable and willing to work with, in a professional manner, individuals and families from all backgrounds including those from a variety of ethnic cultures, socioeconomic statues, family compositions, etc.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Community Link will seek reasonable accommodations that do not result in undue hardship on business operations for qualified individuals with disability.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, and climb stairs. The employee occasionally is required to bend, stoop, squat, crouch, kneel, balance, and push/pull. The employee occasionally is required to crawl and reach above shoulder level. The employee frequently is required to lift 5 pounds or less. The employee occasionally is required to lift between 5 to 50 pounds. The job requires the employee to use the right and left hand for simple grasping, firm grasping, and fine manipulating. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and peripheral vision. The employee must have the ability to drive, either their personal vehicle or the agency vehicle during the course of their work. The employee is exposed to marked changes in the temperature and humidity.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Community Link will seek reasonable accommodations that do not result in undue hardship on business operations for qualified individuals with disability.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to outside weather conditions while traveling from home to home and is occasionally exposed to substandard housing conditions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.